Years ago, during my first trek around Mont Blanc, I happened to stay at Refugio Bonatti, a mountain hut on the Italian side. There, I met a hiking guide named Eric, who told me the story behind the hut's name. I was fascinated by the legendary life of Walter Bonatti and felt compelled to share his story with everyone.
Walter Bonattie
A handsome mountaineering legend.
Walter Bonatti, the Italian Alpine mountaineer, was as legendary for his looks as for his feats. Here are some iconic moments :
White pants, blue shirt, embodying a casual athletic style, solo climbing sheer cliffs.
In 1954, at 21, he was unstoppable, making the first ascent of Grand Capucin's east face and soloing Petit Dru in a 6-day, 5-night climb.
In 1968, in the Indonesian rainforest, wielding a large machete.
Wearing a wool sweater and mountain boots, performing a graceful ballet on the rock face.
Free climbing massive cliffs, his back muscles impressively defined.
Who was he?
Walter Bonatti, known as the "King of the Alps" and "one of the greatest mountaineers of the 20th century," was also a mountaineering journalist, guide, photographer, and author in the 1950s and 60s.
In 1949, Bonatti made his mark in the mountaineering world by climbing the Walker Spur. Two years later, he achieved the first ascent of the Grand Capucin's east face in the Mont Blanc range, and in 1953, he completed one of the most challenging technical routes in the Dolomites of the Alps.
In 1954, at the age of 24, he joined the Italian expedition for the first ascent of K2. He and his teammate Mahdi survived a miraculous night camping at 8000 meters. However, upon his return, he faced accusations and spent the rest of his life, until his death in 2011, clearing his name.
In 1958, he made history again by completing the first ascent of Gasherbrum IV, one of the world's most difficult peaks.
Named after him, climbing routes can be seen along the trekking routes around the Mont Blanc Massif.
Bonatti's footsteps have traversed the world's major peaks and perilous summits. In his native Alps, he solo or winter climbed many technically challenging peaks, including the first ascent of the Southwest Ridge of the Drus, the first winter ascent of the North Face of the Grandes Jorasses, and establishing a new solo route on the North Face of the Matterhorn.
Today, along the trails around Mont Blanc, one can see climbing routes named after him, a true pilgrimage to the Alpine climbing tradition.
Facing the peaks on the Lac Blanc side, hiking enthusiasts can see the climbing route dedicated to him.
In 1965, at the age of 35, Bonatti retired from climbing and began a leisurely life of travel and photography. Unlike many legendary climbers who met their end in the mountains, he lived a romantic life with his partner and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Piolet d'Or close to his 80th birthday.
Walter Bonatti
Who says mountaineers can't have romantic love?
Un uomo libero, alla scoperta di se stesso
In the 1950s, Italian actress Rossana Podestà was once asked by reporters who she would most like to take to a desert island. Her answer: Walter Bonatti.
Upon seeing this report, Bonatti wrote a letter to Rossana. They arranged to meet like online friends, setting a time and place at the romantic Venice Square in Rome, Italy.
Initially, Rossana teased Bonatti about his tardiness on their first date. However, they soon bonded over conversations in a nearby small park. They often visited Rossana's villa in Argentina, climbing together and exploring the surrounding mountains.
Rossana often reminisces about Bonatti, recalling his eyes, which made her world feel smaller and more focused.
In their seventies, Bonatti and his beloved Rossana were in the Alps.
I recall a lyric:
"How many admired your youthful face,
Who knows who would endure the relentless passage of time?
How many came and went in your life,
To know we'll be together through all our lives."
Walter Bonattie
The dreams of mountaineers don't always end with their souls on the mountain ?
In his mountaineering career, Walter Bonatti was not just a victor in life's marathon race, but also embodied a powerful and precious belief: dreams, freedom, and integrity are indispensable.
In his book "The Mountain of My Life," Walter Bonatti recounts a life journey that wasn't smooth sailing. One of the incidents that made him both famous and infamous occurred on July 30, 1954. Representing the Italian expedition team to challenge the world's second highest peak, K2, were Lacedelli, Compagnoni, Bonatti, and Pakistani guide Amir Mehdi. Due to insufficient oxygen, Bonatti and Mehdi retreated to Camp VII, only to return the next day to Camp IX to deliver oxygen cylinders to their two teammates.
On the day they descended, exhausted, Bonatti and Mehdi did not encounter their teammates but only heard distant echoes from Lacedelli and Compagnoni urging them to "retreat immediately." By then, it was late in the day, and the two had to descend in darkness.
That day, Lacedelli and Compagnoni used the oxygen cylinders left behind by Bonatti and Mehdi, ultimately becoming the first team to summit K2.
However, what was surprising is that Lacedelli and Compagnoni, while celebrating their summit victory, also accused Bonatti of selfishly using up their oxygen cylinders in an attempt to summit himself, causing them to suffer from oxygen depletion during their descent. That night during the descent, Bonatti and Mehdi were stranded without a tent, and Mehdi suffered frostbite on his fingers as a result. Bonatti emerged unscathed, leading to accusations of selfishness and tarnishing his reputation forever.
He vehemently defended himself to no avail, carrying the stigma for the rest of his life.
"After the accusations regarding K2, I began to distrust others and relied only on myself. Even though I knew this would limit my achievements, it at least protected me from further disappointment and harm."
From then on, this legend, he embarked on the path of solo climbing, creating his own miracles.
In 2009, at the age of 79, Bonatti received the Golden Ice Axe Lifetime Achievement Award.
After half a century, in 2007, the Italian Alpine Club officially cleared Walter Bonatti of the unjust accusations. One of the national heroes who first climbed K2, Lacedelli, admitted in his memoir that they intentionally avoided meeting Bonatti and used the oxygen he brought to hinder their joint summit attempt. This acknowledgment validated Bonatti's years of suffering and bitterness.
I recall a saying :
To endure solitude is a realm of refinement and taste.
Enduring solitude allows for inner peace, equanimity in both fortune and misfortune, and the ability to achieve something.
Enduring solitude enables one to resist the temptations of external things, to cast aside selfish distractions, to remain calm and steadfast, not to be restless or blindly follow others, to maintain the right attitude and values in life. It allows one to focus wholeheartedly on what they truly love, without distraction, without blaming the heavens or others, without self-deprecation or fickleness, persistently moving towards established goals, ultimately leading to fruitful rewards.
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