Polish skier Bartek Ziemski just skied down Mount Everest — and he did it without any supplementary oxygen.
Ziemsk’s conquering of Everest marks the completion of his ninth “8,000-er” that he has skied down. The 31-year-old is the first person to ski more than seven 8,000-meter peaks without supplemental oxygen.
Just days ago, on May 12, Ziemski completed his descent down the 8,516-meter (26,247-foot) Lhotse, the fourth-highest peak in the world. Just one week later, Ziemski backed it up by scaling Mount Everest (8,849 meters/29,032 feet). Not only did he climb it without supplemental oxygen, but he also did so without the support of personal sherpas. He reached the peak at 9:28 a.m. local time on May 19. Ziemski then skied down Everest, safely checking in at the base after completing his run.
Four years ago, the software engineer began his journey to ski the world’s largest peaks, which he refers to as his “MAD Ski Project.” He kicked things off by conquering Broad Peak (8,051 meters/26,414 feet) and Gasherbrum II (8,035 meters/26,362 feet) in July 2022. Annapurna I (8,091 meters/26,545 feet) came next in spring 2023, followed by Dhaulagiri (8,167 meters/26,795 feet). Then it was Makalu (8,485 meters/27,838 feet) and Kangchenjunga (8,586 meters/28,169 feet). Last year, he completed Manaslu (8,163 meters/26,782 feet). Impressively, Ziemski completed Lhotse and Everest inside one week the last week.
Ziemski’s ski descent from Mount Everest makes him only the third person to ever do so, and the second to do it without supplementary oxygen. Everest was first skied by Davo Karničar in October 2000. It was first skied without oxygen by Andrzej Bargiel in September 2025.
The only support Ziemski had was ropes and a packed-in trail. The only help he needed was for a photo at the summit. Despite heavy climbing crowds on Everest at the time, Ziemski was able to complete his feat on the first attempt.
Ziemski has not yet announced what peak he will conquer next. But for now, we think Ziemski has earned a well-deserved break.
