About Jost Kobusch and His Previous Achievements
Jost Kobusch, in his mid-thirties, is a pioneering new-generation mountaineer and solo alpinist born in Bielefeld, Germany, and currently living in Chamonix, France. He is also an author and is known for his solo high-altitude climbing, winter expeditions, and various first ascents.
Jost began his climbing journey in 2004, when he was just twelve years old. In 2011, during a student exchange program in Kenya, he attempted to climb Mt. Kenya at 5,199 meters (17,057 feet) without a climbing partner or the support of fixed ropes. He failed to achieve his goal on this climb but he learned an important lesson: mountains can be climbed without a rope partner, and without external support. This experience marked the beginning of his journey into solo mountaineering.
In the winter of 2013, he attempted to climb Pik Lenin (7,134m/23,406ft), located on the border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in the Pamir Mountains. He ended with the summit of Pik Razdelnaya at 6,158m (20,203ft).
He also climbed, for the first time, a peak in the Fergana Range in southwestern Kyrgyzstan, standing at 4,048m (13,281ft). He reached the summit at 8:12 p.m. via a highly technical route, with some sections graded M6/6+. He named the peak “Pik Yoko” after his girlfriend. He made the first ascent of the peak on December 24, 2013, on Christmas Eve.
In 2014, at the age of 22, Jost Kobusch made a solo ascent of Mt. Ama Dablam (6,812m) without supplemental oxygen, becoming the youngest known solo climber of the peak at that time. This was Jost’s first Himalayan climb. His successful solo ascent of Ama Dablam – often referred to as the “Matterhorn of the Himalayas” and often considered more technical than Mt. Everest – without supplemental oxygen demonstrated his potential for a promising mountaineering career.
Jost climbed Ama Dablam on May 14 via the normal Southwest Ridge route. The first solo ascent of Ama Dablam was made in 1979 by Jeff Lowe of the USA, who climbed the South Face, now also known as the Lowe Face.
Jost continued to climb in the Himalayas, and in 2015, he climbed Mt. Lhotse. At the time, he became widely known for his short video footage of the avalanche triggered by the Gorkha earthquake, which swept through the Everest Base Camp and killed dozens of climbers and support staff.
He subsequently abandoned his planned medical studies and pursued a professional career in mountaineering. At the age of 24, Jost climbed Annapurna I in 2016, unsupported by any Sherpa staffs and without supplemental oxygen, becoming the youngest German to summit the peak.
In 2017, he returned to the Nepal Himalayas to climb Nagpai Gosum II (7,298m/23,944ft) in the Khumbu region near the Mt. Cho Oyu, which was regarded as the fourth-highest unclimbed mountain peak of the world at the time. Under Satori Nagpai Gosum II Expedition-Autumn 2017, he reached the summit.
Following this exceptional achievement, he was nominated with the prestigious Piolet d’Or award.
He, in 2018, established a new route on Carstensz Pyramid (4,884m), located in Papua on the island of New Guinea, the highest mountain in Oceania and one of the Seven Summits. He named the route the “Way of the Ancestors” after reaching the summit. He first climbed the peak via the normal route and then made a solo ascent of his new route without ropes, establishing a new line on the mountain. He approached the peak through approximately 100km of jungle on foot over six days, rather than taking a helicopter, as many other climbers do.
He continued his Himalayan climbing, and on October 24, 2019, he climbed Mt. Amotsang (6,393m), a previously unclimbed peak in the Mustang region of the Nepal Himalayas. He made the ascent as an acclimatization climb for his planned winter ascent of Mt. Everest. Following this acclimatization climb, he went on to attempt Mt. Everest in winter.
In November 2021, he climbed Purbung (6,465m), also known as Putrung, located in the Damodar Range of the Himalayas in the Manang-Mustang region. This was also the first ascent of the previously unclimbed peak.
In 2022, Jost Kobusch attempted a solo ascent of Mt. Manaslu. The idea was to open a new route on the peak alone. He contracted Dengue fever, and the same season, avalanches and heavy snowstorms hit the mountain. Due to bad weather and dengue fever, he was forced to abandon the climb, and retreat to Kathmandu for medical care.
In February 2023, Jost made a solo winter ascent of Mt. Denali (6,190m) via the Messner Couloir, becoming the first non-American climber to make a solo winter ascent of Mt. Denali. And this was the first-ever winter solo ascent of the Messner couloir.
Jost Kobusch’s trademark is his solo ascents at high altitudes. He is also known for his minimalist approach to mountaineering and his dedication to “leading the unknown path” – through winter ascents, new-route explorations, unclimbed peaks, and other challenging objectives.
He is the author of the book Ich. Oben. Allein. (I’m Alone Above: From the Survival of a Young Solo Mountaineer).
Acclimatization Climb of Chulu Prior to Mt. Everest
Jost arrived in Kathmandu on 28th September with Nicolas Scheidtweiler, Manuela Brümmer, and Alexandre Alfred Pichon, with whom he climbed Chulu Peak in the Annapurna region as an acclimatization climb, with logistics and other support from Satori Adventures.
All four of them climbed Mt. Chulu Far East, 6,059 meters (19,879 feet). Alex returned due to health issues after this climb, while Jost and his two climbing friends, Manuela and Nicolas, traversed to Chulu East (6,584m/21,601ft).
The initial plan and idea were to traverse along the ridges connecting the four Chulu peaks: Chulu Far East, Chulu East, Chulu Central, and Chulu West (6,419m/21,060ft).
They abandoned the rest of the traverse climb between Chulu East and West due to physical and mental issues of Nicolas. However, they completed around half-traverse from Chulu Far East to Chulu East, probably for the first time, and made the first ascent of Chulu East Peak via the South-East Face/Ridge as Jost reported.
They climbed Chulu Far East on 17th October at 2.00 pm and then descended to the col and continued westwards along the ridge until they reached the base of the South-East ridge of Chulu East Peak at 5,800m.
The next morning, they left the Base Camp at 8.45 am for the peak and reached the summit at 6.40 pm, trailblazing a new route on the South-East Ridge. Jost and his team gave the technical grade to this route as follows:
Technical Grade: UIAA III Rock, M2+/M3 Mixed, Snow to 70°
Tentatively Alpine Grade: AD+/D-
Rock Quality and Protection: Very Poor Rock; Fall Consequences Very High
After the Chulu traverse, Jost had a plan to climb another unclimbed peak in the Manaslu region, which was abandoned due to the threat of Cyclone Arnab developed in the Indian ocean and for safety reasons.
Jost’s Climbing Team on Chulu
Manuela Brümmer is a German pharmacist and experienced mountaineer born on July 7, 1991, in Filderstadt, Germany. Professionally based in Ravensburg, Germany, she balances her career in healthcare with a passion for high-altitude climbing and outdoor sports, including mountaineering, ski touring, cycling, running, and rock climbing. She is also certified as a ski mountaineering instructor (Trainer C Skibergsteigen) through the German Alpine Club (Deutscher Alpenverein).
As an active mountaineer, she has built an extensive portfolio of high-altitude ascents across Europe and Asia, including Mont Blanc in the Alps, Ama Dablam (2022) in Nepal Himalayas, Peak Lenin in the Central Asia (2023), and Himlung Himal (2023) in the Nepal Himalayas. Her expedition work has frequently brought her to Nepal, where she has spent extended time participating in major multi-week Himalayan climbing trips.
Professionally based in South Germany, she is starting her new business Qius, producing sustainable labware from the January 2027, as she told Satori Adventures.
Nicolas Scheidtweiler is a German consultant and active mountaineer residing in Reutte, Austria. Drawing on years of experience living in the Alps, his background encompasses ice climbing, glacier tours, rock climbing, and high-altitude expedition mountaineering. He is certified as an instructor for mountaineering through the German Alpine Club (Trainer C Bergsteigen).
His major international achievements include climbing notable peaks such as Mount Elbrus, Aconcagua, Mont Blanc, and Carstensz Pyramid. Additionally, he completed a first ascent of Purbung (6,465 m) in the Damodar range of Nepal on November 30, 2021. As of his filing, he had visited Nepal four times for expedition work prior to this time.
Alexandre Alfred Pichon is a mountain photographer and filmmaker based in Chamonix, France, passionate about mountaineering, skiing, climbing and outdoor adventures.
