MAD Ski Project 2023: Annapurna and Dhaulagiri

In the spring of 2023, I went with Bartek Ziemski to Annapurna (8,091 m) and Dhaulagiri (8,167 m). During acclimatization on the first peak, an avalanche swept away all of our gear prepared for the summit push. Despite this, on April 17 we stood on the summit of this eight-thousander, without using supplemental oxygen. Bartek skied down from the summit, completing the first Polish ski descent, while I documented it through film and photography before returning to Base Camp.

Less than a month later, we reached the summit of Dhaulagiri, the first team of the season to do so, again without supplemental oxygen. Bartek skied from the summit (the first ski descent in history), and I photographed and filmed the achievement before returning to Base Camp. After the expedition ended, we returned to Dhaulagiri to participate in the rescue of Carlos Soria of Spain (age 84), who had broken his leg during his summit attempt.

This expedition resulted in my short film The Silent Escape, which premiered in South Korea and was later screened in over 25 countries worldwide. It also won awards at festivals both in Poland and abroad.