Poland’s Bargiel makes history by skiing 8,000m peaks without oxygen

GILGIT: Polish ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel has made history by skiing down from the summit of Nanga Parbat (8,126 metres) without using supplementary oxygen.

Seven Summit Treks announced the achievement in a statement on Friday, saying that the 38-year-old Polish climber reached the summit of Nanga Parbat without supplemental oxygen before completing a full, uninterrupted ski descent to Base Camp on June 30, 2026.

“Climbing without supplemental oxygen, he reached the summit of Nanga Parbat and then completed a full, uninterrupted ski descent all the way back to Base Camp on June 30, 2026,” the statement said.

“Seven Summit Treks is incredibly proud to have organised and supported this historic expedition. Congratulations, Andrzej! An unbelievable achievement.”

38-year-old summitted Nanga Parbat on June 30 before skiing non-stop to Base Camp via the Messner Route

Sources at the Nanga Parbat Base Camp said Andrzej Bargiel reached the summit as part of a seven-member foreign expedition organised by Seven Summit Treks, shortly after the route was opened by the company’s rope-fixing team. He then successfully skied down the mountain without using supplementary oxygen.

The achievement makes Bargiel the first person to complete ski descents from all five of Pakistan’s 8,000-metre peaks without supplementary oxygen. Last year, he also became the first person to ski down from the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain, without using supplementary oxygen.

The 38-year-old mountaineer has previously skied down from the summits of Shisha-p­angma (2013), Manaslu (2014) in Nepal, Broad Peak (2015), Gasherbrum II (2015), K2 (2018), and Gasherbrum I (2018).

With his successful descent from Nanga Parbat, he has now completed ski descents from all five of Pakistan’s 8,000-metre peaks.

In an Instagram post, Bargiel wr­­o­te: “On June 30, after a long summit push, I reached the top of Nanga Parbat and completed a full ski des­cent from the summit via the Mes­sner Route, skiing over 3,700 vertical metres all the way to Base Camp.

“With this descent, I completed a project that has been years in the making: climbing and skiing all of Pakistan’s 8,000-metre peaks.”

He added: “I’m truly grateful that I could share this summit with Janusz Gob, who climbed alongside me and supported me throughout the entire ascent. Janusz, thank you!

“My deepest thanks also go to the team at gzela.eu, Pawli­kowski Media, Darek Zauski, and Pasang Rinzee Sherpa. Your route guidance, weather updates, and constant support were an essential part of this success.”

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2026