Interview: German alpinist Jost Kobusch on his epic journey to establish a new line on Carstensz Pyramid

1. Home
2. Articles
3. Interview: German alpinist Jost Kobusch on his epic journey to establish a new line on Carstensz Pyramid

German alpinist Jost Kobusch (27) summited Carstensz Pyramid (4884m) on 8th September, 2018, by a new route, in a solo alpine style climb. He named the route "Way of the Ancestors".

As Jost thought, "taking the helicopter felt like cheating", in August 2018, he reached the Base Camp of Carstensz Pyramid walking through a 100km jungle route, a civil war zone full of rebels, at war with the army. On 13th August, he had soloed the top by the Messner Route. On next two consecutive days, 14th and 15th August, he again summited by the Harrer Route.

Jost returned to Carstensz Pyramid again in September and summited on 6th and 7th by the Harrer Route, and finally on 9th September by a new route.

Jost Kobusch is renowned for his alpine style climbing. In 2014, he was the youngest climber to summit Ama Dabalam solo. In 2016, he summited Annapurna solo without supplemental oxygen and thus became the youngest German to do so. In 2017, he made the first summit of Nangpai Gosum II in a solo alpine style climb.

On 2nd August, 2019, in an exclusive interview with Dream Wanderlust, Jost Kobusch talks about his ascent of Carstensz Pyramid by the new route and his upcoming projects.

Carstensz Pyramid New Route, Jost called it the "Way of the Ancestors"

Interview with Jost Kobusch

DW: Congratulation on opening a new route on Carstensz Pyramid. Please tell us about it.

Jost: It's like asking someone about life. There is so much to it. So, what exactly would you like to know?

DW: We would appreciate if you discuss about three focal areas as follows:
- How did you plan the entire expedition?
- How did you execute it?
- Enlighten us on your journey by the new route you passed through.

Jost: Usually, people take a helicopter to fly to Carstensz Base Camp to climb to the summit. But for me, taking the helicopter felt like cheating! Therefore, I was doing some research about how I could get to the mountain without using a helicopter. That resonates to be pretty tough, you know, to go without a helicopter. Basically, it's kind of like civil war over there. There are, I would say, the rebels, fighting against the army. So, usually you can't take that path. I found this German guy, very active there for almost 30 years now and he happens to know the General of the Rebel Army personally. So, he, kind of, made it possible. But I couldn't go alone. Because, we need to charter a full plane, a helicopter, and so on for logistics. Therefore, I went ahead with some other people. Basically, I was working there as a guide. I took clients through the jungle to get to Carstensz Pyramid. That was the plan. It was a 100 kilometers of jungle and one week of hiking. It was raining every single day. Since the beginning itself, your clothes are wet, and it is such that nothing would dry.

Walking through a 100km of jungle to reach to the Base Camp of Carstensz Pyramid

Smoke coming from a area where the native tribes live

DW: That must have been a very tough journey indeed, when you went through the jungle. How was that experience for you? People avoid these jungles due to the fear of animal attacks, army encounters, and what not! How did you feel when you were crossing it? How exactly did you do it?

Jost: So basically, why people don't do it, is because of the rebels. I think there has been a history of people been taken to hostage. I am not familiar with the olden times too much. There are no real animals living in that jungle. I think, because, you are already starting at 2000m, then walking up to 3000-3500m in the jungle. Besides, that area is pretty tough to live. The only things that survive there, are ants – the very little ants that make their nest on the trees. Because, it's too wet to build it on the grounds. So, in a way, the problem was more than wet and during the night, sometimes, it is freezing. Because, you are quite on high altitude. So, it's cold the whole time. In a way, it is a lot of walking through the muds and rivers. Whenever you want to dry yourselves and want to make a fire, of course, the wood is wet. So, it is just the smoke. You are smoked out! So yeah, there were two big enemies there – water, as in the form of rain, and smoke.

DW: Was that the toughest part of the expedition?

Jost: The toughest period of the expedition was later on when I went back to the jungle.

Actually, I went to Carstensz Pyramid twice. Hence, there are two expeditions in a row.  This time, I climbed it with my clients. I also climbed it alone. I opened a new route on the second time – which I call is the "Way of the Ancestors" – the way we took through the jungle to get there. I had an arrangement so that my clients would go back to the jungle with the porters and so on; later on, I should be picked up by a helicopter, to be there on time to fly back. But that helicopter did not pick me up.

Jost walking through the jungle trail to the Base Camp of Carstensz Pyramid

Jost with the native tribes at the jungle

DW: Why did that happen?

Jost: The helicopter was coming after I requested them to pick me up. They asked, "Whom are you working with?"

When they came to know that it is my German friend (mentioned in the beginning of the interview), they said, "No, look. These are our company helicopters. We have a full charter on them, and you must not go with them. Because, we can't support a competitior."

