Mountaineering
Andrzej Bargiel completes the first descent of K2 on skis
In a display of stunning courage, skill and persistence, the Polish ski mountaineer put down the first-ever ski descent of the Karakorum giant known as K2. Read the full story here.
How many first descents are left in the world? Deep in the Himalayas, probably quite a few, but not a single one taunted and teased ski mountaineers like K2. Just 200m shorter than Mt Everest, and a lot more dangerous, it was one of the few well-known peaks still un-skied from the summit. Until July 22, 2018 that is, when Polish ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel clicked into his bindings at an altitude of 8,611m and jump-turned, side-slipped and skied his way down to glory.
His descent will go down in history as one of the most daring descents ever made on skis. Following his solo ascent to the summit – without oxygen – he spent the next seven-plus hours getting down. Watch the video of his epic descent below, then read on to learn more about the now-legendary alpinist.
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Watch Andrzej Bargiel's epic descent from K2
On July 22, 2018, Andrzej Bargiel completed the first-ever descent of K2 on skis – watch his nail-biting descent here.
Young, but experienced
Bargiel is just 30-years old, but he has a lifetime of experience in high alpine areas, having previously skied off Broad Peak, Shishapagma and Manaslu, and he's held the world speed record for the ascent on Russia's Mt Elbrus for the past five years. After his early successes in the Himalayas, Bargiel set his sights on skiing off K2, and made his first attempt last year. High avalanche danger and risks of rockfall kept them off the summit, though, which saw only about a dozen climbers all year.
When not on expedition, he's training at home in the High Tatras of Poland, with his brothers Grzegorz and Bartek.
The expedition: a month on the mountain
The team, including Bartek Bargiel, Janusz Gołąb, Piotr Pawlus, Marek Ogień – all from Poland – began the expedition on June 15, with plans to acclimatise and train on the lower, far less hostile Gasherbrum II. They abandoned their plans due to bad weather and, oddly enough, too much snow.
Skipping the typical acclimatisation weeks, they headed straight for K2. Despite an early window of good weather, Bargiel was sick and elected not to climb. Uncharacteristically good weather on K2 meant the mountain saw the most summits in it's history, which Alan Arnette, one of the world's most respected alpine journalists, put at well over 60.
See Bargiel begin his summit attack in the video below:
A mountain of many dangers
While much less famous than Everest, K2 perhaps deserves more respect. Following this record-breaking season, still only an estimated 417 people have ever stood on the peak, and a full quarter of those who have gone after the summit have died in their attempt. It's considered by far most technical and deadliest peak in the world.
A handful of other accomplished mountaineers have tried to ski it before, including Italian Hans Kammerlander andAmerican Dave Watson, who skied down from approximately 400m below the summit. While both survived their attempts, two mountaineers – Italian Michele Fait in 2009 and Fredrik Ericsson in 2010– both fell to their deaths while attempting the ski descent. K2's most dangerous obstacle is said to be the 'Bottleneck' – a narrow, 50° couloir that has an extremely large serac hanging above it.
Watch the world's first ski descent of K2 from Andrzej Bargiel's POV in the player below:
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POV Clip of Andrzej Bargiel making history by skiing down K2
Polish ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel has made history this Sunday as the first man to ski down K2.
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One peak, many stories
One of the unsung heroes of the expedition? The drone belonging to Bargiel's brother, Bartek. First, using the drone, Bartek spotted Scottish climber Rick Allen, who was missing, presumed dead, and was able to help rescuers reach the injured climber. That wasn't the only time the little drone came to the rescue, though. As Bargiel was summiting, it flew medicine up to Janusz Gołąb, allowing him to feel well enough to descend with Bargiel's help. The drone flight to film Bargiel on the summit also set another new record for the highest known drone flight while filming ever recorded.
Summit day
Bargiel's day on July 22 started at approximately 4am, when he began moving towards the summit. He had originally planned to climb with expedition partner Janusz Gołąb, but back pain kept Gołąb in Camp III. Bargiel decided to go for a summit attempt solo, moving quickly and without the help of oxygen.
He arrived on the summit around 11.30am, where he then clipped into his skis and began the descent, a complicated route that took about eight hours to get back to Base Camp, including an hour-long stop at Camp IV, at 8,000m, to wait for better weather. His line actually connected four different routes on K2 – the Abruzzi Rib, Česen, Messner variant and the Kukuczka-Piotrowski route. His route took him down a descent of 3,600 vertical meters.
Check out the photos as Andrzej Bargiel becomes the first person to ski down from the summit of K2:
Andrzej Bargiel is the first person to ski down from the summit of K2
© Marek Ogień/Red Bull Content Pool
Preparation is key
© Marek Ogień/Red Bull Content Pool
Early morning preparations
© Marek Ogień/Red Bull Content Pool
Getting energised
© Marek Ogień/Red Bull Content Pool
Speaking straight after completing the descent, Bargiel said, "I'm very happy that I’ve managed to ski down from the summit of K2 and get back to the base safely. I started to climb K2 at 4am on Sunday. The weather was good, but some problems appeared when I reached the peak and started to ski down. It was very cloudy and I had to wait for it to clear up at Base IV, because the next phase of my downhill was going to be very difficult and technical, on an extremely steep wall. I feel huge happiness and, to be honest, it was my second attempt so I'm glad that I won't be coming here again."
I'm very happy that I've managed to ski down the summit of K2 and get back to the base safely. Some problems appeared when I reached the peak and started to ski down
Bargiel and his expedition team moved quickly out of Base Camp and are on their way home, and more stories are surely to follow. What's already crystal clear is that this descent has firmly cemented his place in the history of books as one of the world's great mountaineers'
Watch a short action clip of the descent here:
A great thanks also goes out to Andrzej Bargiel's other supporters: Bank Pekao S.A., Mercedes-Benz Sobiesław Zasada Automotive, Salomon, Pająk, Enel-Sport, Storytel, Instytut Monitorowania Mediów.
Listen to the soundtrack of the K2: The Impossible Descent documentary right here:
