Snowboarder Disappears Descending Tallest Mountain in the World | Marco Siffredi

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Tatiana: When you think of conquering
Mount Everest, the only thing that

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crosses your mind is climbing up and down
the mountain and making it out alive.

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And hopefully in one piece,
Sometimes people increase the

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challenge by climbing without oxygen
or taking more difficult routes.

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But for Marcos, if ready, just
climbing up and down Mount Everest.

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Wasn't in that.

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He was an extreme sportsman and dreamed of
descending Mount Everest on a snowboard.

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He had successfully gone down major
Himalayan mountains by snowbird before.

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And he surprisingly, wasn't the
only one to attempt to going down

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Mount Everest this way either.

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But on September 8th, 2002, Martha was
standing on the summit of Mount Everest.

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Looking out at what would
be his spam dissent with his

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Sherpas standing beside him.

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Would they didn't know at the time
was that this trip would go very

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differently from every other one before.

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I'm Tatiana.

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And this.

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Is occurrence.

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Marcos a Freddie was born and
shimmy France on May 22nd, 1979.

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And he came from a climate family.

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In fact, he came from a climbing town.

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Chamonix, France was surrounded by
mountains, specifically, Mont Blanc.

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People of all ages would die
trying to climb these mountains.

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Uh, most were in their twenties and
thirties, but some were as young as

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teenagers and the collective ambition
to conquer the mountains caused

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climbers to perish at such a quick rate.

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At the cemetery of
Shimoni was in disarray.

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There was almost an air of living
with purpose above all else.

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No matter how short your life is.

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Death was an accepted,
but unspoken thing there.

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It's just something that happens when you
spend so much time in the mountains, when

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you prioritize climbing Over everything.

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In 1994, Margot's father Felipe.

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Bought Marco.

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His first snowboard as snowboarding
was growing in popularity and

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a close friend introduced Marco
to back country snowboarding.

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Where people go down mountains on their
own snowboard and off the official tracks.

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And this immediately became a
passion of Marcos, which was ironic.

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Considering growing up, his
parents could not get him to do

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outdoor activities with them.

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As a child, his father said they had to
force him to go on, walks with them and

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he would cry and whine the entire time.

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They didn't even bother trying to
teach them to climb because of this.

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So Marco actually taught
himself how to do those things.

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But now Marco was starting
to find his identity.

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His punk rock gear, devil identity.

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He had neon hair and a gap in his teeth.

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June 17th, 1996, Marco plan
to be the second person

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To descend the north
face of ugly, do muddy.

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A very dangerous slope
in the Montblanc region.

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And he would be the first
to do it on a snowboard.

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The only other person to do it
before him was John mark boy.

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And he wasn't on a snowboard,
but he was Marco's hero.

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His mother, Michelle couldn't stop him
no matter how hard she tried and had

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to sit and wait and hope he succeeded.

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Because at this point, Mirko had
only been snowboarding for a year.

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Michelle, who was from a wealthy family,
was a secretary and a part-time ski coach.

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Marcos father Felipe actually had a
passion for climbing mountains too.

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He was a part-time mountain guide
because his own father persuaded

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him to pursue a different lifestyle.

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One that was safer.

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So he became a hairstylist.

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But that made Felipe bow, that
he would never show this children

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from the mountains or stop them
from pursuing their own callings.

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But I wonder if he would have changed his
mind if he had no with the future health.

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But now Marco climbed the mountain
with Louie Lassage and it was

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their first time climbing together.

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While they're climbing Marco could
just, feel his dream within arms reach.

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Going down, his native mountain was
something he felt compelled to do.

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He had been studying every nook
and cranny of Aguille du midi

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through binoculars for so long.

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He couldn't put off his dream anymore.

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Seven hours after beginning to climb
Marco and Louis reached the summit

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and Marco was ready to make history.

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He strapped on a snowboard
with what felt like the entire

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town watching with binoculars.

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And descended the mountain.

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He made it to the bottom without
taking off the snowboard and at 17.

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He made history.

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He had his supporters in town, but he
also had a lot of people calling him

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crazy and telling him he would be dead
soon because Marco didn't care about

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the mountain guides or their rules.

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He started to plan even more
dangerous and challenging descents.

