Dr Patrycja Jonetzko, an anaesthetic, critical care and high altitude consultant based at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth was part of the support team for ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel’s historic first ski descent of Mount Everest without bottled oxygen.

Bargiel made history by completing the unprecedented feat, hailed worldwide as a landmark in extreme sports and mountaineering. Prime Minister Donald Tusk celebrated the achievement on social media, posting: “Sky is the limit? Not for Poles! Andrzej Bargiel has just skied down Mount Everest.”

Bargiel was supported by highly skilled Polish and Nepalese teams to make the daring project possible. After his historic descent, he expressed his gratitude online, thanking his crew, medical team, camera operators, and the Sherpas whose support helped make the expedition a success.

Dr Jonetzko contributed her expertise in high-altitude medicine to ensure the health and wellbeing of the climbers and crew in the punishing conditions of the Himalayas during the autumn season. With almost two decades of experience, she has previously supported the Everest expedition in 2006 and an attempt on K2 in 2010. Her journey with altitude medicine began while running a rescue post in Machermo, Nepal, at 4,500 metres. Over the years she has collaborated with renowned climbers including Anna Czerwinska, Kinga Baranowska, and Martyna Wojciechowska and supported countless charity treks for the UK.

Speaking about her role in Bargiel’s Everest achievement, Dr Jonetzko said:
“To be part of such a historic expedition, ensuring that the team had the medical support needed to operate at the very edge of human endurance, has been a privilege. Andrzej’s achievement is not only a milestone in sport, but also a testament to the value of preparation, teamwork, and trust in extreme conditions.”

Bargiel’s successful descent, completed without the use of supplementary oxygen, has been described as a breakthrough in the history of Himalayan exploration. It highlights the essential contribution of both climbers and their support groups in making such groundbreaking achievements possible.

Source: Red Bull

Photos: Bartek Pawlikowski