Who is Andrzej Bargiel? First person to climb Mt Everest, then ski down without oxygen tank
Andrzej Bargiel has also climbed and skied down K2, the world’s second-highest mountain peak.
A Polish adventure skier has made history by becoming the first person to climb and then ski down Mount Everest without the help of supplementary oxygen. A video of this historic feat has surfaced on social media, surprising everyone.
“Skiing history has just been made! @andrzejbargiel just became the first person to climb up and ski down Mount Everest without supplementary oxygen,” Redbull posted on its official Instagram page. In an update, the company continued, “For US that’s 29,031 ft,” adding, “The man, the myth, the legend.”
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In the video, the skier navigates the snow-covered path of the world’s tallest mountain, crossing treacherous areas where ice is “always moving and collapsing.”
The journey that made history:
Bargiel started his journey to Everest from the base camp in Nepal, reported the New York Post. He then rotated between higher Camps I, II and III to adapt to the high altitude. He began his climb for the summit from Camp IV and completed it within 16 hours.
Within a few minutes of reaching the summit, he began his descent and reached Camp II in five hours. However, due to darkness, he had to halt his skiing. The next day, he resumed and skied 45 minutes to return to the base camp.
Who is Andrzej Bargiel?
Born on April 18, 1988, in a region near South Poland, he is the ninth of eleven children of Maria and Józef Bargiel. He was an energetic child and started participating in regular sports activities when he reached junior high. Eventually, he started trying out different sports but settled on skiing.
“I started riding horses and mountainbiking in the mountainous terrains, with some small successes at competitions,” Bargiel said in his personal blog.
How did social media react?
Stunned, an individual asked, “My breath is taken away at such an accomplishment like this. What was the training like to prepare for a mission like this?” Another added, “Absolutely incredible accomplishment for humanity unlocked.”
A third remarked, “This should be a way bigger deal than it is.” A fourth wrote, “So that's how we are playing now.”
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“I have never used bottled oxygen in the mountains,” Bargiel told The New York Times over an email interview.
Why the feat?
“Everest is, of course, the highest mountain in the world, but I wanted to break the cliché of it being just a crowded and commercial place,” he said, adding, “That’s why I chose to go there in autumn — to have the mountain to myself.”
What’s next?
Andrzej Bargiel has also climbed and skied down K2, the world’s second-highest mountain. Talking about his future plans, the adventurer said, “I have many plans ahead.”
“I’d love to travel to Antarctica, to the Andes in Peru. I simply enjoy doing this, and as long as I remain healthy, I will always keep seeking new mountains, no matter the altitude.”
