Polish Mountaineer First To Ski Down Everest Without Oxygen

Polish ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel made history by becoming the first person to ski down Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, a feat confirmed by expedition organizers. Bargiel summited Everest on September 22 and descended in two stages, first skiing to Camp II and then continuing through the dangerous Khumbu Icefall to Base Camp, spending nearly 16 hours in the oxygen-starved "death zone." This accomplishment is a significant milestone in extreme endurance sports and ski mountaineering, highlighting human physiological limits at extreme altitudes. Bargiel's achievement follows previous attempts by others who used supplemental oxygen, such as Slovenian Davorin Karnicar, but he is the first to complete the entire ski descent without it. The feat also marks Bargiel as the only known skier to have descended both Everest and K2, cementing his pioneering status in high-altitude skiing. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk praised the accomplishment, emphasizing its national significance.