By: Express Web DeskNew Delhi | Updated: September 28, 2025 10:27 AM IST 3 min readPolish skier Andrzej Bargiel on his way to the Base camp from Mount Everest. (Photo: Screengrab from Instagram/@andrzejbargiel)Polish skier Andrzej Bargiel made history this week as the first person to have climbed and skied down Mount Everest without the aid of bottled oxygen, The New York Times reported.The journey was Bargiel’s third attempt at climbing the tallest mountain on earth at 8,849 metres (29,032ft) high – after deadly conditions forced the 37-year-old to abandon earlier attempts in 2019 and 2022, The Guardian highlighted.“It’s one of the most important milestones in my sports career,” Bargiel said in a statement, highlighting the difficult route to the mountain. “The summit itself was arduous and difficult. I’d never spent so much time at such an altitude in my life, so that was a challenge in itself,” Bargiel shared.“Skiing down Everest without oxygen was a dream that had been growing inside me for years. I knew that the difficult autumn conditions and plotting the descent line through the Khumbu Glacier would be the greatest challenge I could ever face,” Bargiel expressed.Hailing Bargiel’s victory, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, wrote on X: “Sky is the limit? Not for Poles! Andrzej Bargiel has just skied down Mount Everest.”Bargiel’s historic journeySharing details about his journey, the New York Times noted that Bargiel left the Everest Base Camp in Nepal on September 19, climbing through Camps I, II and III. He began the 16-hour climb from Camp IV on September 21 through the mountain’s “death zone” — above 8,000 meters from sea level, where oxygen levels are dangerously low — and reached the summit on September 22.Early Tuesday, he skied down through the Khumbu Icefall, known to be one of Everest’s most dangerous sections, before arriving at the Base Camp. He was guided through this section partly by a drone flown by his brother, Bartek, The Guardian noted.Story continues below this adOver an Instagram post in collaboration with Red Bull, Bargiel shared, “I am on top of the highest mountain in the world, and I’m going to descend it on skis,” amid heavy breaths. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Andrzej Bargiel (@andrzejbargiel)“I split the descent into two parts, as navigating the technically difficult icefall in relatively safe conditions was only possible in the morning,” Bargiel told the media.In 2018, the Polish climber was the first person to ski down Pakistan’s K2, the second highest mountain in the world, as per The Guardian report.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Poland