Polish man first to ski down Mount Everest without an oxygen tank.
Andrzej Bargiel of Poland has made mountaineering history by being the first person to ski down Mount Everest without using bottled oxygen, according to confirmation this week from his support staff.
Amazing feats are nothing new to the 37-year-old explorer. He became the first person to successfully ski down K2, the second-highest peak in the world, in 2018. With Everest rising to a height of 8,849 metres, he has now further tested the limits of human endurance.
According to Reuters, Bargiel fought against harsh conditions during a 16-hour assault through the dangerous “death zone” at 8,000 metres. As daylight faded, he waited only a moment at the top before putting on his skis and starting down the steep slope.
“Without the usage of additional oxygen, the Pole climbed through the death zone for 16 hours at an elevation above 8,000 metres. Before putting on his skis and starting his historic descent, he was only on the top of the tallest mountain in the world for a few minutes, racing against the fading sun, his crew told Reuters.
With his skis blazing a trail through the heavy snow, Bargiel posted a video of himself sliding down the snowy slopes encircled by the Himalayan giants on Instagram.
Polish mountaineering has long been known for its strong character, with climbers like Jerzy Kukuczka and Wanda Rutkiewicz spearheading winter trips and establishing new alpine routes in the 1980s.
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