Erhard Loretan

Erhard Loretan (28 April 1959 – 28 April 2011) was a Swiss mountain climber.

Biography

Loretan was born in Bulle in the canton of Fribourg. He trained as a cabinet maker (1979) and mountain guide (1981).

Loretan was the third person to climb all 14 eight-thousanders (second without oxygen), a feat he accomplished at the age of 36. He made his first expedition to the Andes in 1980 and began climbing the eight-thousanders in 1982 with an ascent of Nanga Parbat. Thirteen years later, in 1995, he climbed the last of them, Kangchenjunga. In 1986, together with Jean Troillet, Loretan made a revolutionary ascent of Mount Everest in only 40 hours, climbing by night and without the use of supplementary oxygen.[1]

Loretan was convicted in 2003 of the manslaughter of his seven-month-old son, after shaking him for a short period of time to stop him crying in late 2001.[1] He was given a four-month suspended sentence.[2] At that time shaken baby syndrome (SBS) was largely unknown, but he decided to disclose his name to the press in the hope that other parents might avoid a similar tragedy. Publicity of the case raised awareness of the danger of shaking children due to their weak neck muscles.

The Fiescherhorn and Grünhorn in the Alps

In April 2011, Loretan and his partner Xenia Minder were climbing the Grünhorn in the Swiss Alps when Minder slipped. The rope tying them together dragged them both down 200m. Minder was airlifted to the hospital with serious injuries, but Loretan did not survive.[3] He died on his 52nd birthday.[1]

Climbing history
PeakYear
Nanga Parbat1982
Gasherbrum II1983
Gasherbrum I1983
Broad Peak1983
Manaslu1984
Annapurna1984
K21985
Dhaulagiri1985
Mount Everest1986
Cho Oyu1990
Shisha Pangma1990
Makalu1991
Lhotse1994
Kangchenjunga1995

See also

References
  1. "Famed Swiss climber Erhard Loretan dies in fall in Alps". BBC News. 2011-04-29. Retrieved 2011-04-29.
  2. "Erhard Loretan, Top Climber, Dies at 52". The New York Times. 2011-04-30. p. D7. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
  3. "Swiss climber's lover describes final moments before his death". BBC News. 2011-04-29. Retrieved 2011-04-29.


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