Andrzej Bargiel in the News
Last week, Polish ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel announced he and a small team have their eyes on Dhaulagiri (8,167m/26,795 ft) in western Nepal. The mountain is the world’s seventh tallest peak and is part of Bargiel’s HIC SUNT LEONES: Latin for “here are the lions.” In short, the project aims to have Bargiel ski the “highest mountains in the world.” Of the highest mountains in the world, (14 8,000-meter peaks), Bargiel has skied Shishapangma (8,027 m), Manaslu (8,163 m), Broad Peak (8,051 m), K2 (8,611 m), Gasherbrum II (8,035 m), Gasherbrum I (8,080 m), Everest (8,849 m), and most recently, Nanga Parbat (8,126 m).
If Bargiel’s goal is to ski all the 8,000-meter peaks with no supplemental oxygen, and if he is successful, this will be his ninth.
While there have been several attempts to ski Dhaulagiri, it was first skied summit to basecamp, in what is called the first complete descent, in May 2023 by Pole Bartek Ziemski. Ziemski, who recently skied Lhotse and Everest in quick succession, is known for minimalist expeditions and no supplemental oxygen. On Dhaulagiri, according to post-descent interviews and documentation, he climbed with a single partner and used no porter support. (For hairsplitting, the team used fixed ropes on the lower mountain—put in place by Sherpa/porter teams.)
According to Bargiel’s latest IG post, he is traveling with four other expedition members: one is listed as sports support, three are listed as camera-drone operators (one of whom is Pasang Rinzee Sherpa, an experienced Himalayan guide and videographer).
Dhaulagiri and Skis: A Brief History
Bargiel’s attempt is in the early stages, so many details remain to be filled in as the weeks progress. But Ziemski’s ascent and descent offer some clues to the desired route. He climbed the standard Northeast Ridge route, the same line used for the first ascent in 1960. His descent line worked off the summit toward and into the West Couloir, eventually working his way to basecamp.
As early as 1979, someone attempted to ski the mountain. French steep skier Sylvain Saudan led that ill-fated expedition. According to a 1980 AAJ report, Saudan’s small group lacked permits, yet worked their way onto the mountain and the Northeast Ridge. His team was caught in stormy weather at Camp V, and several members were swept away in an avalanche. Sylvain and the remaining members of the team retreated to basecamp.
Then in 1996, Swiss skier André Georges attempted the mountain. According to sparse reports, he skied the mountain’s lower flanks.
Swede Fredrik Ericsson made a serious attempt to ski from the summit in 2007. Poor weather and snow instability turned him around high on the mountain—some sources say 7,900 meters (an old forum post claims 8,000 meters) — and he descended to roughly 4,700 meters.
According to Alan Arnette’s site, in 2009 Czech skier David Fojtik skied 20 meters below the summit and rappelled sections between Camp 3 and Camp 2. But…the information varies slightly depending on the source.
(Readers, if you find other historical info about close attempts, let us know.)
And back to 2023, when Ziemski did his thing and skied from the summit of Dhaulagiri to basecamp.
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