Polish skier Bargiel makes first Everest ski descent without oxygen

Polish skier Andrzej Bargiel on Monday completed what his team called the first full ski descent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, reaching the summit at 8,849 metres before gliding back to Everest Base Camp after a pause overnight, expedition organisers and Bargiel himself said. The achievement capped a third Himalayan attempt for the 37 year old, who and his support team battled heavy snowfall and spent prolonged time in the death zone above 8,000 metres.

Bargiel left Camp IV late on September 21 and, according to his own account and the expedition statement, spent nearly 16 hours above 8,000 metres because fresh snow slowed progress. He reached the summit on September 22 and, in a video posted on social media, announced from the top, "I am on top of the highest mountain in the world and I'm going to descend it on skis." He then began the continuous downhill, skiing along the ridge past the Hillary Step and South Col before descending to Camp II late in the evening. Nightfall made further navigation unsafe, the team said, and Bargiel resumed skiing at sunrise, passing Camp I and negotiating the Khumbu Icefall en route to Base Camp the following morning.