News

Famous Italian Climber Walter Bonatti dead at 81

14.09.2011

The mountaineering world is mourning the death of the legendary Italian climber Walter Bonatti. He died of cancer in Rome aged 81. As one of the world’s most important climbers, Bonatti was a pioneer of little known and technically difficult routes, particularly in the Alps, the Himalayas and Patagonia in the 1950s and 60s. After participating in the first ascent to the summit of K2, the world's second-highest peak, Bonatti was involved in a long-lasting controversy, receiving belated recognition for his essential contribution to the expedition. Following a disaster in the Alps, he was awarded by the French Legion d’Honneur. Bonatti was also an explorer and a journalist who published numerous books about his adventures.