Jost Kobusch is heading home, at least for this winter.
The German climber had already fulfilled his season’s goal when he surpassed 7,500m on Everest’s Lho La-West Ridge route. On that early excursion, he climbed higher along that route in winter than anyone before him.
After two weeks of consideration, which included climbing back up to Camp 1 in time to experience this week’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake in his tent, he has decided to go no further this season.
“For this project to happen, everything needs to align, and right now, there are a lot of things that are counter-indicators,” Kobusch said.
Kobusch points out that, though he has never needed rescue, the current protests against helicopters in the Khumbu would make rescue impossible if needed. He also mentioned that aftershocks from the quake had made his route — already prone to rock and icefall — even riskier.
Kobusch will now return to training and building skills to become a better alpinist. His long-term goal remains to summit Everest in winter, alone and without oxygen.
Photo: Jost Kobusch
