Shaun Daniels biography

Signore delle cime

18 April 1897
December 12, 2001
Born on 18 April 1897 in Palmanova in Friuli, Ardito Desio was a singular how noble figure of geologist and Explorer. Rather than spend some time inside a laboratory, besides being palaeontologist, geologist and scientist, was also an Explorer, Mountaineer and pioneer, to be the one who led the expedition that first set foot on formidable Summit of K2. His career started as a lecturer at the Polytechnic of Milan in the early 20 's, after running away from home to fight as a volunteer in the first world war and after a year spent as a prisoner in Bohemia.
The cause of imprisonment is due to the fact that during the war she left for the front and joined the Group on ' Volunteers Cyclists ', with the aim of bringing orders to the front lines. Once dissolved the body of cyclists, he was assigned to the Cavalry until fell precisely prisoner. After the war the younger Daniels joined the Faculty of natural sciences of the University of Florence. At the same time as the academic career, it also begins to Explorer and mountaineer, thus putting to good use, in addition to his gifts of intelligence and insight, even those of the organiser. Thanks to him are numerous expeditions, engaged in the conquest of the most daring and ambitious. Not only mountains, but also the deserts, glaciers and whatnot. The most important enterprise remains without doubt that undertaken by the expedition in which he alongside Lacedelli and Compagnoni to the conquest of K2, the second highest peak in the world.
A first attempt under the leadership of the Duke of Spoleto fails. Lack of food, temperature below freezing, avalanches and blizzards disabled by dread leaving the expedition, in addition to tire the brave explorers. Spurred by the example of English Hillary, climbing Everest in 1953, Desio though retries the enterprise. It's the July 31, 1954 when the three climbers, marking a historic step of this discipline, arrive finally at the top of the Colossus, after weeks of strenuous efforts and evidence is extremely strong (don't forget that at the time the technology was far from levels reached today). But if we cast a glance at earlier experiences, we realize what amount of work and what preparation there was behind these daredevils. The first is dated 1922, the year that he is the protagonist of a long solitary journey in the Aegean Sea. In 1926 goes on a journey in Libya, instructed by Guglielmo Marconi President of the Academy which then funded the project.
Crossing the Sahara by driving a convoy of 140 camels and in 1938, returning to the same places looking for water and minerals, underground discovers oil. Don't have time to recover from the fatigue that is already being prepared for another departure. This time it's at Karakorum, well-known Asian massif, challenged with Aimone of Savoy. In 1931 he undertook a crossing of the Sahara by camel, in 1933 is the mountains of Persia, in 1937 in search of gold in Ethiopia and in 1940 run geological research in Albania. After the conquest of K2 Desio Afghanistan continued with scans in 1961, Antarctica in 1962 (became the first Italian to reach the South Pole), Burma in 1966 and Tibet in 1980.
Since 1987 was still in the Himalayas to research with the Nrc with over 90 years of age. In the midst of this dynamic and eventful life, would not be permissible to omit his contribution to teaching, dispiegatosi in more than half a century of university lectures and more than 450 publications to his name. A writer of great formal elegance and outstanding clarity, among his most successful books you have to at least mention "on the paths of silks, gold and ice", compelling story of her life and business that made him famous. His death on December 12, 2001 the mind-blowing age of 104 years, marks the demise of a mythical figure: a scientist who combined admirably the intelligence, courage and curiosity to explore.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.