With a background rooted in the mountains, he combines his experience in the field with visual storytelling to document outdoor sports, expeditions and the people behind them. His work focuses on capturing both the sporting performance and the human side of mountain adventures.
Currently preparing for his high-mountain guide qualification, Alex is developing documentary projects and collaborations with athletes, brands and outdoor organizations.
His ambition is to tell meaningful stories through photography and filmmaking, exploring the relationship between people, mountains, adventure and the challenges that come with them.
Jost Kobusch’s Previous Attempts to climb Mt. Everest Solo in Winter Without O₂
After he climbed Amotsang in autumn, Jost climbed Mt. Everest via the West Ridge in the winter of 2020 as part of his attempt to make a solo winter ascent of the mountain without supplemental oxygen. He reached a record altitude of 7,360m (24,168ft) during his first attempt.
Jost Kobusch continued his project to climb Mt. Everest via the South-West Ridge route in winter, using a solo alpine-style approach without oxygen. In 2021/22 winter season, he returned to Everest for another attempt, but severe weather halted his progress at around 6,300m.
On December 21, 2024, he was back to the Everest for another solo winter attempt, with the goal of surpassing his previous high point.
He reached an altitude of 7,537m, surpassing his previous high point of 7,360m achieved in 2020. While he was at Camp I, an earthquake in Tibet shook the mountain. Having achieved his goal of exceeding his previous altitude record, Jost decided to descend. Reaching 7,537m was sufficient for him in 2025, and he called off the climb.
Notable previous winter expeditions on Everest’s West Ridge include a French expedition in 1984, which reached approximately 7,500m; a South Korean expedition in 1985-86, which reached 7,100m; and a British expedition in 1980-81, which reached approximately 7,300m. All of these expeditions were undertaken by teams rather than solo climbers.
The first historical winter ascent of Mt. Everest was made by Krzysztof Wielicki and Leszek Cichy, members of the Polish expedition led by Andrzej Zawada. They reached the summit on February 17, 1980, via the normal South Col-Southeast Ridge route. This was an extraordinary ascent, as it marked the first successful winter ascent of any 8,000m peak in the world as well.
On December 27, 1982, Yasuo Kato reached the summit of Mt. Everest alone, but he did not return safe in which Toshiaki Kobayashi, his supporting climbing team member with bivouac supplies also died while in bivouac (Thomas Holzel, AAC, 1983).
The first winter ascent of Everest without supplemental oxygen, as reported by the Himalayan Database and other sources, was achieved by Ang Rita Sherpa on December 22, 1987, via the South-East Ridge route under the expedition “Korean Winter Everest Expedition” led by Hahm Tak-Young.
Although this was recorded as a winter ascent according to the normal seasonal standard of the region, some alpinists and mountaineers debate whether his summit time falls entirely within the astronomical winter period. The Winter Solstice occurred on December 22, 1987, at 3:31 PM (according to Drik Panchang, drikpanchang.com), whereas Ang Rita’s summit time was 2:20 PM. This means he reached the summit approximately one hour and ten minutes before winter officially began in Nepal according to the solar system.
On December 18, 1993, Hideji Nazuka and Fumiaki Goto from the “Japan Gunma Sagarmatha Southwest Face Expedition” led by three veteran leaders Kuniaki Yagihara (stayed at Base Camp), deputy leader Yoshio Ogata and climbing leader Hideji Nazuka reached the summit of Everest from the South West Face (Bonington Route), at 15.20 PM. Other team members also reached the summit on 20th and 22nd December.
Jost Kobusch’s climb in 2026, if successful, will be the first time in the history.
Kobusch’s Solo Winter Everest Expedition 2026-27
Jost Kobusch is ready to set off for his ambitious Solo Winter Everest Climb without Supplemental Oxygen in 2026.
Unlike most climbers who use the standard routes, Kobusch has attempted the grueling and dangerous West Ridge route. He informs in media that he will attempt Everest to climb from the South-West route this time as well.
He is flying to Lukla on 5th November with his two other team members Agnes Christine Fischer, and Daniel Hug.
We will share updates on his expedition at the appropriate time. Please stay tuned....
