Marco Siffredi died attempting to snowboard down Mount Everest



Marco Siffredi was a French snowboarder and mountaineer who hailed from a climbing family; his father was a mountain guide, and his older brother Pierre had died in an avalanche in their hometown of Chamonix, France.


Siffredi was the first to descend Mount Everest on a snowboard, completing this feat in 2001 via the Norton Couloir.


Early in August 2002, Siffredi departed for Nepal, intending to make the first snowboard descent of Everest along the Hornbein Couloir. 


It was late in the season for summitting Everest, but Siffredi hoped that the passage would have more snow.


On September 8, 2002, Siffredi and three sherpas reached the summit of Everest at 2:10 p.m. According to Phurba Tashi, however, Siffredi showed little enthusiasm for the accomplishment, commenting that he was "Tired, tired...too much climbing”


After weather conditions began to change, the Sherpas urged Siffredi not to go. Siffredi ignored their warnings and after an hour's rest, began making his way towards the Hornbein just after 3 p.m, his sherpa companions lost sight of him.


His body has never been found.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Medieval Germany's Marital Duels: A Glimpse into a Gruesome Conflict Resolution

Image
Looking back of history, there are many bizarre and brutal practices that shock the modern mind. One such practice is the marital duel of medieval Germany—a stark and gruesome method used by couples to settle their disputes. Unlike the romanticized notions of chivalric combat, these duels were desperate, dangerous, and often deadly. They offer a unique, albeit macabre, glimpse into the gender dynamics and societal norms of the time. The Concept of Marital Duels In medieval Germany, if a husband and wife found themselves unable to resolve their differences peacefully, they had the option of engaging in a marital duel. This was not a common practice, but it was legal and recognized as a legitimate means of settling serious disputes. The very existence of such a practice underscores the severity with which marital discord was sometimes viewed and the lengths to which society would go to maintain order.  The Rules of Combat Marital duels were not conducted haphazardly; they were govern...
Read more

The Gruesome Reality of Bamboo Torture: An Examination of Human Cruelty

Image
  Throughout history, humans have devised numerous methods of torture, each more gruesome than the last. One such method, purportedly used in East and Southeast Asia, is bamboo torture. This horrific practice leverages the rapid growth of bamboo plants to inflict unimaginable pain and ultimately cause the death of the victim. Bamboo torture involves restraining a person over a young bamboo shoot, which then grows and pierces their body, leading to a slow and excruciating death. This blog post delves into the details of bamboo torture, exploring its historical context, the biological mechanisms that make it possible, and the broader implications of such cruelty. Historical Context and Origins Bamboo torture, often attributed to various Asian cultures, has gained notoriety through accounts from wartime and colonial histories. While there is limited concrete evidence documenting the widespread use of this method, it has been cited in folklore and various reports, contributing to its s...
Read more

The Breaking Wheel: A Gruesome Instrument of Medieval Justice

Image
  Throughout history, societies have devised various methods of punishment and execution, often designed to inflict maximum pain and public humiliation. Among these, the breaking wheel, also known as the execution wheel, the Wheel of Catherine, or simply the Wheel, stands out as one of the most brutal and effective means of public execution. Used primarily in Europe from antiquity through the Middle Ages and into the early modern period, the breaking wheel was a gruesome tool for meting out justice by breaking the bones of a criminal or bludgeoning them to death. This blog post explores the historical context, procedure, and cultural significance of the breaking wheel, shedding light on its role in European punitive practices.  Historical Context and Origins The breaking wheel's origins can be traced back to antiquity, where variations of this execution method were employed by ancient civilizations, including the Greeks and Romans. However, it became particularly notorious in ...
Read more