Two Scandinavian adventurers have set off to become the first people to ski down the north side of Mount Qomolangma, the world's highest mountain, Radio Sweden reported on Thursday.

Sweden's Tomas Olsson and Norway's Tormod Granheim are planning to set up base camp at 6,400 meters and then hike and climb peaks at that altitude to get acclimated.

Sometime in May, the pair hope to climb the 8,850 meter summit in one go, and then ski down the north side in a clean run, something that has never been done before.

Olsson previously climbed Peak Lenin in Tajikistan, Couloir du Diable in France, Muztagh Ata and Kuksay Peak in China and 8,200-metees high Cho Oyu in Tibet.

Olsson said his role model is the late Swedish adventurer Goeran Kropp who in 1996 rode his bike 7,000 miles from Sweden to Nepal and climbed Mount Qomolangma without porters or extra oxygen.

Xinhua