For the First Time in History: A Polish Daredevil Skied Down Mount Everest Without an Oxygen Tank (6 photos + 1 video)

Everest's majestic summit, rising 8,848 meters above sea level, presents a true challenge for climbers. However, a Polish skier not only conquered the world's highest mountain but also became the first person in the world to ski down it without supplemental oxygen.





After stopping at the summit, 37-year-old Andrzej Bargiel filmed a video for social media. He said, "I'm at the summit of the highest mountain in the world. And I'm going to ski down."

More than 6,000 climbers have conquered Everest, but only 200 have reached the summit without supplemental oxygen, let alone skied down.



Having crossed the "death zone" at over 8,000 meters, where the air is too thin, the extreme climber strapped on his skis and plunged down.

From 3:00 PM local time on Monday, September 22, he carefully descended to Camp II at 6,400 meters. After an overnight rest, he continued on and reached Base Camp at 5,364 meters on Tuesday morning.





Many climbers avoid autumn ascents due to deep snow, strong winds, and a lack of support from other groups.

During a four-day trek, Bargiel and his guide, Dawa, became stranded in the "death zone" due to heavy snowfall.

At altitudes above 8,000 meters, the air contains only a third of the necessary oxygen and is so thin that the human body cannot acclimatize.

The traveler spent 16 hours in these conditions before beginning the ascent, which, even with supplemental oxygen, was deadly.



Andrzej shared with Red Bull: "The ascent was difficult because expeditions don't operate at this time of year. The altitude is incredible. You need to be in excellent shape to endure 16 hours at over 8,000 meters."

He made a groundbreaking ski descent through the infamous Khumbu Icefall. This perilous 2.57-kilometer route is a maze of crevasses and fissures, snow bridges, and hanging ice floes.



Bargiel was assisted in navigation by a drone piloted by his brother. This allowed him to cross the pass without using ropes or removing his skis, a feat previously achieved only by Davo Karničar of Slovenia in 2000.

"I knew that the difficult autumn conditions and the descent across the Khumbu Glacier would be the hardest challenge," the Pole said.

This incredible achievement is the culmination of years of preparation and Bargiel's third attempt to ski down Everest.

In 2019, his attempt was thwarted by an ice floe. In 2022, strong winds prevented him from completing the project.



Andrzej has no intention of stopping there; his goal is to ski down all 14 eight-thousanders in the world. He has already conquered six peaks, including becoming the first person to ski down K2 (Kogori) in 2018.

K2 is considered the deadliest mountain, accounting for 13 to 15% of climber deaths.