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Because Marco has set his
sights on Mount Everest.

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He now wanted to be the first person
to go down the tallest mountain

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in the world on a snowboard.

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But first he conquered Huayna.

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Potosi.

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Uh, 6,000 or mountain in Bolivia.

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Which was just short of 20,000 feet tall.

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After that he made his, Everest goal known
and Felipe pointed him in the direction

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of the safest mountaineer he knew of.

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Russell Brice.

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Russell was the owner of Himalayan
experience, a climbing expedition company.

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He had never had a single death in
any of his expedition groups before.

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So Marco reached out to
Russell and Russell doesn't

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really take them seriously.

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He's used to people being interested
in climbing with him until they

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hear the cost of his expeditions.

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But Russell agreed to meet
at a pub back in Shimoni.

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And when he laid eyes on Marco, he
couldn't take it seriously at all.

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Marco a teenager, all punk rock
looking with this neon colored

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hair and a gap in his teeth.

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Approached Russell with a lawyer.

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And Russell's confused because he doesn't
know why Marco would bring a lawyer.

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A lawyer wouldn't force him
to take Marco to Everest.

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Marco needed to convince him to do that.

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As they sat there talking, the
idea started to grow on Russell.

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He realized that Marco's outward
appearance was very different

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from his calm personality.

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So Russell lets him
know snowboarding down.

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Everest is possible.

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But he needed to conquer
other 8,000 dispersed.

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Marco doesn't hesitate
and agrees immediately.

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So he goes to his
parents and makes a deal.

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His parents would pay him in advance
and he would work at the campsite

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that his family owned in town to
work it off over a few years time.

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Now Marco, wasn't an only child.

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He had a brother and a sister
And Marco and his sister worked

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at the camp site together.

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His brother Pierre loved the mountains
too, but when Marco was just 18

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months old, Pierre was killed in
an avalanche on the mountains.

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His parents didn't talk about it
when Marco was young, but when he

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was six, He saw an avalanche on TV.

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And pointed to it and say, Pierre,
The loss of his brother, clearly

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didn't slow down his ambitions
or stop his parents from funding.

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His adventures.

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And future loss.

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Wouldn't stop him either.

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He conquered all the mountains around
chimney and plan to travel, to conquer

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more challenging mountains, further away.

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But before he left, one of his friend's
mothers gave him a small cross.

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As a talisman for protection.

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And Marco would wear it
for all, but one trip.

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Two friends went with Marco when he left
your conquer, the mountains of the world.

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Phillip Fort and Renee Roberts.

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Renee was actually a photographer

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and recorded most of Marco's attempts.

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Now Russell told Marco when
they met to take things slow.

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But that's not what Marco would do.

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First, they went to the 6 thousander.

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Tocllaraju, in Peru

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Then they went to Nepal where he
successfully descended a 30,000

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foot mountain named Dorje Lhakpa

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And then in 1999, Phillip Fort
was killed in an avalanche,

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just like Marco's brother.

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That wouldn't stop Marco though.

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In 2000, he went on to conquer Cho.

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Oh, you.

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And 8,000 around that was almost
27,000 feet above sea level.

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And that was the final mountain before
Marco felt ready to conquer Everest.

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In spring of 2001, a few weeks
before the planned Everest descent.

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Everyone in the climbing
group paid Russell $36,000.

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The 36,000 at Marco paid was
from his time working as a

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manager at his family's campsite.

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During the few weeks before
climbing season began, Marco

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became close with the locals.

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Most of them didn't speak English,
but that didn't matter to Marco.

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You would hang out with the Sherpas that
would help the group during their ascent.

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He wrote in their wagons

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and they were amused by him.

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They even gave him the name.

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Chicken pimp.

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Because he bought a $2 jacket
that Russell told him not to

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get because it was worthless.

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But Marco believed that there
were goose feathers in the jacket.

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Even though Russell told him
they were chicken feathers.

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But that didn't matter.

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And he still bought the jacket.

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It would start falling apart
and the feathers would get

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stuck on everyone in the group.

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So Marco walking around with a
featherless sleeveless jacket.

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Got him that interesting nickname.

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The locals really enjoyed Marco though.

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He was described as being truly authentic.

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To help pass the time Marco
would listen to rap music.

