Joost Kobusz survives Everest earthquake, 'shaken but okay' » Explorersweb

Jost Kubus has returned safely to Lobuche after surviving today's 7.1 magnitude earthquake. The quake hit him in his tent at Camp 1 on Mount Everest, halfway between the Khumbu Glacier and the Lo La River. He contacted ExplorersWeb immediately after returning to town, uninjured but “a little shaken.”

The 32-year-old German climber climbs the western ridge of Mount Everest alone, without additional oxygen, and in winter. This target is already one of the most challenging in the history of Everest; The 7.1-magnitude quake with its epicenter in Tibet's nearby Tengri province, just 75 kilometers away, was an additional test.

Earthquake location near Mount Everest. Image: Google Maps

Mount Everest was 'kind of an explosion'

The earthquake killed more than 125 people, injured hundreds, and destroyed about a thousand homes in Tibet. It occurred at 6:50 a.m. Nepal time while Kobush was in his tent at Camp 1.

I woke up confused, because everything around me was kind of exploding. The seracs were descending and the avalanches roared. At the time, I wasn't sure if it was an earthquake or if some of the larger marquees had just collapsed.

I was hit by shock waves, and particles from nearby avalanches penetrated the tent. Then everything calmed down and I said to myself, “Okay, whatever this is, I better calm down and wait until things settle down, either more avalanches or aftershocks,” so I waited a few hours and then decided that maybe that was it. Good idea to go back to Base Camp.

The decision was made, and Kubosh got down as quickly as he could. He felt several aftershocks on his way to the advanced base camp on the Khumbu Glacier, and while on his way to his base camp at Lobuche, next to the Italian weather laboratory known as the Pyramid of Everest.

In the video below, recorded a few days ago, Kuboš explains his accommodation in Lobuche, at an altitude of 4,940 metres.

Survivors of the double earthquake

It is noteworthy that this is the second time that Kobosh has been exposed to a major earthquake on Mount Everest. He was at Base Camp on April 25, 2015, when a massive earthquake struck the region, devastating parts of Nepal and killing 22 people at Everest Base Camp alone. Most of them were buried under a massive avalanche from the nearby Pomorie peak, caused by the earthquake.

Kubusch was among those who survived and photographed the aftermath of the accident. (See video below.) The difference is that in late April, the place was crowded with Everest climbers. Now, in the middle of winter, Kobush was the only person on or near the mountain.

You might consider being struck by an earthquake on Mount Everest twice as very bad luck, or, as Kubosch notes, very lucky, because he was unhurt on both occasions. The climber confirmed that he did not suffer any injury as a result of the natural disaster.

“I was very lucky because the earthquake made me comfortable and safe in the tent that was set up on a balcony,” he said. “Just imagine if you were in a difficult or exposed area when the ground started shaking!”

Shortly after Kubosh spoke to us, he shared some comments on his Instagram stories.

Kubusch was at Camp 1 earlier in the day, recording his comments about what he believed “could be an earthquake.” Photo: Jost Kubusch

Anxious aftershocks

Even in Lobuche, the entire Khumbu Valley may not be the safest place over the next few days if the tremors continue. While Kubosh has not yet decided what he will do next, he admits that based on his experience in 2015, the risk is there.

“After the big earthquake in 2015, there was continuous seismic activity in the following days,” he said.

During these earthquakes, landslides and avalanches from nearby peaks can affect high-altitude mountain valleys such as the Khumbu. Some Alpine lakes that have grown alarmingly in recent years due to melting glaciers may breach their barriers, although at this time of year, at least parts of these lakes will be frozen over.

Even before today, it has been an eventful season for Kubosh so far. Last week, he climbed more than 7,500 metres, the highest anyone has ever reached on Everest's West Ridge in winter.

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