Hi Ben, I didn't know about the death of Gabi and I feel very sorry about that. At least I'm sure that Gabi died with no regrets of not doing things - his life might have been more colourful than lifes of people who spend 80 years watching TV.

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I met Gabi in the middle of nowhere while trekking from Hoton Nur to the Tavan Bogd. He was together with Roee Lauterbach and Ariel Rosenstein. But before and after the trek he had his Motorbike and travelled alone - well I'm sure not always alone but he had the spirit to go for it even if therewas not always the comfort of 10 people going the same way. He left his footprints.

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I very enjoyed the company of my 3 Israeli friends. And without Gabi, Roee would not live anymore.

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Once, quite close to the glaciere we were supposed to reach, we had to cross a river. Ariel & Gabi could cross the river, Roee and me tried it further up...The stream was getting stronger and stronger and I couldn't go further and wanted to turn. I didn't helped that it was a glacier river with sediments in it (you can't watch through the water and it's very cold) and I fell while turning. Roee tried to hold me but the water was too strong. Somehow I had luck and could escpe the river after being spoiled away for about 50m.

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Roee didn't came in the same stream and couldn't escape. He got weaker and weaker due to the cold water. Ariel & Gabi runned down the river, Ariel almost catched him. As Gabi saw the blue face of Roee and realized that he would die if he couldn't stop him, he jumped in the stream, risking his life for a friend he just met some days ago. Somehow he managed to stop Roee and together with Ariel the carried him out of the water.

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Somehow the driver they arranged in advanced drove away without us and we had to organize a transport. Gabi was getting nervous as his Mongolian visa was soon to be finished - But even then he refused to go with the one seat we could have get as he wanted to get back with all of us and help Roee (we were not sure if his foot was broken or not, luckily it wasn't)...

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He went over the Takashiken - Bulgan border, a border which was not open since a long time for foreigners. I'm not sure what he did with his Motorbike but he might just have given it away. I don't think that there was any greed in Gabi, he was a very gentle and kind person.

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I can't imagine the pain the loss of Gabi causes to his family and close friends as even I am shocked to hear about his passing.

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I do mourn with you. Please pass my deepest sympathies on to your family even no words are quite enough to replace the loss - he was unique!

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Kind regards

Mauro Pesaveno

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p.s. I'll look for the pictures another time (soon) and send it to you