Today I have to write the hardest Himalayan Experience Newsletter to date.
After 23 years of guiding in the Himalaya, including 12 Everest, 9 Cho
Oyo and 3 Shishapangma Expeditions my company has just experienced its
first fatality. I am very sorry to announce that Marco Siffredi disappeared
on 8 September whilst attempting to snowboard for the second time from
the summit of Everest.
MARCO SIFFREDI
Sometime in 2000, Marc Peters, a lawyer in Chamonix called me to arrange
a meeting with a chap who wanted to snowboard down Everest. He wanted
to know if I would be interested in providing the logistics. Subsequently
we arranged a meeting, and so I met Marco Siffredi for the first time.
I remember this meeting on the terrace of "The Pub" in Chamonix
very well. Here was this young man with green - or was it blue - hair,
earrings, a stud in his tongue, a grin as wide as the north face of Everest,
enthusiasm being protracted with every sentence, and.....above all......a
total gentleman. Despite our generation differences I immediately took
a liking to this new age adventurer. With great gusto, Marco explained
what he wanted to do. He wanted to snowboard the north face of Everest,
joining the Hornbien and Japanese couloirs.
Me being a conservative old bloke dashed Marco's dream by saying that
I would not take him to Everest straight off, and that he must first climb
and snowboard an easier 8000 metre peak. Marco was not happy about this,
but after several days consideration he decided to join my expedition
to Cho Oyo. On Cho Oyo at times we had our differences of opinion. Marco
being strong but impatient with weather and snow conditions, me being
much too conservative in Marco's opinion. However, we reached the summit
together and Marco snowboarded from the summit and he proved that he was
more than adequate for the job of snowboarding Everest. But Marco not
only proved himself, he had made very good friends with my Sherpa and
Tibet staff, all of whom loved Marco so much.
Marco then wanted to snowboard the north face of Everest in the autumn
season, again I disappointed him by saying that I thought that this was
very hard to achieve, and also very dangerous. Again we agreed to compromise,
and so Marco joined my spring Everest expedition.
Marco was an instant success with all the other team members, all of whom
enjoyed his spirit of adventure and his enormous personality. On 25 May,
the day after Marco turned 22, he was first to reach the summit of Everest
at 0600, just proving how strong he really was.
Many have criticised Marco because he was on a commercial expedition,
because he used oxygen, because he did not carry his snowboard all the
way.....but that was not his aim. Marco's aim was to snowboard down Everest,
and this he did. For those who want to criticise, you do better first
!!
I watched Marco through a powerful telescope and gave directions down
the Norton Couloir with my heart in my mouth, I watched as he snowboarded
/ skateboarded the rock band. I watched as he swung his ice axe many times
in order to get purchase, so that he could swing around an ice bulge.
Some two and a half hours of concerted concentration and skilful boarding
brought him back to the North Col where I was totally exhausted.......just
watching. Marco, I will always remember those minutes drinking tea together
at North Col, you so exhausted that you could not believe that you were
there, but so determined, and driven to come back to do the North Face
proper.
Autumn season saw us together again, along with our Sherpa and Tibet team,
this time on Shishapangma. By now Marco was almost like part of the family.
Marco being impatient with the winds, but full of energy, went to the
summit with Phurba Tashi Sherpa and Karsang. Because the winds were too
strong, Marco went without his snowboard, a pity, because the following
day the rest of us went to the summit without much wind.
By now Marco had swapped one of his silver earrings for one of Tibet Karsangs
turquoise earrings. Karsang, a Tibet yak man, who started as a water collector
for Himalayan Experience in 1998, and had shown an interest in climbing,
had now reached the summit of Cho Oyo, Everest and Shishapangma, all on
the same days as Marco. The same for Phurba.
During the summer of 2002, Marco invited Phurba to Chamonix. At the same
time I invited one of my other Sherpas, Loppasang Temba Sherpa to Chamonix
as well. Marco very generously invited them to stay at his house at the
camping ground in Chamonix. During the summer Marco, the Sherpas and I
had long discussions on how to proceed with the ultimate dream the descent
of the true north face. We discussed the dangers involved, the tremendous
amount of funding required, and the logistics. Marco and I looked for
more funding, and I tried to put the expedition off for one year until
we had more funding. But this young adventurer, who I had come to know
so well, and love so much, could not be held back, and so it was decided
that Himalayan Experience would provide the logistics for Marco to make
an attempt to snowboard the Hornbein and Japanese Couloirs, under the
leadership of Phurba Tashi.
So on 8 August, Marco arrived in Kathmandu and met with Phurba, Pa Nuru
Sherpa and Da Tenzing Sherpa. Together they went to Everest base camp
where they teamed up with my Tibet staff, Norbu and Zangbu.
On 4 September they left ABC for C1 at 7000 m, then on to C2 at 7700 m,
and C3 at 8300 m. At 01.00 on 8 Sept the 3 Sherpas and Marco set out for
the summit. After pushing the route sometimes chest deep in snow, they
finally reached the summit at 14.00. Marco waited for an hour for some
cloud to dissipate before leaving at approximately 15.00 with the words"I
hope no mistake, see you tomorrow". Phurba says that Marco was feeling
strong and that he had a full cylinder of oxygen.
Marco was last seen at approximately 15.30 by Olivier Besson who was looking
through a telescope at ABC. The Sherpas arrived back at ABC at 22.00 that
night.
Subsequent searching sees snowboard tracks to approximately 8600 m and
no further. For 6 days, the Sherpas and Tibet staff have searched the
ascent route, descent route, and the bottom of the north face, but to
no avail. We can only assume that something sudden happened, as Marco
made no contact that something was wrong.
Marco now lies in the arms of Chomolongma "Mother Goddess of Earth".
Marco, may your spirit be an inspiration to all young adventurers of the
future.
You are missed by all your Nepal and Tibet friends:
Phurba Tashi Sherpa
Loppasang Temba Sherpa
Chhuldim Temba Sherpa
Karsang Namgel Sherpa
Lachhu Bahadur Basnet
Kul Bahadur Magar
Karsang
Chuldim
Zangbu
Norbu
Russell Brice
P.S. Marco's parents and relatives, along with all the Sherpas and Tibet
staff who will hold a "Puja" with the Rongbuk monks at Everest
base camp on 6 October. |
Expeditions