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He didn't understand, read his
favorite book, the little prince.

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And rack up huge bills talking
to his girlfriend, Stephanie.

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Using a satellite phone.

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And now it was may the time to ascend
Everest was here and Marco heard

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that a doctor named Stefan Gatt

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.
From Austria was also trying to
accomplish the exact same thing.

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He was.

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Descending Mount Everest on a snowboard.

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There was a bit of a race going on.

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Marco wanted to be first, but Stefan
started climbing before they did.

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Stefan, wasn't using Sherpas
or oxygen for his attempt?

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And Margo honestly, considered giving up.

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But before they started the
climb, the Sherpas did original

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Pooja offering to the gods.

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Marco was an atheist and had nothing to
offer, but he treated their beliefs with

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respect and offered his own snowboard.

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And maybe that gave him the luck
he needed because during his

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ascent, He heard news that Dr.

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Stephan had made it to the
bottom of Everest on a snowboard.

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But just when he was about to lose hope.

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Marco then heard that Stephen
had unstrapped his snowboard.

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And was disqualified for that reason.

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With his renewed spirits, he
continued to climb, but they

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had to make a change of plans.

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With this spring weather there,
wasn't a lot of snow on the mountain.

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Marco's original plan was to
come down the Hornbein Couloir.

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But the lack of snow made
that route impossible.

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Luckily, he did have a plan B.

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The Great.

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couloir appeared to have enough snow.

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So that was the route you would take.

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On May 23rd.

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The day after he turned 22, Marco
stood on top of Mount Everest.

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The court caused the bindings
on a snowboard to crack.

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But one of the Sherpas was able
to fix it with some rescue wire.

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He was wearing the talisman from his
friend's mom and he started his descent.

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He snowboarded down the
mountain going around.

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Climber is still going up.

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At one point, he stopped for
an hour to catch his breath.

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Before he continued on.

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He made it back to base
camp in four hours.

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And without unstrapping snowboard.

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Marco success spread internationally.

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Uh, 22 year old was the first person
to snowboard down Mount Everest.

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Some people felt he shouldn't have
been awarded the title because he used

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oxygen, but he was given it anyway.

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But that wasn't enough for Marco.

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He was warned to stop while he was ahead
and not take more unnecessary chances.

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But Marco needed to take
the chance one more time.

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The route he took was not the most
challenging or dangerous it was plan B.

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Marco wanted to succeed at plan a, the
route he was originally supposed to take.

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the Hornbein Couloir.

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So he started to prepare again and
went to Mount shisha pain that in

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the fall of 2001, To practice, but
the winds were too strong and Marco

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had to climb back down instead.

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Still the following summer, Marco
Russell, and two Sherpas went back to

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Shemini to plan the Everest descent.

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Various obstacles slowed them down
in Marco needed $50,000 to finance.

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The second Everest attempt.

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Marco didn't have sponsors.

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He didn't want them.

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00:12:11,323 --> 00:12:13,633
And he barely did any competitions anyway.

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00:12:14,133 --> 00:12:16,863
He didn't want photographers
to document his activities.

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00:12:17,253 --> 00:12:20,643
Pretty much the only person he
allowed to take photos was Renee.

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or the Sherpas.

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00:12:21,928 --> 00:12:24,448
Snowboarding was about
purity and being free.

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00:12:24,808 --> 00:12:27,298
He didn't believe in fame and
thought it was distracting.

244
00:12:27,798 --> 00:12:29,208
But like clockwork.

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00:12:29,508 --> 00:12:30,948
His father showed up the money.

246
00:12:31,398 --> 00:12:34,218
And Russell promised to send
the best Sherpas with Marco.

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00:12:34,718 --> 00:12:38,888
Before leaving Shemini Marco hinted
at settling down with Stephanie and

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00:12:38,888 --> 00:12:40,238
getting married when he returned.

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00:12:40,738 --> 00:12:42,868
But on August 8th, 2002.

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00:12:43,368 --> 00:12:47,448
Marco unknowingly left his hometown
of Shimoni or the last time.

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00:12:47,948 --> 00:12:52,568
Marco met with three Sherpas and a
guide named Oliver best on in Kathmandu.

