Andrzej Bargiel Achieves a Historic Ski Descent of Everest Without Oxygen Support

Polish adventurer Andrzej Bargiel made history by becoming the first individual to ski down the entirety of Mount Everest without using additional oxygen, his team announced.

Having reached the pinnacle of the 29,032-foot peak on a Monday, Bargiel commenced his groundbreaking descent.

He shared his exhilaration on Instagram: 'At the summit of the planet’s tallest mountain, I’m about to ski down.' He extended his gratitude to supporters, writing: 'Thank you for your encouragement! Immense thanks to my team for their unwavering support throughout this journey.'

While other skiers have descended Everest, none have managed the feat entirely without using supplementary oxygen. The first complete ski descent, undertaken by Slovenian Davorin Karnicar in 2000, involved the use of bottled oxygen.

Chhang Dawa Sherpa, from Seven Summit Treks, which orchestrated Bargiel's endeavor, recounted the adventure: Bargiel skied to Camp 2, spent the night, and then continued to base camp.

Sherpa remarked that this achievement was remarkably challenging and unprecedented.

While enduring heavy snowfall and the extreme altitude's thin air, Bargiel spent 16 hours at over 8,000 meters, where the threat of altitude sickness increases significantly.

Upon safely reaching base camp, Bargiel was honored with a khada, a customary Buddhist scarf.

Polish Prime Minister expressed pride through social media, exclaiming, 'Limitless skies for Poles! Andrzej Bargiel has skied down Everest!'

Bargiel's team celebrated the moment as he set a groundbreaking precedent in the realm of ski mountaineering.

Following his historic ski descent of K2 in 2018, Bargiel set his sights on Everest. His previous success was dedicated to marking Poland's centennial of regained independence.

However, his initial attempt in 2019 was thwarted by a dangerous icefall, and a 2022 attempt was impeded by strong winds.

Bargiel's ambition to ski down the most formidable peaks forms part of his Hic Sunt Leones project, an homage to exploring unknown lands.

He has conquered skiing challenges on all four of the Karakoram's tallest peaks in Pakistan, along with Mount Manaslu in Nepal and Shishapangma in Tibet.

Autumn ascents of Everest are infrequent due to increased snowfall, reduced daylight hours, and a constricted summit timeframe compared to the bustling springtime.