SKIING AMONGST LIONS: Ski descents of Gasherbrum I and II
Earlier this month, ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel summitted (and descended) Gasherbrum II, the 13th highest peak in the world. He successfully completed the mission on skis and without supplemental oxygen, as part of his Hic Sunt Leones project to ski the planet’s highest peaks. Bargiel’s overall objective for this mission was to climb and ski both Himalayan giants (Gasherbrum I and I) in similar fashion.Bargiel had reached Camp 2 on Gasherbrum II on July 18th, completing the nine hour summit push by 7 am on the 19th. He was down at base camp with his crew but a day later and had already reached Camp 2 on the next mountain by the 25th. The second successful summit push and ski descent took place on the 26th. What a machine.
To read more about the mission, check out Backcountry’s article here, and see below for a video of Bargiel’s ski descent off the summit of Gasherbrum II.