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00:12:53,068 --> 00:12:55,078
Russell, would it be
with the group this time?

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00:12:55,348 --> 00:12:57,628
He was in the Himalayas,
helping with another group.

254
00:12:57,928 --> 00:13:01,168
Since Marco was his only client
wanting to do Everest at the time.

255
00:13:01,668 --> 00:13:04,968
He would study the north face of
Everest with binoculars and could

256
00:13:04,968 --> 00:13:06,828
see a lot of small avalanches.

257
00:13:07,328 --> 00:13:09,248
He needed to wait for the snow to settle.

258
00:13:09,698 --> 00:13:12,848
This wasn't the traditional time
decline due to the dangerous weather.

259
00:13:13,348 --> 00:13:17,518
The mum was practically empty of
climbers, but to Marco, it was perfect.

260
00:13:18,018 --> 00:13:20,058
The increase of snow,
met snowboarding down.

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00:13:20,058 --> 00:13:21,708
His dream route would be possible.

262
00:13:22,208 --> 00:13:25,478
But with all of the avalanches
and the strong winds, that part of

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00:13:25,478 --> 00:13:27,188
Everest was starting to become bear.

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00:13:27,668 --> 00:13:29,738
Marco was in charge of his climbing group.

265
00:13:29,768 --> 00:13:33,068
So he controlled how fast
everyone ascended and pushed

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00:13:33,068 --> 00:13:34,478
everyone to climb faster.

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00:13:34,478 --> 00:13:37,298
He started to show potential
signs of altitude sickness.

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00:13:37,568 --> 00:13:40,718
He had a constant headache
and felt tired and lonely.

269
00:13:41,218 --> 00:13:44,518
He racked up huge phone
bills, calling a meteorologist

270
00:13:44,548 --> 00:13:47,968
Named Jaan Gissendaner and
his girlfriend back home.

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00:13:48,468 --> 00:13:51,828
The changing weather and snow
storms cause more delays.

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00:13:52,328 --> 00:13:55,808
The group explored the north
side on August 28th and Marco

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00:13:55,808 --> 00:13:57,338
snowboarded on the way back.

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00:13:57,838 --> 00:14:00,928
That night, there was another
snowstorm and they spent the next

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00:14:00,928 --> 00:14:02,758
few days trying to make any plans.

276
00:14:03,258 --> 00:14:06,588
They were constantly calling you on
back home for updates about the weather,

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00:14:06,808 --> 00:14:08,368
but the weather changed every day.

278
00:14:08,868 --> 00:14:13,278
And then on September 4th, Yon said
the eighth would be ideal weather.

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00:14:13,458 --> 00:14:15,648
So mark will begin climbing on the six.

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00:14:16,148 --> 00:14:19,898
He called his parents and told them he was
still at the lower camp to not worry them.

281
00:14:20,398 --> 00:14:22,978
But by the seventh, the group
had entered the death zone.

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00:14:23,458 --> 00:14:27,478
When the weatherman called Mirko and
warranted to descend quickly because

283
00:14:27,508 --> 00:14:30,928
that evening the weather would turn
bad and he wasn't sure what the

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00:14:30,928 --> 00:14:32,518
weather would look like on Sunday.

285
00:14:32,908 --> 00:14:35,998
The day, Marco wanted to attempt
his second descent of Everest.

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00:14:36,498 --> 00:14:41,238
Ending that phone call Yon Gissendaner
would later say the way Marco ended the

287
00:14:41,238 --> 00:14:43,878
call was off and it scared him a little.

288
00:14:44,378 --> 00:14:48,038
Normally ending a conversation with
someone you plan to see again, they

289
00:14:48,038 --> 00:14:51,428
would say are revoir, but Marco said

290
00:14:51,478 --> 00:14:51,928
I do.

291
00:14:52,428 --> 00:14:55,698
Which is something you say when you
aren't planning to see someone again.

292
00:14:56,198 --> 00:14:59,708
Morocco quickly called another friend
after that instead of the snowfall.

293
00:14:59,768 --> 00:15:00,158
Great.

294
00:15:00,338 --> 00:15:03,308
And he felt strong, but
the phone ended up dying.

295
00:15:03,808 --> 00:15:06,028
And then they started the
final push to the summit.

