Polish ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel is back in the Himalayas just months after skiing from the summit of Nanga Parbat, and his next target is even higher.
Bargiel is preparing to climb Mt. Dhaulagiri, the world’s seventh-highest mountain at approximately 26,795 feet, before attempting to descend from the summit on skis without supplemental oxygen. The expedition is part of his long-running HIC SUNT LEONES project, which focuses on ski descents from some of the highest mountains on Earth. Bargiel’s Dhaulagiri expedition was officially announced in late September.
The attempt comes during an eventful year for the 38-year-old. In June, Bargiel completed the first continuous ski descent of Nanga Parbat from its 26,660-foot summit to the end of viable snow without bottled oxygen. Now he has turned his attention to one of Nepal’s most imposing mountains.
Dhaulagiri Presents A Very Different Challenge
Dhaulagiri rises dramatically above the surrounding valleys of central Nepal and is known for steep terrain, exposure and serious avalanche hazard. Bargiel’s expedition sponsor, Comarch, said conditions and avalanche danger will be among the biggest factors determining whether the descent is possible.
Those concerns are particularly relevant this autumn. Climbing on Dhaulagiri was temporarily suspended in late September after heavy snowfall and unstable weather forced teams away from the upper mountain. Expedition activity resumed Oct. 1 as conditions improved, although route-fixing teams had only progressed to Camp II before the weather interruption.
Four expedition teams totaling 34 foreign climbers had received permits for Dhaulagiri as of Oct. 1, according to Nepal’s Department of Tourism figures. For Bargiel, simply reaching the summit will only be half the objective. His plan is to climb without bottled oxygen and then transition directly into a ski descent if snow, weather and avalanche conditions allow.
This Would Not Be Dhaulagiri’s First Ski Descent
Dhaulagiri has already been skied from the summit, including another remarkable Polish descent. In May 2023, Bartek Ziemski and Oswald Rodrigo Pereira reached the summit without supplemental oxygen or personal Sherpa support. Ziemski then skied from the summit to base camp, with Pereira documenting the descent.
Bargiel isn’t chasing a first descent of the mountain. Instead, Dhaulagiri represents the latest step in a remarkable sequence of high-altitude ski projects that has already included some of the world’s most famous peaks.
Eight Of The World’s Highest Mountains Already Skied
Bargiel has completed ski descents on eight peaks exceeding 26,000 feet: Shishapangma, Manaslu, Broad Peak, K2, Gasherbrum II, Gasherbrum I, Mount Everest and Nanga Parbat.
His best-known accomplishment came in 2018, when he became the first person to complete a full ski descent of 28,251-foot K2. The descent followed a solo summit push without supplemental oxygen and established Bargiel as one of the most accomplished high-altitude ski mountaineers in the world.
He added another landmark achievement in September 2025. After climbing Mount Everest without bottled oxygen, Bargiel skied from the 29,032-foot summit back toward Everest Base Camp, becoming the first person to combine an oxygen-free ascent with that ski descent.
Nanga Parbat followed this summer. Bargiel’s June descent connected the summit with the end of continuous snow on the Diamir Face, including exposed traverses and terrain around the Messner Route. It also completed his ski descents of all five of Pakistan’s highest 26,000-foot peaks. Dhaulagiri would add another Himalayan giant to that list.
Another Himalayan Ski Objective Begins
Bargiel’s local expedition logistics are being handled by Seven Summit Treks, which has worked with him on previous Himalayan projects. His team includes climbing and film support, allowing the expedition to be documented while conditions on the mountain are assessed.
There is no fixed summit date. At this altitude, weather and snow stability dictate the schedule, and the recent storm cycle around Dhaulagiri has already demonstrated how quickly plans can change.
For Bargiel, the objective remains relatively simple to describe and extraordinarily difficult to execute: reach the 26,795-foot summit without supplemental oxygen, find a safe skiable line off the mountain and descend as cleanly as conditions allow.
After K2, Everest and Nanga Parbat, the world’s seventh-highest mountain is next.
