German mountaineer Jost Kobusch has stunned social media with a breathtaking feat after paragliding down from Kyrgyzstan’s towering Lenin Peak earlier this month.
German mountaineer Jost Kobusch has stunned social media with a breathtaking feat after paragliding down from Kyrgyzstan’s towering Lenin Peak earlier this month. Having climbed the 7,134-metre giant, Kobusch launched his paraglider from 7,119 metres — just 15 vertical metres below the summit — choosing an extraordinary aerial descent over the traditional trek down.
In a now-viral Instagram post titled, "How does it feel to fly from a 7000er?", Kobusch opened up about the nerve-racking experience, which demanded immense concentration, determination and, above all, courage.
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Scaling Lenin Peak had been a long-standing ambition for the mountaineer. After an unsuccessful attempt in 2013, Kobusch finally realised the dream more than a decade later.
"A few days ago, I fulfilled a dream I'd carried for years. At around 1 pm, I launched my paraglider from 7,119 metres on Pik Lenin, just 15 vertical metres below the summit," said Kobusch.
For Kobusch, the moment at the summit was almost surreal. Preparing a paraglider at an altitude of more than 7,000 metres, surrounded by the vast mountains of Kyrgyzstan, presented a daunting challenge.
"Standing there, preparing a wing at over 7,000 metres with the mountains of Kyrgyzstan stretching to the horizon, felt surreal," he said.
The take-off itself was anything but routine. Kobusch admitted the conditions were demanding and required complete focus before he could finally take to the skies.
"The conditions were spicy, the take-off demanded full concentration, and there were definitely a few moments where my heart rate wasn't in Zone 1 anymore. But once I was airborne, it turned into one of the most memorable experiences I've ever had in the mountains."
The German climber described the aerial descent as an exceptionally rare experience, allowing him to leave a seven-thousander by air rather than make the arduous journey back on foot.
"After years of climbing peaks around the world, being able to leave a seven-thousander by air instead of descending on foot was something truly special."
Kobusch is no stranger to extreme mountaineering challenges. He is preparing for a perilous winter attempt on Mount Everest later this year, aiming to summit the world’s highest mountain without supplemental oxygen or the assistance of a Sherpa guide.
