Andrzej Bargiel during the summit push on Mount Everest, Nepal
And that’s not all…
It’s one thing to summit Mount Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen. It’s a whole other thing to then ski down it after summiting. On September 25th, 2025, Polish Ski Mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel made history when he did just that.
Bargiel’s quest began on September 19th, when he left Everest Base Camp to begin the acclimatization protocol, making several ascents and descents between the camps. This gradual rotation through Camps I, II, and III allowed him to adapt to the extreme altitude before establishing himself at Camp IV on the South Col (7,900 metres), ready for the final summit push. Click to watch video.
He left Camp IV at the South Col on September 21st at 23:24 local time. Heavy fresh snowfall made trail-breaking more difficult, and the ascent lasted much longer than expected. Bargiel spent a total of nearly 16 hours in the “death zone” before summiting at 15:00 on September 22nd. Most summit pushes are kept to a fraction of this time, even with the use of bottled oxygen.
At the altitude of Everest’s summit — roughly the cruising height of a passenger jet — climbers are breathing only about one-third of the oxygen available at sea level. Such prolonged exposure without oxygen places immense strain which can be fatal on the body. Decision making deteriorates rapidly, and the risk of fatal brain or lung edema soars. Bargiel’s achievement was an unprecedented demonstration of human endurance at the very edge of physiological capabilities.
After reaching the summit, Bargiel spent only minutes on top before clipping into his skis and beginning his descent. By 15:35, he had passed below the famous Hillary Step, continuing on towards the South Summit. At 15:45, he was seen riding along the ridge before reaching the Balcony and later the South Col. By 17:20, Bargiel had descended below Camp IV and continued left of the Geneva Spur en route to Camp II. He arrived at Camp II (6,400 metres) at 20:30 local time, by which point it was already dark, making safe navigation impossible.
Navigating the Khumbu Icefall during the descent from the Mount Everest summit
He resumed skiing from Camp II the next day, descending along the Mount Everest shoulder walls. By 07:50, he passed Camp I, continuing across the slopes of Nuptse, and crossing the treacherous Khumbu Icefall on skis, navigating a labyrinth of shifting ice and deep crevasses — without ropes or fixed lines — guided in part by a drone flown by his brother.
Bargiel reached the end of the icefall and snowline at Everest Base Camp at 08:45 local time, completing the first-ever full ski descent of Mount Everest without supplementary oxygen — an unprecedented accomplishment, breaking the boundaries of mountaineering and human achievement.
Andrzej Bargiel after skiing down Mount Everest, Nepal
Photos: Bartłomiej Bargiel; Images courtesy of Red Bull
