Erhard Loretan

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]

• List of 20th-century summiters of Mount Everest

• Erhard Loretan on Jerberyd.se