German mountaineer Jost Kobusch is on his way to the base camp of Mount Everest in order to begin a winter solo climb attempt of the world’s tallest mountain. This is not his first time on Everest, nor is it his first time on the mountain in the winter. If all goes to plan, Kobusch will be solo climbing the West Ridge.
In both 2019/20 and 2020/21, Kobusch spent time working on the route, figuring out the beta, and learning as much as he possibly could while building his skills. Last year, 2023/24, Kobusch was prepared for a third attempt when he injured his back just before departure. This year will be his fourth expedition.
He doesn’t necessarily plan on summiting the mountain, at least not according to his social media. Instead, Jost hopes to break an altitude record set by a French team in 1983, reaching 7,500 meters (~24,606 feet) on the west ridge in the winter. He hopes to explore the area above that mark.
Kobusch has just made it to the Everest basecamp, where he is one of few people at the current moment. He plans to set off on his climb on December 22. You can follow along with his attempt on his Instagram and his Facebook, in addition to seeing his location on his website.