Polish ski mountaineer put down the first-ever ski descent of the Karakorum giant known as K2.
Within athletes, there is a drive to accomplish something that nobody has accomplished before. It is what drives them to the success they field on the pitch, field or arena they compete in. In the community of action and adventure sports, the world becomes their competition arena.
For Andrzej Bargiel, that pinacle of competition was to summit and ski K2, the second highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest, SOLO.
Located on the China and Pakistan border, K2 is known as the Savage Mountain after George Bell, a climber on the 1953 American Expedition, told reporters “It’s a savage mountain that tries to kill you.” Of the five highest mountains in the world, K2 is the deadliest where approximately one person dies on the mountain for every four who reach the summit.
One in every four people. One in four. But, Bargiel was going to summit K2 solo, an idea so insane that most would never even think it for the briefest of moments.
Andrzej Bargiel during training session in La Grave, France on January 28. 2018 
Andrzej Bargiel seen at the K2 Ski Challenge in Karakorum on July 22, 2018 // Marek Ogie? / Red Bull Content Pool // AP-1WC3VVJPN2111 // Usage for editorial use only // 
Andrzej Bargiel seen at the K2 Ski Challenge in Karakorum on July 22, 2018 // Marek Ogie? / Red Bull Content Pool // AP-1WC3WKE2S2111 // Usage for editorial use only //
“When I first saw the mountain, I was immediately drawn to it, the mountain and this specific face called to me, I had to ski it.” said Bargiel. “I was not prepared physically and mentally when I first looked at the mountain. It took me two years of long days and intense labor to prepare myself both physically, mentally and to be in a place where I could navigate this mountain and not become another unfortunate statistic. It was a long process. The mountain, any mountain, is an escape for me. I go there to find peace. You learn to be humble and persistent when you let the mountains teach you.
Bargiel’s first big summit was Mount Elbrus in Russia, but his goal is to finish in the Himalayas and ski down from all the Seven Summits and with his incredible first descent of K2 on skis in July of 2018, he took the biggest step to completing that goal. 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.
Bargiel has his older brother to thank for introducing him to the world of skiing. Grzesiek was a mountain rescuer and invited Andrzej to work with him at the Polish village of Białka Tatrzańska, where he had an opportunity to see what his brother’s working day looked like. That was the beginning of Andrzej’s love for mountains and his passion for ski mountaineering.
When the times came to begin the preparations for the summit and ski of K2, this time it was Andrzej who took the role of teacher to younger brother Bartek, who was joining to fly the drone as a part of the process.
“I am responsible for him, this was my choice to bring him and I knew I had to keep him safe,” said Bargiel “I taught him to climb and how to prepare for the uncertain conditions that come with mountaineering. To do a summit or descent solo is far different because I solely have myself to worry about and how to keep myself safe. Bringing others along adds weight to my mind and that responsibility can be heavy. With this specific challenge, I had to cross several dangerous paths but having the drone and my brother alongside to advance scout to routes made this experience better and far safer.”
The lessons Bartek learned from working alongside his brother created a continued career opportunity for him operating the drone for others including using it for a rescue mission.
Having used the drone to scout and connect skiable areas on the mountain, became an asset the moment they heard of Scottish mountaineers Rick Allen’s accident, Bargiel’s thoughts turned to how he could help in a rescue. Through the use of the drone, Allen was eventually rescued.
The documentary K2: The Impossible Descent – Andrzej Bargiel’s K2 journey is out now on Red Bull TV.
“I learned so much about myself through this expereince,” said Bargiel. “Looking back at my journey to this point so far, I am proud of the things I have been able to accomplish within the sport and for my personal growth. As a child, I never believed I would achieve such big things. Always stay focused on what you want and to always follow your dreams. The biggest lesson I learned is that sometimes, those steps towards your goal will be small steps, but they are still steps forward. Work on stepping forward every day. When I first took on the task of this descent, a lot of people, including experts in the sport, were skeptical. And then I failed the first time. I was told again, that they (the experts) were right. They used my failure as proof that it was impossible. I did not let this stop me. I prepared harder and I came back and I was successful. I followed my passion and I was true to myself, but it comes with hard work. Don’t let others smash you down.”
Go watch the entire documentary K2: The Impossible Descent – Andrzej Bargiel’s K2 journey now on Red Bull TV, but first, take a moment to watch the descent from Bargiel’s point of view.