So, I couldn't really go on the helicopters. Also, Carstensz Pyramid is right next to a big goldmine – I think one of the biggest goldmines in the world, really a big one. Here, the problem was I was running out of food. I had no choice and I needed to do something.

The local Indonesians suggested, "Maybe, you could go to the goldmine. They will imprison you for three days, but you would get food and water in prison. They would call your embassy. Once your identity is clarified, they would send you back to the town later."

I read a story that I think, in 2002, three Swiss guys wanted to take a shortcut through the mining area and were shot dead by a military patrol. So, instead of doing that, I went back through the 100-km jungle alone in just two and half days. Because, there was a plane waiting for me on runway at the end of the jungle. Everyone warned me not to take that route due to the fear of those rebels.

They said, "The rebels don't know where you belong to. If they catch you, they would take you hostage."

But I thought this route was the best option left. So, I started to collect garbage from old expeditions at the Base Camp – whatever I could find, such as old food cans. Then I went back to the 100-km jungle. That I think, definitely, is the toughest part of the whole expedition.

DW: How long did you take to reach Base Camp the first time?

Jost: I think it was about 6 days.

Native tribes of the jungle area

Native tribes of the jungle area

DW: Coming to the part of climbing. You have established a new route on climb Carstensz Pyramid. Please tell us about it.

Jost: For me, alpinism is a journey into the unknown. It is about being curious and doing things that you don't know and see whether it is possible. To me, repeating something is tourism. I am sure you can have a great experience repeating something. But it is not the same which is also why I was really looking forward to trying something new.

I checked on my information where there are possibilities to put new lines and in the central part, there have been so many countless lines of people. Also, just because it is a great rock to climb, you are not quite sure what is climbed and what is not!

Then I found this really nice slabby route towards the right side of the Pyramid where nobody had put up a straight line before. That was one of the options. I also had two other options but when I was there, they did not look nice. So, I went for the other new route – something like 5B on French Grading System. I did a free solo, making it the first solo ascent. Quality of the rock was amazing. It was a beautiful way and then, I connected these ways to get to the summit. I reached the summit six times in that season. I had planned to do a full traverse around the mountain by the ridge of the Carstensz Pyramid. But that did not work out in the end because I got in a storm. Also, I think I got food-poisoned from the garbage I collected at the Base Camp as I ran out of food and everything took more time. But that route through the slab, on the right side of the mountain, was really beautiful.

That is the way of alpinism – the way I like to do it.

Jost Kobusch while crossing the difficult jungle route

"It was raining every single day"

DW: That's really nice. In 2017, you made the first ascent on Nangpai Gosum II in a solo alpine style climb. Now a year later you have done the first free solo on Carstensz by a new route.

Jost: Yes, a year later. Every year, I try to do something new, learn something new. As I had never been at extreme jungle before, I figured this is going to be fun! I did not know I would suffer that hard but in the end, it was really a great experience.

DW: Of course. Apart from the new route on the mountain, you have had a new experience of this jungle. That must be an added joy. Isn't it?

Jost: Yeah, absolutely.

DW: Now you are on your way back from a polar journey. What is that about? Could you brief us a bit on that? Where exactly are you now?

Jost: Right now, I am at Longyearbyen in Spitsbergen.

DW: Are you on your way back from Polar journey?

Jost: I am doing some Polar journeys right now. I am doing a sailing training here. As I said, I am learning one new thing a year, so I am doing extended training in the ice.

DW: So, you are sailing a boat. Aren't you?

Jost: Yes.

DW: What kind of experience are you gaining? Is it about finding a new place or a route or something else? What is the objective of this particular polar expedition?

Jost: The objective is to learn sailing in the ice. So, I want to do expeditions in Antarctica and therefore, it is a good training. Because, it's pretty tough to sail over there.

DW: What is your next plan? Will you disclose this or keep it a secret? Where is your next journey to?

Jost: I will try Everest in the winter.

DW: That would be great! Are you planning it this winter?

Jost: Yes, this winter.

DW: Will that be a solo ascent without oxygen?

Jost: Yes 😉

Jost climbing the Carstensz Pyramid

Zoomed version of the above photograph

Jost at the top of Carstensz Pyramid

Timeline of the Expedition

Start position: Lower Base Camp - 4200m
End position: Summit 4884m
Total ascent that day: 684m
Start time: 10:00am
Arrival time: 12:30pm
Total time: 2 hour 30 min
Number of pitches: Soloing without ropes -> relaxed ascent through a steeper section in the beginning then walking over a proper knife ridge with some traversing involved - no gear at all in there (and it would be tricky to place some in case you're thinking about it)

Start position: Lower Base Camp - 4200m
End position: Summit 4884m
Total ascent that day: 684m
Start time: 11:30am
Arrival time: 14:15pm
Total time: 2 hour 45 min
Number of pitches: Soloing without ropes -> first few hundred meters of gradually increasing steepness - then a steep top out part that has some loose (wet) rock before going the summit ridge