UK-based Polish doctor supports historic Everest ski descent by Andrzej Bargiel
Dr Patrycja Jonetzko, an anaesthetic, critical care and high-altitude consultant based at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, was part of the support team for ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel’s historic first ski descent of Mount Everest without bottled oxygen.
Last week, Bargiel made history as the first person to both climb and ski down Mount Everest without supplementary oxygen. This was his third attempt to conquer the world’s highest peak, standing at 8,849 metres (29,032ft), after hazardous conditions forced him to turn back in 2019 and 2022.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk celebrated the achievement on social media, posting: “Sky is the limit? Not for Poles! Andrzej Bargiel has just skied down Mount Everest.”
Bargiel was supported by highly skilled Polish and Nepalese teams, whose expertise made the daring project possible. Following his historic descent, he expressed gratitude online, thanking his crew, medical team, camera operators, and the Sherpas whose support helped ensure the expedition’s success.
Dr Jonetzko contributed her expertise in high-altitude medicine to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the climbers and crew in the punishing conditions of the Himalayas during the autumn season. With almost two decades of experience, she has previously supported an Everest expedition in 2006 and an attempt on K2 in 2010.
Her journey in altitude medicine began while running a rescue post in Machermo, Nepal, at 4,500 metres. Over the years she has collaborated with renowned climbers including Anna Czerwińska, Kinga Baranowska, and Martyna Wojciechowska, and has supported countless charity treks in the UK.
Reflecting on her role in Bargiel’s Everest achievement, Dr Jonetzko said: “To be part of such a historic expedition, ensuring that the team had the medical support needed to operate at the very edge of human endurance, has been a privilege. Andrzej’s achievement is not only a milestone in sport, but also a testament to the value of preparation, teamwork, and trust in extreme conditions.”
Bargiel’s successful descent has been described as a breakthrough in the history of Himalayan exploration, highlighting the essential contribution of both climbers and their support teams in making such ground breaking achievements possible.