Bruno Detassis

The soul of Brenta and guardian of Brentei. He did not climb 7++ but would climb 1000 meters of 5+/6a with less than 10 pegs! 200 first ascents done in the 1930's, the great period of "le libera", '1 peg every 30 meters to be safe in case of a fall'. His moto was: 'Find the easy way in difficult ground'.

"L'homme le plus noble que j'ai jamais rencontré" - Lionel Terray.

Summitpost

Climbing can only be explained as a great passion. I obviously wasn't devoted to the mountains continuously; I had to work, I had a family—just like everyone else—but I felt this great passion burning inside me...and I gave it my time with enthusiasm.

I didn't like using too many pitons, and so I needed ability and preparation. I was always prepared, and I only ever attempted what I felt capable of climbing free. I loved free climbing: it gave me an indication of my possibilities. Free is a source of great satisfaction for climbers: it's a yardstick of personal ability. And I always searched for this, in all my routes.

I always interpreted liberty as being one thing, while the submission to someone else's commands—which I never liked—was something completely different. And so, when facing wars, when facing suffering, I always tried to smile. Perhaps this is my true life force.

How are things now? June turns the grain gold and matures me. I'm 93 now: things are fine, I take what comes. It's hard, for everyone, to take what comes, but one manages.... Reasoning, one manages.

—Bruno Detassis, "The King of Brenta," free-climbing proponent, mountain guide, climbing philosopher, keeper of the Brenta Refuge in Italy's Brenta Dolomites.

Recorded and translated from the Italian by Vinicio Stefanello

Alpinist.com

In 1962, Georges Livanos, Il Greco, made two attempts on the Cima Tosa of the Torre Gilberti with Bruno Detassis, Marcus (Marc Vaucher) and Baffo (Roger Lepage). Bad weather forced them down to the Brenteï refuge. It is then that Bruno refused to go for a third attempt, which was to be successful, giving the following reason:

"I have never put a foot on an étrier, it is not at my age (52 years old then) that I will start". This style of climbing, using aid and many pegs was not to the taste of Bruno, the pure "libero"!

Sonia (Sonia Livanos) remembers that at Brenteï, Bruno always had a pair of binoculars which he called: "il biocolo della verita" with which he was following the climbers' progression.

Georges and Sonia livanos admired Bruno as a climber and remained very close friends until his death.

Summitpost

Some significant ascents:

Detassis aprì in Dolomiti oltre 200 vie, più di 70 delle quali nel gruppo di Brenta. Le principali per eleganza, difficoltà o per numero di ripetizioni sono:
 Pala del Rifugio (Pale di San Martino), spigolo nord-ovest, con Ettore Castiglioni, 18 luglio 1934
 Sass Maor (Pale di San Martino), spigolo sud, con Ettore Castiglioni, 26 luglio 1934
 Brenta Alta, parete nord-est, via Trento, con Ulisse Battistata ed Enrico Giordani, 14-15 agosto 1934
 Crozzon di Brenta, parete est-nord-est, via delle Guide, con Enrico Giordani, 2 agosto 1935
 Croz dell'Altissimo, parete sud-ovest alla cima nord-ovest, con Enrico Giordani, 30 luglio 1936
 Cima Tosa, parete est, pilastro di destra, con Giorgio Graffer, 13 agosto 1937
 Piccolo Dain (valle del Sarca), parete sud-est, via Canna d'Organo, con Rizieri Costazza, 21-22 settembre 1938

Tra il 10 marzo e il 18 maggio 1956, col fratello Catullo, Angelo Righini e Fortunato Donini, compì la traversata integrale delle Alpi con gli sci, mai effettuata in precedenza.

 In realtà la prima traversata scialpinistica delle Alpi è stata effettuata da Walter Bonatti e dall'allora capitano Lorenzo Longo (partenza da Tarvisio il 14 marzo e arrivo al Col di Nava il 18 maggio). IL raid delle Alpi effettuato da Bonatti e Longo è stato riconosciuto come il primo nella storia dell'alpinismo dalla F.I.S.I. (Federazione Italiana degli Sport Invernali).

Tra il dicembre 1957 e 1958 Bruno Detassis fu capospedizione della prima spedizione trentina in Patagonia, con Marino Stenico, Catullo Detassis, Cesare Maestri, Luciano Eccher, Cesarino Fava e Tito Lucchini.

In qualità di guida alpina operò principalmente in Dolomiti e, ovviamente, nel Brenta, ma anche sul Monte Bianco e sul Rosa, nel Delfinato, nelle Piccole Dolomiti, in Grigna. Compì innumerevoli interventi di soccorso. Come professionista della montagna attento alle esigenze di tutti i frequentatori, fu tra gli ideatori e i realizzatori della Via delle Bocchette.

Wikipedia

Today I'm extremely sad. Yesterday a Great Man left us. Great Bruno Detassis has terminated his long life on earth. Last night he had dinner and, unlike other days, drank two glasses of wine instead of one. Then he had a smoke and shortly afterwards went to bed. He left us just as a candle flame extinguishes, serenely. This is what his son Claudio told me.

Ermanno Salvaterra

For Bruno

Today I'm extremely sad. Yesterday a Great Man left us. Great Bruno Detassis has terminated his long life on earth. Last night he had dinner and, unlike other days, drank two glasses of wine instead of one. Then he had a smoke and shortly afterwards went to bed. He left us just as a candle flame extinguishes, serenely. This is what his son Claudio told me.

I visited him this morning. I saw him for the last time. He was on his bed, dressed for a celebration, in his Mountain Guide suit. He was beautiful, serene, it looked as if he was asleep. I embraced him for the last time. I know that he wasn't sad and I remembered the last time we met on 18 March. We had had a pleasant chat.

Bruno and I were good friends. What sprung to our minds in the past will continue to do so in the future. When you talk of "morra" you always refer to Bruno. When you go to the Brenta Dolomites you always talk about him. When you look at Cima Crozzon he's always there. If you climb Campanile Basso, Detassis is always mentioned. And this will continue to be the case because Bruno has left us in body, but not in spirit.

I remember when I walked past the Brentei Refuge to climb on my own. He asked me where I was heading. I told him I didn't know. And he answered: "You don't know but I do!" Memories etched in my mind. He was 80 when we reached the summit of Cima Presanella together. It was an unforgettable moment. Or two years later when together with Andrea Sarchi and Mario Bertamini we climbed Spigolo della Madonnina on Brenta Alta. Incredible!

Ciao Bruno, you’ll always remain in my heart and I'll take you to the mountains with me. Thank you for everything you gave and taught me. You were a Great Master, the King of the Brenta, now and forever. Ciao, a tender embrace like the one we gave each other a short while ago.

Ciao, your friends Ermanno Salvaterra.