296
00:15:06,528 --> 00:15:08,178
They struggled to make it to the top.

297
00:15:08,388 --> 00:15:11,298
They were up to their chest
in snow and the Sherpas were

298
00:15:11,298 --> 00:15:12,768
working hard to help mark up.

299
00:15:13,268 --> 00:15:18,158
At 2:00 PM, they reached the peak and
it took three times longer to get there.

300
00:15:18,158 --> 00:15:19,418
Then the first time they went.

301
00:15:19,918 --> 00:15:23,038
When they were up there, Margo
voiced how tired he was from all

302
00:15:23,038 --> 00:15:24,658
the climbing from too much snow.

303
00:15:25,158 --> 00:15:27,138
But the Sherpas could
see the clouds moving.

304
00:15:27,438 --> 00:15:30,978
Indicating the storm was coming and
knew they needed to get back down soon.

305
00:15:31,478 --> 00:15:33,908
They tried to tell Marco
to abandon the plan.

306
00:15:34,338 --> 00:15:36,108
It was late after 3:00 PM.

307
00:15:36,558 --> 00:15:38,598
But Marco had set his sights on

308
00:15:38,598 --> 00:15:40,218
coming down Everest that day.

309
00:15:40,718 --> 00:15:44,228
Before going up, people said
they saw a change in his eyes.

310
00:15:44,728 --> 00:15:47,398
He looked determined like this was it.

311
00:15:47,398 --> 00:15:51,388
It was now or never, and nothing was
going to stop him from reaching his goal.

312
00:15:51,888 --> 00:15:53,508
They couldn't persuade him otherwise.

313
00:15:54,008 --> 00:15:57,338
So Marco changed his oxygen
and in his backpack, he had

314
00:15:57,518 --> 00:15:59,828
more oxygen, water into rope.

315
00:16:00,328 --> 00:16:03,988
And without his talisman, since
he left it back in chimney.

316
00:16:04,488 --> 00:16:07,878
Marco looked at the Sherpas and
one of them told him to take care.

317
00:16:08,358 --> 00:16:09,558
And Marco said, okay.

318
00:16:10,008 --> 00:16:10,698
See you tomorrow.

319
00:16:11,198 --> 00:16:12,908
And then he went down the mountain.

320
00:16:13,408 --> 00:16:16,468
The sheriff has quickly started
making their way back down, not

321
00:16:16,468 --> 00:16:19,618
wanting to be caught in the store,
but could see Marco in the distance.

322
00:16:20,118 --> 00:16:23,148
At the same time, new spread
around chimney that Marco

323
00:16:23,148 --> 00:16:24,468
reached the top of Everest.

324
00:16:24,948 --> 00:16:28,068
And that's how his parents found out
that he had actually started climbing.

325
00:16:28,568 --> 00:16:32,048
But while everyone was cheering for
him, his parents could only worry.

326
00:16:32,548 --> 00:16:36,238
Because the only thing they could think
of was the time difference between

327
00:16:36,238 --> 00:16:40,408
Nepal and France meant that at the time
of them hearing about Marco's assent,

328
00:16:40,828 --> 00:16:42,688
It should have actually been news

329
00:16:42,718 --> 00:16:43,708
about his descent.

330
00:16:44,208 --> 00:16:45,408
He should've been down by now.

331
00:16:45,908 --> 00:16:47,108
But they heard nothing.

332
00:16:47,588 --> 00:16:50,918
The only thing his mother
could think of was not again.

333
00:16:51,418 --> 00:16:53,758
They already lost one
child to the mountains.

334
00:16:54,118 --> 00:16:56,428
The second one would be
impossible to handle.

335
00:16:56,928 --> 00:16:58,578
While marco descended the mountain.

336
00:16:59,028 --> 00:17:00,738
Oliver watch through binoculars.

337
00:17:01,068 --> 00:17:04,637
As long as he could from base
camp before losing sight of Marco.

338
00:17:05,117 --> 00:17:08,688
And hoping he made it to a camp that
the yak shepherd was preparing for him.

339
00:17:09,188 --> 00:17:13,627
But now the Sherpas were arriving at camp
three and saw the outline of a person.

340
00:17:14,127 --> 00:17:17,758
At first, they were upset because this
person didn't turn on a light for them.

