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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Jan 10, 2014 - 03:36pm PT
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Bump for a great thread.
Just a note to honour those who made the first (edit) unquestioned ascent of Cerro Torre, in January 1974, via the west face.
Daniele Chiappa, Mario Conti, Casimiro Ferrari and Pino Negri, members of the Lecco Spiders.
Edit: the Italian wikipedia page shows the ascent in 1973:
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragni_della_Grignetta
Following is a memorial/monument atop Grignetta, a small but imposing peak that towers above Lago di Como and Lecco in Northern Italy:
It is easy to see why having such a back yard "crag" would inspire so many noteworthy climbers. I took this pic a few weeks ago:
From this spot (if you rotated a quarter or half turn to your right, you can see Monte Rosa, Matterhorn (Il Cervino), Eiger, Jungrau, Mönch, and a bazillion mountains that go on forever in a 270 degree arc. The rest of the circle you have to content yourself with this view of the valleys and lakes.
I'm bringing crampons for my next trip!
Edit: Random trivia point I just discovered, I share a birthday with Cesare Maestri.
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Rocky IV
Social climber
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Jan 10, 2014 - 07:53pm PT
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I shared some belays last summer on the Hulk with a couple Argentinean climbers. Inevitably the topic of the chopping came up and they were adamant that the bolts should have never been chopped, equating the bolt ladders on CT to the final ladder on the Nose.
El cap is a completely frivolous climb, if you really want to stand on top all you need is a pair of shoes. Cerro Torre is a incredible mountain that deserves inaccessibility. If there's one place that ethics matter it is in the Torres. Or at least that's what I told them, they remained unconvinced.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 10, 2014 - 09:11pm PT
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You did your best Rocky....I agree with your point of view.
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bigbird
climber
WA
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Jan 10, 2014 - 10:43pm PT
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Here is a question... Why are we still arguing about this? its over, the bolts are chopped... Can we turn are attention to something more fruitful? We could argue about the masses of other route that were "stolen from the future" via bolting and fixed ropes. The Korean route on Gasherbrum IV (1997), the japanese Direttissima on the Eigar (1970) and Royal Flush on Fitzroy (1995) are all shining example of heavy-handed style that deserve constructive criticism.
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Denver, Colorado
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^ From article above:
The one person who knows what really happened refuses to speak, leaving us to try to piece together the truth.
Why would someone refuse to talk about the death of their climbing partner? Am I reading too much into it?
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norm larson
climber
wilson, wyoming
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If you haven't read Kelly Cordes's book "The Tower" read it. It's one of the best climbing books ever written. IMO.
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Nice post Rocky.
Imagine if the route Caldwell and Jorgeson worked on all that time led to a previously unclimbed summit. That their monstrous creation, with what, seven 5.14 pitches, was the only way to reach the summit. The easiest route!
A summit that only the very, very best could get to. I'm happy that Cerro Torre is now one step closer to that ideal.
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Hey this is huge! Really. If you haven't examined Rolo's article and particularly the side by side photos you owe it to yourself to do so. No business participating any further in the discussion if you don't take the time and examine them yourself.
It proves several things and continues to cast even more serious doubt to the claims.
Arne
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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I mean it's right there. The first photo says it all. Maestri states that is a picture of Egger climbing on Cerro Torre and it is clearly not. There is no mistaking the evidence.
Arne
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Wow, MisterE, wow.
Great sleuthing by Rolo and Cordes.
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Oh and Big Bird, by the way we're not talking about the the Compressor route and it's bolt chopping saga. We're not arguing about that. 1959 dude.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Not to mention the 'diary' * page facing the picture of Egger is written like a third grader would.
*It is shown on the Pataclimb exposé page.
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Andy de klerk
Mountain climber
South Africa
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I've always wondered what they did during those 6 days?
Found a "Tomo Boulder" to huddle under? Hardly likely
Is it possible that Egger was avalanched from the Col Standhart and not from their route on the Torre?
Do the fall lines look right based on where Jim found Eggers leg?
Fantastic jigsaw puzzling Rolo and Kelly and a fantastic thread for all wanting the truth
The big question then in my mind then is where exactly Maestri was found by Fava. Was it at the base of their route or further right?
Andy
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Andy de klerk
Mountain climber
South Africa
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Also, just for the record, I really enjoyed Kelly's book "the Tower", read it twice back to back. Well done Kelly for pulling all the threads together on this half century old controversy.
Talking about threads though, what intrigued me was all the wierd knots and coils on Eggers rope. And the fact of the broken ends of the rope on the 1959 route. Maybe they went to take a look at getting to the col of conquest via the wast side of Stanhart and then bailed and went back up their route?
Interesting how the truth always comes out, piece by piece
Andy
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brotherbbock
Trad climber
Alta Loma, CA
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Awesome read.
Thanks for the post.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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It's an interesting read.
Interesting how the truth always comes out, piece by piece
I'd rather say: The case is deconstructed piece by piece, supported by observations and then a "truth" of a higher probability is constructed.
Not that it makes the complementary aggression of the chopping Canadamericans any better...
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Everything that Andy just said. It's starting to make a little more sense now. Looks plausible that he could have fallen coming back from Col of Standhart. Anyway the 6 days now has a better storyline to it.
Arne
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Fantastic sleuthing!
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