Jost Kobusch, a 32-year-old German mountaineer who summited Denali in winter, is attempting what some experts give a 1% chance of success: he wants to summit Everest in winter, alone, without supplemental oxygen, and following a rarely climbed route, the dangerous West Ridge. https://youtube.com/watch?v=b1QtNL4CqJo In this WanderLearn Show, Jost discusses his overall goal, the extreme winter conditions at Everest’s altitude, being blown off the mountain on past attempts, why he chose the West Ridge, details on route maps, filming mishaps, rope use, when he might change his plan, the story of Mallory and Irvine, and what it would mean if he died after summiting. Timeline 00:00 Jost’s goal 01:00 Everest is 9,000 meters in winter 06:00 Blown off the mountain 07:20 Why West Ridge Route? 08:23 Map of Route 13:25 Filming Disasters 19:00 How Jost uses rope 21:00 When would he change? 23:30 Mallory & Irvine 24:30 What if he dies after summitting? 26:30 Follow Jost Credits In the video interview, you’ll see some b-roll from the following sources: ALONE video: 3D Everest Map Jost Photos by Daniel Hug In my next interview with Jost, what would you like me to ask him? Put it in the comments! Here are my future questions for Jost: - Will you fly down the mountain? (He loves to paraglide off mountains.) - Why not do the route alone during May-June first as a proof of concept? Connect Send me an anonymous voicemail at SpeakPipe.com/FTapon You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my Substack newsletter. If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on: * Facebook * X * YouTube * Instagram * TikTok * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Tumblr Sponsors 1. My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron for as little as $2/month at https://Patreon.com/FTapon 2. For the best travel credit card, get one of the Chase Sapphire cards and get 75-100k bonus miles! 3. Get $5 when you sign up for Roamless, my favorite global eSIM with its unlimited hotspot & data that never expires! Use code LR32K 4. Or get 5% off when you sign up with Saily, another global eSIM with a built-in VPN & ad blocker. 5. Get 25% off when you sign up for Trusted Housesitters, a site that helps you find sitters or homes to sit in. 6. Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free! 7. In the United States, I recommend trading cryptocurrency with Kraken. 8. Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees! 9. For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear. Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe
