Andrzej Bargiel skis down from Nanga Parbat summit without oxygen, sets another record
The Polish extreme skier completed a historic descent from Nanga Parbat without supplemental oxygen, becoming the first to ski all five of Pakistan's 8,000-metre peaks.
PC: Red Bull
Polish extreme skier Andrzej Bargiel made mountaineering history once again on Tuesday by skiing from the summit of Pakistan's Nanga Parbat to base camp without using supplemental oxygen, expedition officials said.
"Bargiel made a successful ski descent from the summit of Nanga Parbat to base camp without using supplemental oxygen," said Chhang Dawa Sherpa, head of Nepal-based Seven Summit Treks, whose expedition team was operating on the mountain.
Sherpa, who witnessed the descent from Nanga Parbat Base Camp while managing Nepali expeditions, said the feat came shortly after a rope-fixing team led by Ming Temba Sherpa reached the 8,126-metre summit on Tuesday morning, opening the route for climbers.
Chhang Dawa had also managed the expedition and oversaw the logistics for Bargiel's historic ski descent from Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen last September.
With the descent, the 38-year-old Red Bull athlete has now skied from the summits of all five of Pakistan's 8,000-metre peaks, becoming the first person to complete the achievement without bottled oxygen.
Nanga Parbat, the world's ninth-highest mountain, is notorious for its steep faces, avalanche-prone terrain and technical difficulty, earning it the nickname "Killer Mountain".
Bargiel has long been regarded as one of the world's leading high-altitude ski mountaineers. Last autumn, he claimed another world first by skiing from the summit of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen.
His previous ski descents from 8,000-metre summits include Shishapangma in 2013, Manaslu in 2014, Broad Peak and Gasherbrum II in 2015, and K2 and Gasherbrum I in 2018.
Officials at Nanga Parbat Base Camp said further details of Tuesday's descent, including the exact route and technical aspects of the ski, were expected to be released later by Bargiel's sponsor, Red Bull.
The descent comes as Pakistan's summer climbing season gathers pace, with Nepali expedition teams opening routes on several of the country's highest peaks.
