Warsaw: SiltaNews – News Desk
Polish ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel has achieved a historic first, by completing a ski descent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen. Arriving in Nepal in August, after weeks of preparation he began his summit push from Camp IV (around 7,900 m above sea level) on Sunday where heavy snowfall turned the ascent into a grueling slog.
But after spending 16 hours climbing up the so-called “death zone” (above 8,000 m), he eventually reached the summit on Monday afternoon. Minutes later, the 37-year-old strapped on his skis and began his world-first descent, racing against the setting sun.
Bargiel and his brother Bartek, who operated the drone recording the descent, developed a specialized route, taking them through the Hillary Step, the South Summit, to the South Col, and then down towards Camp II (approximately 6,400 m), where Bargiel paused overnight.
“I split the descent into two parts, as navigating the technically difficult Icefall in relatively safe conditions was only possible in the morning,” he explained. With his brother still filming the action, Bargiel resumed at sunrise on Tuesday, tackling the Khumbu Glacier – the most dangerous section – without ropes or fixed lines, and reached Base Camp at 8:45 a.m.
“I knew that the difficult autumn conditions and leading the descent across the Khumbu Glacier were the greatest challenges I could face,” Bargiel later said. He added: “This is one of the most important steps in my sports career. Descending Everest without oxygen was a dream that had been developing for years.”
Mountaineer and filmmaker Darek Załuski, who accompanied Bargiel, praised the achievement, saying: “His descent from Mount Everest only confirmed his exceptional skills, not only in terms of athleticism, but also in terms of endurance and mental strength.”
Bargiel’s previous Everest expeditions in 2019 and 2022 were cut short by a serac overhanging the Khumbu Glacier and a snowstorm. But using all his experience, he was not to be denied on his third attempt.
While this was not the first ski descent from Everest – Slovenian Davorin Karničar achieved the feat in 2000 – Bargiel is the first to do so without an oxygen supply. The breathtaking feat will now be chronicled in a documentary film, scheduled for release in 2026.