Everest: Kobusch, Txikon on the Move

Jost Kobusch has been laying low for the last two days, offering no details about his injured foot and general state of health or his latest venture up the Lho La, which culminated in a forced descent in the middle of the night. Instead, his posts focused on old friends and college memories. However, Kobusch has now set off again up Everest. According to his tracking device, he was not far from his Camp 1 at 6,000m after night fell in Nepal.

Jost Kobusch’s latest track, one hour before this screenshot. Photo: MountEverest3d.de

 

In Base Camp, Alex Txikon confirmed to Explorersweb that Kobusch started climbing early this morning, but he wondered about the German climber’s ultimate plans. “His kitchen staff have said that he’ll be on the mountain for at least three days,” said Txikon.

Before starting his expedition, Kobusch told ExplorersWeb that he intended to approach Everest as an exploratory experience rather than treating the summit as a must-do. So all his options are open.

Alex Txikon and his team are also preparing to climb for several days. They have not confirmed whether they’ll leave tomorrow or Thursday, but they plan to spend the weekend fixing the route to Camp 3 on the Lhotse Wall and possibly further. Txikon hopes that they can reach the South Col and fix Camp 4 on this trip. If they feel acclimatized enough, this will be their last camp before the summit push.

Alex Txikon and Khumbu, the team’s mascot. Photo: @DiegoMartinezPh

 

Broad Peak

Denis Urubko has also been silent since helping his pneumonia-stricken partner, Don Bowie, down to Base Camp three days ago. He has not even confirmed his summit intentions. But knowing Urubko, it is likely that he will try, if the Baltoro weather gives him a chance.

Meanwhile, a controversial Instagram post from Lotta Hintsa, Don Bowie’s protegé, has angered dozens of readers. Rather than credit Urubko for sacrificing his own summit bid to help her partner, Don Bowie, she seemed intent on pointing out that she had  “made history” by standing higher than any other female on a winter Karakorum expedition to an 8,000’er. Bragging about minor firsts has become all-too-common in adventure, but when you’re a relative novice sharing a tent platform with the likes of Denis Urubko, many observers felt that she needed a good dose more modesty.

Anyway, she is wrong: Tamara Styś stood well over 7,000m on Gasherbrum I during its first winter ascent back in 2012, while Hinsta reached just 6,600m two weeks ago.

She also used much of the post to insist that she was not rescued from Broad Peak Base Camp, but merely accompanied Bowie on the chopper back to Skardu.

Lotta Hintsa high on Broad Peak. Photo: Don Bowie