Walter Bonatti
Italian mountaineer known for solo ascents and K2 controversy.
Walter Bonatti (22 June 1930 – 13 September 2011) was an Italian mountaineer, alpinist, explorer, and journalist. His major climbing feats include a solo ascent of a new route on the south-west pillar of the Aiguille du Dru in August 1955, the first ascent of Gasherbrum IV in 1958, and the first solo winter climb of the Matterhorn’s North Face in 1965, which coincided with the centenary of the mountain’s first ascent. He retired from professional climbing at age 35, immediately after that Matterhorn climb, ending a 17-year career. Bonatti wrote numerous mountaineering books and later worked as a reporter for the Italian magazine *Epoca*, traveling to remote places. He died of pancreatic cancer in Rome on 13 September 2011, aged 81, and was survived by his life partner, actress Rossana Podestà. Known for his bold style, he tackled obscure and technically demanding climbs in the Alps, the Himalayas, and Patagonia. In 2009, he received the first-ever Piolet d’Or Lifetime Achievement Award, and he is widely regarded as one of the greatest climbers in history.
Bonatti was an only child, born in Bergamo, Lombardy. He grew up in the Po Valley, dreaming of adventure. World War II left his working-class family poor. His father sold fabric. Bonatti took up gymnastics through a sports association in Monza, building the strength and balance that later proved essential for climbing. At 18, he began climbing on the Grigna, a rocky peak in the Italian Prealps, where he spent the summer of 1948 climbing intensively. Within a year, in 1949, he made the first repeat of the Oppio-Colnaghi-Guidi Route on the South Face of the Croz dell’Altissimo—a 250-meter climb rated UIAA V+. Soon after, he repeated the Bramani-Castiglioni Route on the North-West face of Piz Badile, the Ratti-Vitali Route on the West Face of the Aiguille Noire de Peuterey, and made the fourth ascent of the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses’ North Face in just two days with minimal gear. That last route, first climbed in 1938 by Riccardo Cassin, is 1,200 meters of rock climbing with UIAA grades IV and V and one step of VI+, exposed to falling stones, and ranks with the Eiger’s North Face as a major Alpine achievement between the world wars. With little money, Bonatti used basic equipment, including pitons he made himself. He worked in a steel mill, climbing on Sundays after his Saturday night shift. In unde
- born
- 22 June 1930
- died
- 13 September 2011
- field
- Mountaineering, alpinism, exploration, journalism
- nationality
- Italian
- known_for
- Solo climb of Aiguille du Dru, first ascent of Gasherbrum IV, first solo winter ascent of Matterhorn North face
Lore & Background
Walter Bonatti was born in Bergamo, Italy, and spent his childhood in the Po Valley. His working-class family was impoverished by WWII. He took up gymnastics in Monza, developing physical strength and balance crucial for climbing. At age 18, he began climbing on the Grigna in the Italian Prealps. In 1949, within a year of starting, he made the first repetition of the Oppio-Colnaghi-Guidi Route on the Croz dell'Altissimo. He soon climbed the Bramani-Castiglioni Route on Piz Badile, the second repetition of the Ratti-Vitali route on the Aiguille Noire de Peuterey, and the fourth ascent of the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses in two days with limited equipment. Bonatti worked in a steel mill and climbed on Sundays after the Saturday night shift, using basic equipment including pitons he manufactured himself.
In 1954, Bonatti was the youngest participant of the Italian expedition to K2 organized by Ardito Desio. Along with Hunza climber Amir Mehdi, he carried oxygen cylinders to Camp IX for the summit attempt. However, the camp had been placed higher than agreed, and after nightfall Bonatti and Mehdi were forced to endure an open bivouac at 8,100 meters without tent or sleeping bag, costing Mehdi his toes. Bonatti was later accused by Compagnoni of using some of the oxygen, but Bonatti claimed he could not because the mask and regulator were at Camp IX. Years later, the Italian Alpine Club officially recognized that Lacedelli and Compagnoni lied in their account and that Bonatti's version was accurate.
Reader's Guide
Walter Bonatti's significance lies in his pioneering solo climbs and his role in one of mountaineering's most famous controversies. His solo ascent of a new route on the Aiguille du Dru in 1955 and the first solo winter ascent of the Matterhorn North face in 1965 demonstrated technical skill and endurance. The K2 controversy, where he was initially blamed for using oxygen but later exonerated by the Italian Alpine Club, highlights issues of honor and truth in expedition history. Bonatti retired from professional climbing at age 35 after his Matterhorn climb, then worked as a reporter for Epoca magazine. In 2009, he received the first-ever Piolet d'Or Lifetime Achievement Award. His legacy includes numerous climbing achievements in the Alps, Himalayas, and Patagonia, and his reputation as one of the greatest climbers in history, based on his technical difficulty and solo style.
Did You Know?
- Bonatti made the first solo climb in winter of the North face of the Matterhorn in 1965, the mountain's centenary year of its first ascent.
- He was the youngest participant of the 1954 Italian expedition to K2.
- Bonatti's forced bivouac at 8,100 meters with Amir Mehdi cost Mehdi his toes.
- In 2009, Bonatti was awarded the first-ever Piolet d'Or Lifetime Achievement Award.
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