K2 Skier Conquers Another 8,000m+ Himalayan Peak With 4,000m+ Vert Ski Descent
K2 Skier Conquers Another 8,000m+ Himalayan Peak With 4,000m+ Vert Ski Descent
Published : 02-Jul-2026 10:09
Polish ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel, known for the first ski descent of K2, has completed the first continuous, oxygen‑free ski descent of Nanga Parbat (8,126 m) in the Himalayas. The achievement closes his decade‑long Pakistan Project and marks the first time anyone has skied an unbroken line from the summit to the end of snow conditions on the mountain.
Nanga Parbat is one of the world's 14 8,000‑metre peaks and carries one of the deadliest records in high‑altitude mountaineering. It is central to Reinhold Messner's 1970 ascent of the Rupal Face, and despite several previous ski attempts, no expedition had managed a full, continuous descent. Bargiel's line followed the upper Diamir Face, navigating a serac barrier that had historically forced climbers to abandon skis and continue on foot.
Bargiel began acclimatisation and high‑camp rotations in late June 2026, adapting to altitudes above 8,000 metres while monitoring weather and snow conditions.
"I knew that the success of this project would depend on the right timing and the right conditions in the mountains," he said after the descent, thanking his team and Red Bull for support.
He left Base Camp (4,200 m) at 06:00 on 28 June, climbing without supplemental oxygen and overnighting at Camp II (6,200 m) and Camp III (6,850 m). He reached the summit on 30 June, spent 45 minutes there, then transitioned to skis and descended via the Messner Route, traversing past the serac barrier that had previously ended ski attempts. He spent around two hours above 7,900–8,000 m in the death zone and completed the descent at 15:00 below Camp I (4,400 m), covering roughly 4,000 vertical metres.
Team member Janusz Gołąb described it as "one of the most complex ski projects" he had seen.
With Nanga Parbat, Bargiel is now the first person to hold oxygen‑free ski descents of six of the 14 "8,000ers" including Broad Peak, K2, Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II, and Everest.
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