Mountaineer will attempt to become the first person to ski K2

K2, located between China and Pakistan is one of the world’s most dangerous peaks.  Only 300 people have ever conquered it, with one dying for every four who try, but the talented Bargiel has won records in the past for record-breaking climbs.

A record-holding mountaineer is about to climb one of the most lethal peaks in the world – and then attempt to become the first person ever to ski back down it.

Andrzej Bargiel, a 29-year-old Pole with nearly a decade of extreme skiing and climbing feats behind him, is hoping to make history in a few days’ time when he begins his ascent of K2.

The mountain, which is shared between Pakistan and China in the Karakoram range, is the second-highest in the world – but has only been successfully conquered about 300 times.

By contrast Everest – taller by about 800 feet – has been climbed more than 5,500 times.

But with around 77 deaths by climbers, K2 is one of the most dangerous mountains in the world and claims roughly one life for every four attempts.

According to The Times, Bargiel said: ‘Previous attempts prove that the descent is possible, provided you had carried out excellent preparation, were at the peak of sporting fitness and had experience of skiing at such high altitudes.

‘And of course you had to have a bit of luck with the weather and snow quality.’

He added: ‘A quick descent on skis could be seen as an even more difficult step on my Himalayan and skiing career. But it would also be a feat recorded in the history of Himalayan mountaineering and skiing.’

In 2001, Hans Kammerlander – an Italian mountaineer – attempted the descent on skis but abandoned his bid after darkness set in and a Korean climber fell and died.

Other skiers later managed to descend most of the route, but did so after having not reached the 28,251 ft summit.

Last year Bargiel won the Snow Leopard award for climbing the five peaks over 7,000m in the former Soviet Union in 29 days and 17 hours.

The mountains include the Lenin Peak (23,406 ft), Peak Korzhenevskaya (23,310 ft), Ismoil Somoni Peak (24,590 ft), Khan Tengri (23,000 ft) and Jengish Chokusu (24,406 ft).

In 2014, he set a record for climbing Manaslu in the Nepalese Himalayas.  He managed to summit the 26,781 ft peak in just 14 hours 5 minutes.

Reposted from the Daily Mail