Incredible Photos Show First Person to Ski Down Everest Without Oxygen

Sep 29, 2025

Pesala Bandara

A skier in winter gear, seen from a first-person view, speeds down a narrow, snowy mountain ridge surrounded by clouds and distant peaks, creating a dramatic sense of height and adventure. — Red Bull athlete Andrzej Bargiel descends Mount Everest on skis without supplementary oxygen
(Credit: Bartłomiej Pawlikowski/Red Bull Content Pool)

Breathtaking images show the athlete who became the first person to climb to Everest’s summit and ski back down without supplementary oxygen.

Red Bull athlete Andrzej Bargiel made history last week by climbing Everest and skiing back down without using bottled oxygen.

While more than 6,000 people have reached the summit, fewer than 200 have done so without supplemental oxygen — and none had attempted a ski descent. At the altitude of Everest’s summit — roughly the cruising height of a passenger jet — the reduced air pressure means climbers are breathing only about one-third of the oxygen available at sea level.

A lone climber in winter gear stands on a snowy mountain ridge above the clouds, surrounded by dramatic peaks and a vast, cloudy sky. — Andrzej Bargiel descending Mount Everest (East Studio / Red Bull Content Pool)

A lone climber walks along a narrow, snow-covered mountain ridge with deep footprints, surrounded by steep slopes and clouds in the background. — Andrzej Bargiel skiing down Mount Everest, Nepal (Credit: Bartłomiej Bargiel / Red Bull Content Pool)

A climber wearing a Red Bull helmet ascends a snow-covered, steep mountain ridge, using climbing poles. Jagged peaks and a clear blue sky are visible in the background. The image is shot from the climber’s perspective. — Andrzej Bargiel navigating through the Khumbu Icefall during his ski descent from the Mount Everest summit to Everest Base Camp. (Credit: Andrzej Bargiel / Red Bull Content Pool)

The images, taken by sports photographer Bartłomiej Pawlikowski, capture the 37-year-old Polish athlete’s extraordinary climb and descent. On September 22, after nearly 16 hours in Everest’s “death zone” above 8,000 meters, Bargiel clipped into his skis at the summit and began his descent via the South Col Route. He reached Camp II that night, slowed by darkness, and the next morning skied through the dangerous Khumbu Icefall, guided in part by a drone flown by his brother Bartek Bargiel, before safely returning to Base Camp.

A climber in a blue jacket, helmet, and sunglasses sits on a snowy mountain peak, gazing at the surrounding snow-covered mountain range under a clear blue sky. — Andrzej Bargiel climbing to the summit of Mount Everest before descending on skis (Credit: East Studio / Red Bull Content Pool)

A climber in winter gear and sunglasses stands on a snowy mountain slope, carrying skis on his back. Another climber ascends below him, with rugged, snow-covered peaks and a dramatic sky in the background. — (Credit: East Studio / Red Bull Content Pool)

A lone mountaineer in winter gear climbs a snowy, steep ridge surrounded by dramatic, snow-covered peaks and swirling clouds high in the mountains. — Andrzej Bargiel during the summit push on Mount Everest (Credit: Bartłomiej Bargiel / Red Bull Content Pool)

Bargiel is already known for skiing from the summits of all the Karakoram eight-thousanders, including the first full ski descent of K2 in 2018 without oxygen. His latest achievement now extends that record to Everest. A documentary about Bargiel’s Everest expedition is set for release in 2026.

Andrzej Bargiel descending on skis from Mount Everest summit (Credit: Andrzej Bargiel / Red Bull Content Pool)

“It’s one of the most important milestones in my sports career,” Bargiel says in a press release. “Skiing down Everest without oxygen was a dream that had been growing inside me for years. I knew that the diﬃcult autumn conditions and plotting the descent line through the Khumbu Glacier would be the greatest challenge I could ever face.”

Photographer Bartłomiej Pawlikowski, also known as Pawlikowski Media, captured several of the images of the feat. According to his website, Pawlikowski is a self-taught sports photographer based in Podhale, Poland, near the Tatra Mountains. He has experience on high-altitude expeditions, including Everest, the Karakoram, the Andes, and Patagonia. He was a semi-finalist in the 2023 Red Bull Illume Emerging Category, one of the most prestigious sports photography competitions. Pawlikowski’s experience as a ski instructor and speleologist allows him to navigate challenging terrain while capturing compelling images.

Image credits: Red Bull Content Pull.

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