341
00:17:18,258 --> 00:17:20,688
they thought it was all over,
who was supposed to be keeping

342
00:17:20,688 --> 00:17:22,068
track of Marquardt base camp.

343
00:17:22,568 --> 00:17:25,238
But then they realized it
had to be someone else.

344
00:17:25,718 --> 00:17:29,648
Except they couldn't figure out who,
because no one was supposed to be on the

345
00:17:29,648 --> 00:17:32,018
slope that day, except for their group.

346
00:17:32,518 --> 00:17:35,578
Once they got to the camp,
they realized no one was there.

347
00:17:35,968 --> 00:17:40,228
They weren't footprints or traces
of anyone being at camp and Marco.

348
00:17:40,228 --> 00:17:43,148
should have been much lower
by now, or even at base camp.

349
00:17:43,648 --> 00:17:45,598
By the time the Sherpas
made it to base camp.

350
00:17:46,018 --> 00:17:47,668
Still no one had heard from Marco.

351
00:17:48,168 --> 00:17:49,698
All anyone could think about.

352
00:17:50,148 --> 00:17:53,508
With how he didn't come down on
September 8th, like he was supposed to.

353
00:17:54,008 --> 00:17:57,248
He didn't come down the day
after, or even the day after that.

354
00:17:57,748 --> 00:18:00,448
And by that point, everyone
considered him dead.

355
00:18:00,998 --> 00:18:03,878
' because to survive that long
and Everest was impossible.

356
00:18:04,378 --> 00:18:06,088
Margot was never seen again.

357
00:18:06,568 --> 00:18:10,138
And the Sherpas felt that the silhouette
they saw in the distance on the

358
00:18:10,138 --> 00:18:12,118
mountain was Marcos in their own way.

359
00:18:12,618 --> 00:18:16,038
They felt it was his spirit because
he didn't come down the mountain.

360
00:18:16,538 --> 00:18:18,428
And no one knows where he's at today.

361
00:18:18,928 --> 00:18:20,038
Where his tracks ended.

362
00:18:20,038 --> 00:18:23,128
There was nowhere for him to
fall into a crevasse or disappear

363
00:18:23,128 --> 00:18:24,208
off the side of the mountain.

364
00:18:24,758 --> 00:18:27,698
It was a suitable area for
snowboarding, nothing too

365
00:18:27,698 --> 00:18:29,318
difficult for talented athlete.

366
00:18:29,318 --> 00:18:30,008
Like Marco.

367
00:18:30,508 --> 00:18:33,748
His friends and family went to the
mountain to search his tracks were

368
00:18:33,748 --> 00:18:36,718
still visible and nobody could
figure out what happened to him.

369
00:18:37,218 --> 00:18:40,158
To this day, there have
been no traces of anything.

370
00:18:40,158 --> 00:18:42,438
Belonging to Marco that
had ever been found.

371
00:18:42,938 --> 00:18:46,358
His father believes he sat down
to rest and was so exhausted.

372
00:18:46,388 --> 00:18:47,498
He fell asleep and died.

373
00:18:47,998 --> 00:18:52,468
Or there's believe he fell either off
the mountain or into a provide us, even

374
00:18:52,468 --> 00:18:54,268
though there were none along his route.

375
00:18:54,768 --> 00:18:58,638
Some say a small avalanche could have
taken him and the Sherpas just didn't

376
00:18:58,638 --> 00:19:01,038
see it because sometimes that can happen.

377
00:19:01,538 --> 00:19:06,158
His sister who was pregnant at the time of
this tragedy believes he got down safely.

378
00:19:06,248 --> 00:19:10,328
And since he accomplished his dream,
decided to quietly go live life in

379
00:19:10,328 --> 00:19:11,708
the local village, near the mountain.

380
00:19:12,208 --> 00:19:15,418
Leave, what you think happened and
the reviews or comments, and don't

381
00:19:15,418 --> 00:19:17,008
forget to follow or subscribe.

382
00:19:17,508 --> 00:19:20,478
All sources can be
found@occurrencepod.com.

383
00:19:20,978 --> 00:19:21,518
Stacy.

384
00:19:22,018 --> 00:19:22,918
And see you next week.