Cerro Torre, A Mountain Consecrated - The Resurrection of th

I seem to remember an American climber who did a lot of bolting in Yosemite.

-He took 58 days to force a route up El Capitan

-He drilled a 200+ foot bolt ladder on blank rock to make a first ascent on the Leaning Tower

-He tried to bolt his way up the south face of Half Dome, but had to be rescued

-He drilled 300+ bolts to put up a first ascent on El Capitan

He was considered a living legend and his death was mourned by the entire climbing community.

My point is that you might be upset at Maestri because you feel he lied about his 1959 ascent of Cerro Torre, but even we Americans have climbers who have done a lot of what some might consider forced lines that were overbolted. However, they were ultimately accepted and welcomed into our climbing community.

Quelli che dicono che di sicuro Maestri non è salito, sono solo dei poveri nerds, dei perdenti, dei senza palle, che non sanno riconoscere la forza di chi li ha battuti.

My suggestion:
Accept Donini's observations on CT. They are a valuable part of CT history. But you don't have to accept the conclusions Donini draws based on his observations. His observations are as close as we ever get to observable facts as long as Maestri doesn't speak, but Donini's conclusions based on the observable facts are not evidence beyond every possible doubt. My view is that we should let the small amount of possible doubt that remains talk to Maestri's advantage. That doesn't mean that we have to accept that Maestri and Egger summited. The degree of consciousness argument could be applied.

In my view attacking Donini for having nasty ethical standards is adding to the polarizing polemics that we see at times in this thread.

A good post from Bhilden.

Possibly the document will be translated in english and will collect more signatures from all over the world.

Back to reality, either the would-be restorers (the whole group) should continue, and finish the job they barely started.

So in a self-regulated world where the participants broadly cite expression, anarchy and freedom as fundamental values – as they have since climbing began – who decides what to do with a controversial line of bolts?

Well, not those sitting on their asses, frothing at their keyboards about how Hayden and Jason were too young to make such a decision, insisting that they should have been consulted first, as if they’re owed something and could then grant or deny a has-been-never-was web-forum-climber stamp of approval. No, not them. And not those unable or unwilling to appreciate Cerro Torre on its own terms, or the ignorant who flew into a frenzy over a mountain, now somewhat restored, that they know nothing about. Nor those, like me, who sit from the comforts of home and agree with the removal.

No, the ones who got to decide were the ones with the courage and the skill to unravel and accept the mysteries of Cerro Torre’s spectacular southeast ridge.