Everest Alone in Winter via West Ridge

Everest Alone in Winter via West Ridge

Author: Francis Tapon February 28, 2026 Duration: 30:05

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

There's a certain kind of travel that changes you, not just your location. It’s the slow, immersive kind where the journey itself becomes the teacher. In WanderLearn: Travel to Transform Your Mind & Life, Francis Tapon acts as your guide into this world, exploring how leaving familiar ground can fundamentally reshape your perspective. This isn't about quick tips or itineraries; it's about the deeper conversations that happen at the crossroads of culture, society, and personal growth. Each episode delves into how we engage with places and people, often weaving in discussions about the role of modern technology in both enabling and complicating these profound experiences. You'll hear stories and insights that challenge the conventional tourist mindset, pushing toward a more thoughtful, engaged way of moving through the world. Francis draws from a wealth of experience to discuss concepts like vagabonding and deep travel, making the case that the greatest souvenirs aren't trinkets, but transformed thoughts. Tuning into this podcast feels like sitting down with a well-traveled friend who understands that the real destination is often a shift within yourself. It’s for anyone who believes that travel, at its best, is a powerful catalyst for learning and living differently.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

WanderLearn: Travel to Transform Your Mind & Life
Podcast Episodes
Are Vegans Prone To Osteoporosis? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:30
In 2025, I catch up with one of the most remarkable 72-year-olds you’ll ever meet, Sym Blanchard!Watch this podcast!This page features five episodes starring Sym.Listen to all the episodes featuring Sym Blanchard since 2…
Reinhold Messner is "Against the Wind" in his newest book [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:47
True story: I bumped into Reinhold Messner at the base of Mount Sabyinyo in Rwanda on December 31, 2016.Because I had read several of his books, I instantly recognized him with his signature disheveled hair and gray bear…
Can AI decode the Voynich Manuscript? Part 2/2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:31
Watch the PREVIOUS episode on YouTube!Watch THIS episode on YouTube or click below!TIMELINE00:00 AI Computational Approach13:00 Decoding Voynich19:30 Hoax?21:00 Could women have written it?26:15 What to ask the manuscrip…
Mysterious Voynich Manuscript Reconsidered - Part 1/2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:09
Egyptian hieroglyphics confounded Egyptologists for centuries until the discovery of the Rosetta Stone.The Voynich Manuscript is another old text that has perplexed experts since its discovery about 600 years ago.Watch t…
Travel Smart: Secrets From a Harvard MBA-Turned-Nomad [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:16
Hrish Lotlikar of the Superworld app interviewed me in 2025. Watch the video on their channelYou might enjoy it. Here's what the Superworld Channel wrote: What if you could leave behind the corporate grind and explore th…
Living with Lynx: Is It Possible? Jonny Hanson Answers 2/2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:35
It's part 2 of 2 of my conversation with Dr. Johnny Hanson! His 2025 book, Living with Lynx: Sharing Landscapes with Big Cats, Wolves and Bears, is a nuanced analysis of the complex topic of rewilding. Watch the Video of…
Rewilding the Lynx, Bear, & Wolf with Jonny Hanson 1/2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:28
Dr. Johnny Hanson's new book, Living with Lynx: Sharing Landscapes with Big Cats, Wolves and Bears, is a nuanced analysis of the complex topic of rewilding. Watch the Video of this InterviewIn this two-part interview, we…
Benjamin Wallace On Who Is Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin's Creator [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:28
Benjamin Wallace's new book is The Mysterious Mr. Nakamoto: A Fifteen-Year Quest to Unmask the Secret Genius Behind Crypto. It's the greatest whodunit. Whoever created Bitcoin became the world's richest person, yet we do…
Mary Roach Says You Are Not Easily Replaceable [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:52
Replaceable You by Mary Roach is science writing with a mischievous grin. This book dives headfirst (and sometimes with prosthetic limbs) into humanity’s never-ending quest to patch, upgrade, and outright swap out our sq…
Why Derek Sivers Plans to Live in China & India - Episode 3/3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:53
Watch this episode on YouTube! Derek has accomplished numerous impressive feats. He founded CD Baby. In 2008, he sold CD Baby for $22 million and donated the proceeds to a charitable trust dedicated to music education. A…