Everest | 2019 Lho La-W Ridge

A Germany expedition to Everest in 2019 via Lho La-W Ridge, led by Jost Kobusch. Summit reached on 24th February 2020. 2 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 10414
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER19401
Peak ID EVER
Year 2019
Season 4
Host Country 1
Route 1 Lho La-W Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Germany
Leaders Jost Kobusch
Sponsor Jost Kobusch Everest West Ridge Winter Expedition 2019-20
Success 1 False
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 -
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach Lukla->Namche->Island Peak->Everest BC
Basecamp Date 2019-12-19
Summit Date 2020-02-24
Summit Time -
Summit Days 67
Total Days 73
Termination Date 2020-03-01
Termination Reason 10
Termination Notes Abandoned at 7366m due to difficult conditions and attaining objective of reaching 7200m in his first winter 8000er attempt.
High Point (m) 7366
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 150
Total Members 2
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 0
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired True
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits Climbed Amotsang (24 Oct), Chulu Far East (1 Nov), Peak 5794m (17 Nov), Parchermo (22 Nov) and Island Peak (16 Dec)
Campsites BC(19/12,5250m),C1(29/12,6000m),C2(20/02,6400m),C3(22/02,6700m),xxx(24/02,7366m)
Route Notes Route: West Ridge via Lho La from south EBC. New variants on Lho La to SW Face, and West Shoulder to NW Face. High point on Everest: Jost Kobusch to West Shoulder. Daniel Hug to C1 (he also climbed IMJA with Jost Kobusch for acclimatization). • 1st attempt: Within a few weeks, Kobusch studied various options to climb the Lho La SW Face. First intended to use the Yugoslavian left-side line, which at first he thought to be more stable, but this option was hit by a massiv rock avalanche in front of his eyes! Coming closer to the wall, he eventually changed his plan for the other option on the right side of the central couloir collecting most avalanches (historical route of 1955, and the 1974 French attempt). Glacier ramp (1) would happen to be an “easy” climbing solution, but equipment there would be systematically destroyed by the always collapsing glacier. Eventually Kobusch would find a line left to the glacier ramp (2). He would fix 3 pitches of rock climbing, using the shelter of a slightly overhanging protection in the lower section. 28 Dec: Hug joined Kobusch for Lho La climb, in order to shoot some images for the documentary there. They found some hard ice and deep snow during the climb. Belaying Hug took also time, with Kobusch carrying all the equipment himself. Eventually taking more time than first expected, the duet had to bivouac in a crevasse halfway up. 29 Dec: reached Lho La quite early, where would have first sleep. Team took lots of images. On that evening, Kobusch reached a point at 6180m (A), just at the beginning of the face on the 1974 French attempt (right side of the West Shoulder face). The bergschrund here gave him no chance go proceed further. 30 Dec: duet went back down to BC. Hug had to rest since he had been really stressed by the climb. Celebrated new year the day after. Scheduled for the helicopter to come at beginning of January for a photo-shooting session. • 2nd attempt: 16 Jan: Kobusch went back up to Lho La/C1. 17 Jan: had a rest day. 18 Jan: Kobusch wanted to try an other option on the far right side of the West Shoulder NW face (properly on the SW Face of the West shoulder). Reached a point at 6360m in that difficult traverse (B), where he met bad climbing conditions (blue ice covered with sugar snow). Slept at C1. On that same day, Hug was shooting from the helicopter; on that day he would go back straight to Lukla, then to Ktmdu and Germany. 19 Jan: Kobusch went back to BC. 20 Jan: when he woke up at BC, he couldn't walk! Had he torn something? Contacted a physiotherapist. At that stage, considered finishing the expedition if not possible to walk again (with rescue evacuation from BC). However pain decreased a few days later. Felt still that something was wrong, despite nobody ever knew what it was. Decided to give a try up if not too painfull, at least to remove his C1 gear. • 3rd attempt: 06 Feb: discovered that the previously established route to Lho La had collapsed again. Having not enough equipment left now, him considered to rappel from the top to equip the route, after free soloing on the way up. Kobusch changed the route for an attack “straight up” (3), going between his prior routes (2 and 1). Wasn't sure to be able to free solo the new rock section next to the glacier ramp, which happened to make a tough climb. Left to this section he would find some remnants of aluminium ladders and 3 old good quality pitons (him removed the damaged wire ladder and brought it back to Ktmdu). Then he traversed rightwards to access a little down the glacier ramp. With this new line, Kobusch thought it would be the best way to reduce the risk. 11 Feb: back to Lho La. 12 Feb: this time choose to traverse towards the left side of the NW Face of the W Shoulder (C). Crossed the bergschrund, climbing from now in Chinese territory (from that stage, he switched off his device, fearing a possible Chinese reaction with political issue – however 1 dot remains visible on his tracking). Eventually made a 17h non-stop climbing day in demanding conditions (blue ice), similar in comitment to the traverse of the second attempt. After he had reached 6500m he went back down to C1 for sleeping. 13 Feb: rest day. 14 Feb: went back to BC. • 4th attempt: 19 Feb: back to Lho La. 20 Feb: established a C2 on chinese side at 6400m (not on the map, since had switched off again the GPS device). 21 Feb: pitched a C3 in the W Shoulder NW Face far left side. 22 Feb: moved his C3 from 6600m to 6700m for a better settlment allowing to hammer a deep ledge into the ice for his tent. 23 Feb: had rest day 24 Feb: reached the top of the West Shoulder at 7366m (GPS measurement) at circa 5 pm. Him had planned to reach 7200m for his first winter experience on 8000ers : objective was fulfilled and it was now late. Went back down to C3 for sleeping. 25 Feb: downwards. Slept in Lho La vicinity since had lost the way in snow fall. 26 Feb: slept in proper C1 of Lho La, bad weather not allowing to go back down on this day. 27 Feb: back to BC. On that day, triggered 2 avalanches intentionally to clear the route, but got caught by a third one while rappeling the final rock part. On this day he had ran out of supplies. Expedition was finished.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Satori Adventures
Commercial Route False
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2465198
Year 2019
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) lho la-w ridge

Members

2 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Jost Kobusch M 1992 Germany Leader Borgholzhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Student Details Other expeditions
Daniel Hug M 1985 Germany Cameraman - - Details Other expeditions

References

1 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER19401 - - https://jostkobusch.com/de/live-tracking?fbclid=IwAR0j4T_JZSJnP9StySpywdx5LH6-Luqxwtrf7QDHyssqmTN1gaIxSiujfPU#g-showcase - - -