Ski Tibet: Through Mark Fisher's Lens

Attempting a first descent by Mark Fisher on ESPN Freeskiing Blog:

This fall, a four-person team -- myself, Andy Tankersley, Todd Passey and Kim Havell -- attempted to make the first ski descent off the summit of Tibet's 26,289-foot Mount Shishapangma, the 14th-highest peak in the world.

According to most references, Shishapangma was first skied (but not from the summit) in 1987 by Polish climber Jerzy Kukuczka. Brothers Steve and Mike Marolt became the first North Americans to ski the peak, in 2000, but again, not from the summit. The south face had been sought out once before as a ski descent, by a highly accomplished, North Face-sponsored team in 1999. The expedition resulted in the tragic deaths of two of its members, Alex Lowe and David Bridges, who were killed by an avalanche. Since then, no skier or snowboader has attempted to descend the south face, and to this day, nobody has skied off the true summit.

The expedition was truly an adventure. Travel was delayed by landslides, our cook went missing for five days and one team member got brutally sick due to a blood clot that resulted in pneumonia, among other complications. The weather was gnarly; we had strong winds and avalanches. Other expeditions left the mountain, and by the time our summit window arrived, we were alone on an 8,000-meter peak attempting a first descent.

View the gallery for a glimpse into our expedition. This is the first time these photos have been shown.

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