Climber Trying Everest Alone This Winter
Only one climber ever has summited the world's highest peak in winter without using supplemental oxygen

German climber Jost Kobusch is hoping to climb Everest’s west ridge alone this winter. It’s not his first time attempting the world’s highest peak solo in winter. To prepare, he recently made an ascent of Mera Peak (6,476 m) with other climbers.
To date, 34 expeditions have tried to climb Everest in winter, and of the five that were successful only 15 climbers stood on top. Seven climbers have died attempting Everest between Dec. 21 and March 22. On Dec. 27, 1982, Yasuo Kato summited solo but died on the way down.
Kobusch first attempted Everest in the 2019/2020 season and then again in the 2021/2022 season. After his second try, he said, “This winter was also not only very windy, but also much colder than others. You could feel that even here in Kathmandu. I used electric heating soles for the first time and found that under certain circumstances it works well or not. Overall, I learned a lot about the possibilities and limitations of equipment. It gave me new perspectives and a lot for strategic planning.”
The first winter ascent of Everest was on Feb. 17, 1980, by Polish climbers Leszek Cichy and Krzysztof Wielicki topped using supplemental oxygen. Fastforward to Dec. 22, 1987 when Nepalese climber Ang Rita Sherpa summited without using bottled O2 during his ascent with Young-Ho Heo from South Korea. Rita is the only climber to ever summit Everest in winter without the aid of supplemental oxygen.