Good bye Walter Bonatti

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moacman

Trad climber

Montana

Sep 14, 2011 - 06:16pm PT

Off belay....RIP...

Stevo

NFB

Mountain climber

Wilson, Wyoming

Sep 14, 2011 - 07:04pm PT

Every time I get cold or uncomfortable out in the hills I think of a high-school aged Bonatti sleeping out with his mates in the winter for "training". Bonatti will always be my climbing hero. RIP Mr. Bonatti.

From The Mountains of My Life, here are Bonatti's words:

"At exactly 12:30 P.M., we emerged on the highest peak of Gasherbrum IV, at 26,180 feet. We could scarcely stand erect on the narrow crest in the savage gusts of a gale that wanted tear the clothing off our backs. We embraced each other and then, with a gesture that was not at all mere rhetoric (as some people believe), we lifted the flags of Pakistan and Italy to flutter in the wind. Isn't it more dignified to fly national flags on a newly conquered summit rather than a sponsor's trademark?"

Jaybro

Social climber

Wolf City, Wyoming

Sep 14, 2011 - 09:18pm PT

Bonatti was the man.

Thanks for that!

rottingjohnny

Sport climber

mammoth lakes ca

Sep 14, 2011 - 10:12pm PT

Got one them blue gate Bonatti's on my dashboard..forgot to touch it today..

Scole

Trad climber

San Diego

Sep 14, 2011 - 10:18pm PT

One of the driving forces in climbing/mountaineering for several generations gone, but not forgotten. Bonati was so far beyond most of the climbers of his generation,that his route are still testpieces.

Long ago in patagonia, Scott Backes and I inadvertently arrived at a very remote estancia.The compound was surrounded by concertina wire, and heavily guarded by numerous men carrying automatic weapons. After a short wait, the patron arrived,an elderly male with a pronounced German accent: Our arrival was at first met with deep suspicion, until we mentioned that we were climbers. Once our announcement was made however, we were welcomed with open arms, and the question "do you know Walter Bonati"? I never had the privilege of meeting him, but his vision, long before most of us were born, helped shape modern alpinism.

Que' la via bien.

Urmas

Social climber

Sierra Eastside

Sep 14, 2011 - 10:22pm PT

Johnny, is that a Bonatti or a Bonaitti? Many confuse the two.

rottingjohnny

Sport climber

mammoth lakes ca

Sep 14, 2011 - 10:49pm PT

Urmas...Good Question..? I'll try and remember to look tomorrow...I think i have a couple of them and if you are interested i can give you one for an early xmas present..RJ

Sergio Colombo

Mountain climber

Red Rock

Sep 14, 2011 - 11:31pm PT

A little story about a great man.

One night, I was waiting for a table at the Outpost restaurant in Ouray. I was casually browsing the many pictures on the wall and suddenly one face stood out among all the climbers' pictures. Without even realizing it, I yelled "that's Walter Bonatti"! I guess I was loud enough that a large portion of the people at the tables and at the bar turned around to look at me.

Before I could even understand how Bonatti was ever at this restaurant and had his picture taken in there, one lady approached me and asked me "How do you know Walter?" I replied "well, I never met him in person but everyone who climbs knows who Walter Bonatti is".

She said "Actually, you are the first one who's ever noticed his picture on this wall. My last name is Bonatti too".

I don't remember exactly, but I think she was Walter's niece and the owner of the restaurant. Her grandfather was Walter's brother who moved to the U.S. before the second world war and never returned to Italy. Walter came to Ouray one time to meet part of the family he had never met before.

We spent an hour chatting together and she told me stories of when Walter came to the visit her and her family. I was so happy to listen to all of this.

I sat down for dinner, opened the menu and read the history of the Bonatti family arriving in the US from Italy. If you happen to be in Ouray, stop by the Outpost and see the pictures on the wall.

TYeary

Social climber

State of decay

Sep 15, 2011 - 12:20am PT

Wow is right. One of my first and lasting hero's.
The Iconic hard-man. I was glad Lacedelli put forth the true facts about Bonatti on K2 in, K2: The Price of Conquest (2004). His first ascent of Gash IV with Carlo Mauri small vindication. The climbing world has lost a great. RIP Walter.
TY

ms55401

Trad climber

minneapolis, mn

Sep 15, 2011 - 12:27am PT

the real deal and, in my opinion, the fountainhead of modern alpinism

mike m

Trad climber

black hills

Sep 15, 2011 - 12:28am PT

Read a book about Bonatti early in the my climbing career and I feel it has led me to take a more adventurous path.

Incidentally I think it may have been recommended to me by Pat when I bought it from the Boulder Mountianeer in the early 90's.

Luca Signorelli

Mountain climber

Courmayeur (Vda) Italy

Sep 15, 2011 - 12:56am PT

Pat:

although
I'm not sure about your last paragraph,
which suggests he would have said the
same thing to any new climber he said to me...(maybe
you didn't mean that)?

No, of course I didn't mean that - apologies for being unclear. Walter would have said that only to someone he felt close to his own vision, someone sharing his own fire. On the other hand, he wouldn't have said that to someone he felt had been "selling out" (for instance, I believe he had a lifelong distaste for sponsored climbers)

Bill Sherman

Mountain climber

Culver City, CA

Sep 15, 2011 - 01:36am PT

What a great man and so many great examples of alpinism in a pure sense and style. RIP

Jennie

Trad climber

Elk Creek, Idaho

Sep 15, 2011 - 05:28am PT

Reading about Mr Bonatti’s life, it’s quite sad some of his Italian rivals chose to disparage and belittle a great climber with profound humility and few pretensions.

From Compagnoni's accusation that Bonatti had attempted to sabotage he and Lacedelli’s summit attempt on K2 by using oxygen meant for the summit day... to Maestri’s insult in naming the Col of Conquest…saying “hope is the weapon of the weak, there is only the will to conquer” in reference to Walter’s naming of the Col of Hope on Cerro Torre in 1958.

I suppose competition exists in most climbing communities but why denigrate a great climber as decent, unassuming and forthright about his mistakes as Walter Bonatti?

Patrick Oliver

Boulder climber

Fruita, Colorado

Sep 15, 2011 - 07:56am PT

Well, Jennie, you have to understand the times, in part,
and how fiercely competitive some of these Italian "lads"
were. Each was, of course, a human being, with growing up
to do, with understanding to acquire through years of
experience, and some with a strangely deeply instilled pride.
In my limited experience, Walter was, as a mature
gentleman far beyond the prime of his mountaineering exploits,
able easily to say
he brought a few of his troubles on himself, even if they
weren't deserved. He had an arrogance in his youth that
put some off, probably. We all struggle to know who we
are when we're younger, and not always do we come away
with definitive answers. Yet this is the story of life, at its
best, when our experiences hone our spirits, when we
come to see better, when we progress, if you want to use
a word.... By the time I met Walter he was a very sensitive,
yet strong individual who had seen it all, who could look
more honestly at himself than when he was a young superstar.
Some of those others, I'm sure, became wiser, such as Cassin,
with whom I met and visited in Italy in '86. He was a
pretty mellow guy, active at climbing so old. Oh yes,
he still trained. It was in
his blood. His wife complained to me that he did leg lifts
in bed next to her as she tried to sleep. Someone like Maestre
is a more complicated story. He might have dug some holes
too difficult to grow out of, might have been a prisoner of
his own desire to be recognized. I'm not his judge. Something
about the Italians, how principled they are, or want to be,
yet the degree to which they prove as vulnerable and flawed
as the rest of humankind. It must be a severe conflict for
some of them. I can't imagine how much personal agony Walter
felt to be wrongly accused. But he knew there were people who
wanted to take him down, to bring him to a more reachable level.
The world seemed to look for any opportunity.
It seems the nature of the game and a fact of our microcosm
in society, that we try to find the failings of those who are
true and great individuals. The later years of Walter's life,
he wanted to bring his vast and beautiful perception and his
experience to people, wanted to share something mystical and
gorgeous through photography, for example. Some of that gave
us a glimpse of his soul, how deep it was, and the tender,
or should I say profound,
relationship this mighty warrior had with nature....
Late night ramblings....
Best to you, my friend...

steve shea

climber

Sep 15, 2011 - 09:28am PT

Jennie, Pat has it. If you look at the sructure of the Club Alpino Italiano , it is set up in sections. Each of the sections were destined to become competitive and territorial. Many of the sections had their own club within the club ie. Lecco Spiders etc. No wonder there was animosity and self serving behavior. Plus the funds available for internatonal expeditions were coveted by all parties and were usually bestowed on the biggest name with the grandest plan. But still very political. I met Bonatti in Courmayeur back in the 70's. We had just descended to Entreve from the French side after a climb and bumped into him at Grivel. We just shook hands but I felt in the presence of a true gentleman. RIP

Bldrjac

Ice climber

Boulder

Sep 15, 2011 - 09:38am PT

Years ago when I was learning the ropes of hard rock climbing and committing to the ideals of alpinism my partners (Hooman Aprin, Jim Orey, Dave Black and many others) and I would always ask the question "What would Bonatti do?" before we made a decision to either go on or retreat. He was our ultimate role model for how to climb with style and commitment in the mountains.
He always seemed to climb with purity and dignity.
One of the greatest alpinists ever. It's sad that he has passed on.

Marlow

Sport climber

OSLO

Sep 15, 2011 - 11:51am PT

From "Lacedelli and Cenacchi. K2: The price of conquest"

"To discover what was missing it would have been enough to question the witnesses. The problem is that nothing that has been said or written about K2 has ever been subjected to a rigorous historical interpretation, and most of the witnesses have never been questioned.

The only people who have been heard are those involved in the arguments, and then only when those arguments were actually in progress. As a consequence, it was not possible to get past the arguments.

This is a recurring problem in the way we Italians confront our recent past. Rarely do we consider history as an institutional or cultural question. On the contrary, we tend to think of it as a question of personal opinion, or worse, a private event of no concern to the general public. The consequence is that it is hard to make historical judgements, because these tend to be seen only as personal judgements. In order to write an account of the past, we have to wait until someone dies, someone forgets or someone loosens up. Only then, and with the blessing of the heirs, but still with the risk of being taken to court for libel, can we confront things"