Walter Bonatti: 80 Years of Consistency

Today great Walter turns 80. He does not look it, though, in the body as much as in the mind. That man, born in Bergamo on the 22^nd of June 1930, has the same grit as always: according to what he states today, ventures as the one of Petit Dru (55 years ago) or the one of Matterhorn (45 years ago) almost comment themselves. Walter is still the mountaineer; he embodies the quintessence of mountaineering: all the rest is something extra. He can seem tough, almost unpleasant. Though, in the end it is all a disguise unveiling the consistency of a man who never betrayed his ideas and convictions. When he is in public, some people may like him and some people may not. In private, his pleasantness is unique, he talks and listens as curious as a child (even if it is better no to contradict him about certain matters). He tells about a world that does not exist anymore, about wonders he touched and lived because he wanted to and because he was able to go beyond, leaving behind false certainties as to go for the real one: «That one you make grow inside yourself along with the experience, the will, the constancy, the determination, the consistency. If you can put together all these things, you get there. Confidence is the responsibility you take for yourself! And what happens is that you grow up: the real accomplishment is your inner growth».

As talking, Walter does not just use his voice: you have to look at him, see his hands, the expression on his face. The message is unique and charming, worthy of a living legend («Objectivity calls for clarity»). Is it all rhetoric by a crazy modern hero, like the «great traditional mountaineering» that «maybe can seem absurd and unbearable»? Maybe not, if it is true that «the man’s destiny is to get more and more human. Here’s what the useless – as well as wise – “follies” of the present-day heroes want to remind us». These characters are careful to past and future, not believing the latest myth, which is the destruction of the other myths. As to the conception of mountaineering, to «objectify the matter», Walter repeats that his own one «finds confirmation and clarity» both in ventures and life-style. «It’s the classic mountaineering that I’ve always taken inspiration from, because it perfectly fits my temper and totally fulfils my needs. And I’ve always tried to keep on moving forward on this track, following the tradition without distorting it and respecting the rules of a game that has charm and justification right because the deck has not been stacked just to win at all costs».

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Cover Photo. Dubino (Italy), 28^th October, 2008: Walter Bonatti talking. Photo by Carlo Caccia

Photo 1. Walter Bonatti talking. Photo by Carlo Caccia

Photo 2. Profile. Photo by Carlo Caccia

Photo 3. «He has the same grit as always». Photo by Carlo Caccia

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Italian version