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

Polish ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel has etched his name in the history books by completing a full, uninterrupted ski descent from the summit of Nanga Parbat, one of the world's highest mountains, without the use of supplemental oxygen. The 38-year-old climber reached the 8,126-meter summit on June 30, 2026, before skiing all the way down to Base Camp via the Messner Route.

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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.

This remarkable feat makes Bargiel the first person ever to ski down from all five of Pakistan's 8,000-meter peaks without supplementary oxygen. His previous ski descents include Shisha Pangma (2013), Manaslu (2014), Broad Peak (2015), Gasherbrum II (2015), K2 (2018), and Gasherbrum I (2018). He also made history last year by skiing down Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, without oxygen.

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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.

"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," Bargiel shared on Instagram. "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."

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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.

Bargiel expressed deep gratitude to his climbing partners and support teams, including Janusz Gob, gzela.eu, Pawlikowski Media, Darek Zauski, and Pasang Rinzee Sherpa, acknowledging their essential role in his success. Seven Summit Treks, the expedition organizer, hailed the achievement as "unbelievable."

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