Polish alpinist Bartek Ziemski has once again attempted an eight-thousander descent on skis. He had previously reached the summit of Manaslu without bottled oxygen.
With the start of the autumn season in Himalayas Many summit aspirants are currently setting off for one of the eight-thousander Although less well known than Everest or Lhotse, it is still a popular destination: the 8.163-meter-high Manaslu, whose route has been open since the weekend. Polish high-altitude mountaineer Bartek Ziemski also hiked to the summit via the normal route—he then unpacked his skis for the return journey.
Ski history on the eight-thousanders
This is the seventh time that the extreme athlete from Poland has tackled one of the 14 highest mountains in the world in his own unique way: climbing without supplemental oxygen or Sherpa support, and skiing down.
In 2024, Ziemski had already Makalu (8.485 m), as well as Kangchenjunga (8.586 m), India's highest peak. Also on his list: Dhaulagiri (8.167 m), Annapurna (8.091 m), Gasherbrum II (8.035 m), and Broad Peak (8.051 m).
Icefall prevents continuous descent
Bartek Ziemski usually aims for a continuous ski descent from the summit to Base Camp. His last attempt on Manaslu encountered a disappointment: an icefall between Camp 2 and Camp 1 forced the alpinist to briefly unhook his skis. A total of four camps are located on the moderately ascending normal route of Manaslu, before a final steep snow ridge leads to the summit.
It is currently unknown how many eight-thousanders Ziemski still wants to ski – but he has already done half of the 14. The Pole is not very active on social media himself and preferred to leave the announcement of his successful descent from Manaslu to Polish Mountaineering Association.
That might interest you
- "The highlight of my career" | David Göttler's Climb & Fly on Nanga Parbat
- Fastest ski ascent of Mont Blanc | Élise Poncet sets new women's record
+ + +
Credits Cover photo: Bartek Ziemski/Polish Mountaineering Association