Andrzej Bargiel

Andrzej Bargiel, born on April 18, 1988, in Łętownia, Jordanów, Poland, developed an early passion for mountains and ski mountaineering. His older brother, Grzesiek, a mountain rescuer, introduced him to the sport, affording him the opportunity to observe mountain operations firsthand in Białka Tatrzańska. This exposure sparked Bargiel’s interest, and soon after learning to ski mountaineer, he achieved notable results in his debut competition. His career officially began in 2006, leading him to become a three-time Polish ski mountaineering champion and achieve third place in the overall World Cup standings. Bargiel’s early career established a foundation for his later high-altitude pursuits.

Bargiel’s career progression is marked by a series of high-altitude accomplishments, particularly his ‘HIC SUNT LEONES’ project, initiated in 2013, which focuses on rapid, oxygenless ascents and ski descents of the world’s highest peaks. This project included significant milestones such as the first Polish ski descent of Shishapangma in 2013 and setting a record for ascending and descending Manaslu in 2014, completing the base-peak-base journey in 21 hours and 14 minutes on skis. In 2015, he made history with the first-ever ski descent of Broad Peak. His achievements continued in 2016 when he earned the Snow Leopard award in a record 29 days, by ascending and performing partial ski descents on five 7,000m+ peaks across the former Soviet Union. These expeditions demonstrated his skill and endurance in extreme mountain environments.

His most celebrated achievements came with the world’s highest mountains. In 2018, Bargiel became the first person in history to ski from the summit of K2 to base camp without removing his skis. This feat was widely recognized, earning him the National Geographic Adventurer of the Year award in 2019. He further solidified his legacy in 2023 by completing ski descents from Gasherbrum II and Gasherbrum I, making him the first person to ski all 8,000m peaks in the Karakoram range. Most recently, in 2025, Bargiel achieved another historic milestone by becoming the first person to climb and ski from the summit of Mount Everest without bottled oxygen. His expeditions often involve detailed reconnaissance, meticulous planning, and leveraging support teams, including the use of drones operated by his brother, Bartek, for critical observation and safety.