Daredevil becomes the first person to ski down Everest without oxygen

"Towering 8,849 metres (29,030 feet) above sea level, the lofty peak of Mount Everest is the ultimate challenge for any mountaineer. Now, a Polish daredevil has completed a breathtaking feat which makes simply climbing Earth's highest peak seem easy. Andrzej Bargiel, 37, has become the first person to climb then ski down Mount Everest without any bottled oxygen."

"Even before attempting to ski down the mountain, Mr Bargiel faced challenges that could have easily proven fatal. Most climbers avoid the mountain during Autumn due to the deep snow, powerful winds, and lack of support from other expeditions. During the four-day ascent, Mr Bargiel and his guide Dawa 'Speed' Sherpa were trapped in the death zone by fresh heavy snowfall. Here, above 8,000 metres, the air contains just a third of the usual oxygen and is so thin that the human body can never acclimatise to the altitude. Mr Bargiel was trapped in this region for 16 hours before he could make his ascent, which would be considered potentially deadly even with supplementary oxygen."

"I am on top of the highest mountain in the world and I'm going to descend it on skis."

Mount Everest rises 8,849 metres (29,030 feet) above sea level. Andrzej Bargiel, 37, climbed Everest and became the first person to ski down the mountain without using bottled oxygen. Bargiel paused at the summit to record that he would descend on skis, then started his descent at 15:00 local time, slaloming to Camp Two at 6,400 metres. After an overnight rest he continued and reached Base Camp at 5,364 metres the next morning. The ascent took four days and included a 16-hour entrapment in the death zone above 8,000 metres with his guide Dawa 'Speed' Sherpa. Autumn conditions added deep snow, strong winds, and scarce expedition support, increasing objective danger.

Read at Mail Online