A series of regular events mark the approach of winter in Nepal’s Himalaya: the Hindu festival of Dashain, the shorter days and colder nights, and the presence of a lonely German climber looking for 6,000m peaks to climb on his own, as he waits for winter to arrive.
For the third consecutive year, Jost Kobush has traveled early to Nepal to prepare to solo winter Everest. Again, he is warming up by bagging some firsts on lesser Himalayan peaks.
Chulu West. Photo: Mountain Experience Trekking & Expedition
For starters, Kobusch has chosen the 6,419m trekking peak Chulu West. Like elsewhere in Nepal, the endless monsoon has covered the mountain in deep snow, which has made the going even tougher.
“I had to break trail through deep snow for a few kilometres before I finally reached the summit,” Kobusch wrote on social media. “Definitely a challenge if you’re soloing, but that’s what makes the summit even sweeter.”
