Himalayan History: Bargiel Rips The First No-O2 Ski Descent of Everest
On September 22, 2025, Andrzej Bargiel clipped into his skis on the 29,032-foot summit of Mount Everest and became the first person in history to complete a full ski descent from the highest point on Earth to Base Camp without the aid of supplemental oxygen. This monumental feat not only rewrites the record books but redefines what is humanly possible in the high mountains.
Why No Oxygen Changes Everything
The commitment to an unassisted descent is the critical difference between this run and any previous Everest ski attempts. While Davorin Karničar’s 2000 descent was the first full run, he used bottled oxygen to aid his survival and focus.
The 37-year-old Polish athlete, already legendary for his 2018 no-O2 ski descent of K2, a feat also never repeated, spent nearly 16 grueling hours operating above 8,000 meters in the mountain’s infamous “Death Zone.” Heavy, fresh snowfall dramatically slowed his summit push, forcing him to spend an unprecedented amount of time in the atmospheric thin air before he even touched his ski tips to the snow.
The sheer lack of oxygen at this altitude makes controlled, technical skiing a survival challenge where a single mistake results in total failure. Bargiel didn't just survive; he ripped a challenging line under conditions that should have demanded an immediate retreat.
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Navigating the Khumbu and Lhotse Face
After reaching the summit in the late afternoon, he strapped on his skis. The exhaustion of the climb gave way to the razor-thin margin of error required for the descent. Bargiel dropped in on the South Col Route, navigating sheer steeps, the Hillary Step, and the Balcony.
With help from his brother, Bartek, who guided him by drone, Bargiel broke the run into two parts. He rested at Camp II overnight before tackling the final section: the Khumbu Icefall.
His commitment to a full, unassisted descent through one of the world’s most dangerous glacier sections pushed the limits of extreme mountain sport. Bargiel skied the Khumbu Icefall without fixed lines, cementing his legacy as the greatest high-altitude skier of all time.
