Polish adventure skier Andrzej Bargiel has made history as the first person to climb and ski down Mount Everest without the use of additional oxygen. The 37-year-old achieved this feat on his third attempt, overcoming dangerous conditions that had previously forced him to retreat in 2019 and 2022. Bargiel described the climb as incredibly challenging, stating, “The summit itself was arduous and difficult.”

More than 7,000 people have summited Everest, but only about 200 have done so without supplemental oxygen. Although a few individuals have skied down the mountain, no one had completed a continuous descent without using oxygen. Bargiel spent nearly 16 hours navigating the “death zone,” a perilous area above 8,000 meters where oxygen levels are critically low.

Upon descending, Bargiel navigated through the Khumbu Icefall, a treacherous section marked by ice towers and crevasses, aided by a drone operated by his brother, Bartek. Bargiel split his descent into two parts for safety reasons. His team hailed the achievement as a groundbreaking milestone in ski mountaineering. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk publicly congratulated Bargiel, emphasizing his significant accomplishment. Previously, in 2018, Bargiel also became the first person to ski down K2, the second highest mountain in the world.



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