Keep your fingers crossed, writes Andrzej Bargiel in a short post on Instagram. No further words are needed, since his expedition’s name, Everest Ski Challenge, says it all. The Polish skier is returning for the third time to try to ski down the world’s highest mountain.
The only detail posted so far is the composition of the team, which will include a doctor and physiotherapist in Base Camp, a strong film crew (including his brother Bartek as drone pilot), and an old friend to accompany him up: veteran high-altitude and winter climber Darius Zaluski.
Bargiel will most likely remain loyal to the style he applied on K2, Broad Peak, and the Gasherbrums and climb without supplementary oxygen.
Earlier attempts
High winds thwarted Bargiel’s last ski attempt on Everest in 2022, and an earlier 2019 expedition had to be called off after five weeks because of a dangerous serac that overhung the Khumbu Icefall.
Andrzej Bargiel at Everest’s South Col on a previous ski attempt, just before turning back. Photo: Janusz Golab
Bargiel wants to ski Everest before climate change makes that challenge impossible. “This may not be feasible in 10 years,” Bargiel said in 2022.
Bargiel has skied steep, high peaks in the Himalaya and Karakoram for years. His most acclaimed feat was the complete ski descent of K2 in 2020, after reaching the summit without oxygen.
An unusual fall
This will be one of those rare years with fall Everest expeditions. While Bargiel tries to ski down, Tyler Andrews of the U.S. will have another go at an FKT (fastest known time) on the mountain. Earlier, the American mentioned that there would be a second team on the mountain.
“There will be about a dozen people in total in the fall,” Andrews told ExplorersWeb. “This means no traffic jams and the ability to pick optimal weather windows without competing for summit slots.”
These two teams will have to share the cost of a team of Ice Doctors to secure a passage through the Khumbu Icefall, and a further group of Sherpas to fix ropes on at least part of the route beyond that.
Bargiel at the Khumbu Icefall previously on Everest. Photo: Pawlikowski Media
