What only recently seemed absolutely impossible has just happened. Andrzej Bargiel, a ski mountaineer, climber, mountain runner and Tatra Volunteer Search and Rescue (TOPR) member from Łętownia, has achieved a historic feat, inscribing his name in gold in the history of world mountaineering and extreme sports.

 He became the first person ever to ski from the very summit of Mount Everest (8,849 m) all the way down to base camp. Bargiel reached the top without supplementary oxygen, spending more than 16 hours in the so-called death zone above 8,000 metres. He battled exhaustion, vast amounts of fresh snow and the constant risk of avalanches. At the very summit he paused for only a few minutes before, in the glow of the setting sun, beginning the most difficult ski descent on the planet. During the night he reached Camp II at 6,400 metres, where he stopped for rest. 

At dawn he set off again, tackling the Khumbu Icefall in phenomenal style without ropes or fixed lines and eventually reached base camp safely, completing a venture destined to enter legend. 

After his return, the athlete wrote: “Thank you all for keeping your fingers crossed! Huge thanks to the Seven Summit Treks team, Chhang Dawa Sherpa, Speed Dawa – without you this success would not have been possible. My heartfelt thanks also go to all the Partners for your support and for believing in this project for so long!”

 It is not the first time the Pole has pushed the boundaries of what is possible. He had previously become the first person in history to ski down both Broad Peak and K2 – the second-highest mountain in the world. Now Mount Everest has been added to that list, and Andrzej Bargiel’s name will forever remain a symbol of courage, passion and the relentless pursuit of the impossible.

Source: Radio Polonia 

Photo: @Everesttoday/X

Tomasz Modrzejewski