Erhard Loretan

The apple tree in front of his parents' house was the first teacher for seven-year-old Erhard. It was there that he learned everything about climbing, the grips, the risks, and the heights. He was faster, better, and tougher than the others; even then, his genius talent was evident. By the age of 11, he had already climbed the 1,848-meter-high Dent de Broc. At 18, he could already note an impressive number of extreme routes in his climbing log, such as the north face of the Matterhorn. In 1981, he received the Swiss mountain guide diploma. He became famous for his incredible stamina and toughness. His tactic was to move as quickly as possible with almost no luggage. His ascent and descent of Mount Everest in less than 40 hours is legendary. In 1995, he climbed Kangchenjunga, his 14th eight-thousander, making him the third person ever to achieve this, after Reinhold Messner and Jerzy Kukuczka.