In a few days, Jost Kobusch will arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal. He will begin his multi-month preparation for his radical goal: to climb Everest alone in winter without supplemental oxygen via the challenging West Ridge route.
Watch on YouTube
Timeline
00:00 Jost’s origins
05:00 What is the % chance of succeeding on Everest
08:20 Krzysztof Wielicki’s 1980 Winter Everest climb
Subscribe to hear next week's episode where I ask Jost what is the percentage chance that he will die!
Background below…
At 8:20, Jost mentions Krzysztof Wielicki.
Who is Krzysztof Wielicki?
* Nationality: Polish
* Born: 5 January 1950, Szklarka Przygodzicka, Poland
* Claim to fame: One of the greatest high‑altitude climbers in history; fifth person to climb all 14 eight‑thousanders.
Everest in winter – the historic climb
* Date: 17 February 1980
* Summit team: Krzysztof Wielicki and Leszek Cichy
* Expedition leader: Andrzej Zawada (Polish national expedition)
* Significance: First-ever winter ascent of any 8,000‑meter peak, and the first winter summit of Mount Everest (8,848 m).
This climb launched the era of Polish “Ice Warriors,” who went on to achieve many first winter ascents in the Himalaya and Karakoram.
Other major winter firsts by Wielicki
Wielicki was the first to climb three of the world’s four highest mountains in winter:
* Mount Everest – 1980 (with Leszek Cichy) – first winter 8,000‑m ascent
* Kangchenjunga – 1986 (with Jerzy Kukuczka) – first winter ascent
* Lhotse – 1988 – first winter ascent
He also did a famous solo 24‑hour-style ascent of Broad Peak in 1984 (16 hours up, 6 down), another mountaineering milestone
What do you think?
Put your thoughts in the comments.
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:
* YouTube
* Facebook
* Instagram
* X
* TikTok
* LinkedIn
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
10. Get nomadic travel insurance from SafetyWing!
Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe
