![\"Jost](\"https:\/\/abenteuer-berg.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Kobusch-im-Khumbu-2.jpg\")
<\/a>The premature end to his winter expedition on the highest mountain on earth does not come as a complete surprise to me. Even after Jost Kobusch<\/a>\u2018s first push of the season on his route \u2013 he reached an altitude of around 7,500 meters on the West Ridge on 27 December<\/a> and thus already achieved the goal he had set himself for his third Everest winter expedition \u2013 the 32-year-old German mountaineer reacted rather cautiously to my question as to whether he would climb up again.<\/p>\n Jost finally set off again at the beginning of last week and was surprised by the effects of the strong earthquake in Tibet<\/a> while climbing to Lho La, a pass that connects the Nepalese Everest Valley with the Tibetan side, in his tent at 5,700 meters. He survived the tremors physically unscathed<\/a>. But after his return to his \u201cbase camp\u201d in the \u201cPyramid\u201d, an Italian research station and lodge located at around 5,000 meters, Kobusch seemed even more indecisive.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n On Friday, Jost declared the end of his expedition via his social media channels \u2013 citing four reasons. Interestingly, he first mentioned the protests in the Khumbu<\/a> against the large number of helicopter flights<\/a>, which currently meant that no rescue flights were possible. However, it is \u201canyway very improbable to rescue me up there,\u201d Kobusch admits on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cBut this is part of my consideration.\u201d<\/p>\n Point two is that the West Ridge route, which was \u201calready prone to rock and icefall\u201d, has become \u201cmore risky\u201d due to the earthquake in Tibet and the aftershocks.<\/p>\n Jost also points out that he is not yet back to full strength due to a back injury he sustained in October 2023<\/a> while training for Everest: \u201cI am not where I want to be as an athlete to push for the summit.\u201d And fourthly and finally, according to Kobusch\u2019 s words, he had already achieved his previously set goal for this winter at the end of December, \u201cin going further than anybody before me on the West Ridge in winter.\u201d<\/p>\n Kobusch says that he cannot achieve his goal with a crowbar. \u201cI\u2019d rather focus on going back to training, building skill and becoming a better alpinist so that I come back stronger,\u201d writes Jost. \u201cI\u2019m in this for the long run, my goal is to climb Everest in the winter by myself via the West Ridge \u2013 not some record of going a bit higher than before.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nSurvived earthquake physically unscathed<\/h2>\n
Kobusch cites protests in the Khumbu against helicopter flights as one reason<\/h2>\n
<\/a>\u201cI want to become a better alpinist\u201d<\/h2>\n
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