Walter Bonatti Has Passed Away ...

[Presto]

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What an incredible climber and person of good character.

I only have one book of his ... The Mountains of My Life ... but, it sure does encompass what he brought to the table.

[bonehead]

Imagine the gear and clothing available in his day. Today we would shake our heads in wonderment at his primitive equipment.
Makes his great achievements even more remarkable.

[crestone14ers]

Imagine the gear and clothing available in his day. Today we would shake our heads in wonderment at his primitive equipment.
Makes his great achievements even more remarkable.

I used a lot of that gear early on, still have a very thick and boiled wool Dachstein expedition sweater/anorak, wool knickers and a few old packs like a Sacs Millet day pack that's been on about four hundred plus rock climbing and mountaineering routes.

May Bonatti Rest in Peace!

[Jim Davies]

Bonatti was definitely an all-time great, who got screwed over by his teammates on K2 and later walked away from mountaineering at the top of his game. His biography is an excellent read. RIP.

[bonehead]

Dachstein expedition sweater/anorak, wool knickers

Me too, but the knickers no longer seem to fit!
May Bonatti Rest in Peace!

[Johnson]

Too bad he didn't get the recognition he deserved earlier in his life. I think I will plan on wearing knickers at least once next season. RIP.

[SurfNTurf]

Some people see no more in climbing mountains than an escape from the harsh realities of modern times. This is not only uninformed but unfair. I don’t deny that there can be an element of escapism in mountaineering, but this should never overshadow its real essence, which is not escape but victory over your own human frailty.

-Walter Bonatti

[14erFred]

Some classic quotes from Walter Bonatti (WB), who was truly a "class act" in the world of alpinism:

"One of the attractions of climbing is that we remove ourselves from the incredibly complex world with a whole series of very vague objectives and enter the very simplistic world of climbing.” -- WB

"If in normal conditions it is skill, which counts, in such extreme situations, it is the spirit, which saves." -- WB

"The mountains have rules. They are harsh rules, but they are there, and if you keep to them you are safe. A mountain is not like men. A mountain is sincere. The weapons to conquer it exist inside you, inside your soul." -- WB

"Climbing is not a battle with the elements, nor against the law of gravity. It's a battle against oneself." -- WB

“I don’t deny that there can be an element of escapism in mountaineering, but this should never overshadow its real essence, which is not escape but victory over your own human frailty.” -- WB

"Mountains are the means, the man is the end. The goal is not to reach the tops of mountains, but to improve the man." -- WB

"I climb mountains because I am afraid of them, and conquest of fear is one of man's greatest needs." -- WB

“It is to conquer fear that one becomes a climber. The climber experiences life to its extreme limits. A climber is not a crazy man. He is not trying to get himself killed. He knows what life is worth. He is in love with living.” -- WB

May his spirit rest in peace.

[Dancesatmoonrise]

Wow, Fred, some incredible quotes. Thanks for posting.

[Tortoise1]

My LR3 is Bonatti Grey. Now I know.

[colorado yooper]

RIP- One of the greats.