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The Mountains of My Life
Published for the first time in English, The Mountains of My Life collects the classic writings of world-famous mountaineer Walter Bonatti, and tells the real story of the 1954 controversy over the events on K2 that changed his life.
Bonatti is one of the greatest mountaineers of all time, a man who continually reset the benchmark of human possibility by ascending routes that others dared not even contemplate. He climbed with an audacity and panache that epitomized the purest spirit of alpinism, and inspired an entire generation of climbers. Jon Krakauer calls him one of my heroes. He is not only a mountaineer of astonishing talent and vision, but one of the world's most engaging writers about mountaineering.
Bonatti has also been dogged by controversy and often been at odds with the climbing community. The Mountains of My Life not only collects the best of Bonatti's writing telling of adventures in the Alps, the Himalayas, and little-known South American peaks it also tells Bonatti's version of what really happened on the Italian expedition that made the first ascent of K2 in 1954. Bonatti's selfless actions helped avert disaster, yet in the expedition's aftermath he found himself cast as a scapegoat. Part detective story, part hair-raising adventure, part meditation on his craft, The Mountains of My Life is as awe-inspiring and controversial as its author, and is beautifully illustrated with Bonatti's own photos.
Bonatti is one of the greatest mountaineers of all time, a man who continually reset the benchmark of human possibility by ascending routes that others dared not even contemplate. He climbed with an audacity and panache that epitomized the purest spirit of alpinism, and inspired an entire generation of climbers. Jon Krakauer calls him one of my heroes. He is not only a mountaineer of astonishing talent and vision, but one of the world's most engaging writers about mountaineering.
Bonatti has also been dogged by controversy and often been at odds with the climbing community. The Mountains of My Life not only collects the best of Bonatti's writing telling of adventures in the Alps, the Himalayas, and little-known South American peaks it also tells Bonatti's version of what really happened on the Italian expedition that made the first ascent of K2 in 1954. Bonatti's selfless actions helped avert disaster, yet in the expedition's aftermath he found himself cast as a scapegoat. Part detective story, part hair-raising adventure, part meditation on his craft, The Mountains of My Life is as awe-inspiring and controversial as its author, and is beautifully illustrated with Bonatti's own photos.
496 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1994
115 people are currently reading
4322 people want to read
About the author
Walter Bonatti
42 books33 followersHe was an Italian mountain climber, explorer and journalist. He was noted for his many climbing achievements, including a solo climb 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 in 1965 the first solo climb in winter of the North face of the Matterhorn on the mountain's centenary year of its first ascent. Immediately after his extraordinary solo climb on the Matterhorn Bonatti announced his retirement from professional climbing at the age of 35 and after only 17 years of climbing activity. He authored many mountaineering books and spent the remainder of his career travelling off the beaten track as a reporter for the Italian magazine Epoca. He died on the 13 September 2011 of pancreatic cancer[1] in Rome aged 81,[2] and was survived by his life partner, the actress Rossana Podestà.
Famed for his climbing panache, he pioneered little known and technically difficult climbs in the Alps, Himalayas and Patagonia.
Famed for his climbing panache, he pioneered little known and technically difficult climbs in the Alps, Himalayas and Patagonia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
February 1, 2013
Andare per monti (a qualsiasi livello) è ripetere una metafora della vita: la fatica, la perseveranza, i rischi, gli azzardi, le scelte più caute, le rinunce, la soddisfazione, il sudore, l'intimità dei sentimenti. Ogni vetta un costo. Qui, il racconto appassionato e vivo di uno scalatore insigne. Le sue imprese più importanti, per lo più compiute in solitaria. La testimonianza di un uomo lineare e schietto, che ha sempre pagato la sua integrità un prezzo ben più alto della fatica di arrampicare.
October 4, 2010
In a word: Intense! Bonatti was among the most talented alpinists of the 20th century. He is perhaps most famous for surviving a night out in the open unscathed just below the peak of K2 during the first controversial ascent of that mountain. Yet his accomplishments stretch far beyond that. Bonatti was a pioneer of light and fast alpine style climbing, and did many of his most difficult climbs solo when such a thing was nearly unheard of. Giving up climbing at the peak of his ability at age 35, he went on to achieve even greater popular recognition as a photographer.
The chapters of the book are each dedicated to different climbs. Bonnati pushed himself considerably harder with each subsequent climb. Some of his accomplishments, such as soloing the North Face of the Matterhorn during Winter seem almost inhuman. Here he shares his apprehensions, the consuming fears and loneliness he experienced, but also his extraordinary love and relationship with the mountains.
Bonatti's account of the tragic disaster at the Central Pillar of Freney is among the most moving wilderness survival writing you may ever come across. Originally a party a seven, Bonatti describes how caught in an unrelenting storm, his companions, dropped dead one by one from exhaustion and delirium. In the end only he and two others survived. "Play the game for more than you can afford to lose... only then will you learn the game," is a macho quote often thrown around by mountaineers. That price is laid out soberly and very clearly here.
For mountaineers there is much to learn and absorb here; this is a book full of lessons and inspiration to come back and return to time and again. For the less adventurous you cannot help but be inspired by Bonatti's adventures. His absolute dedication, perseverance, deep humanity, love and genius for his chosen craft are qualities anyone should aspire to and admire.
The chapters of the book are each dedicated to different climbs. Bonnati pushed himself considerably harder with each subsequent climb. Some of his accomplishments, such as soloing the North Face of the Matterhorn during Winter seem almost inhuman. Here he shares his apprehensions, the consuming fears and loneliness he experienced, but also his extraordinary love and relationship with the mountains.
Bonatti's account of the tragic disaster at the Central Pillar of Freney is among the most moving wilderness survival writing you may ever come across. Originally a party a seven, Bonatti describes how caught in an unrelenting storm, his companions, dropped dead one by one from exhaustion and delirium. In the end only he and two others survived. "Play the game for more than you can afford to lose... only then will you learn the game," is a macho quote often thrown around by mountaineers. That price is laid out soberly and very clearly here.
For mountaineers there is much to learn and absorb here; this is a book full of lessons and inspiration to come back and return to time and again. For the less adventurous you cannot help but be inspired by Bonatti's adventures. His absolute dedication, perseverance, deep humanity, love and genius for his chosen craft are qualities anyone should aspire to and admire.
December 9, 2024
Bè che dire, parla Bonatti...e quando è lui a parlare bisogna solo ascoltare.
Certo ci sono molte descrizioni tecniche delle sue imprese che per molti potrebbero essere noiose ma tra le pagine di questi suoi diari c'è anche tanta poesia.
Toccante il racconto della tragedia del Pilone centrale del Freney.
Che cosa c'è di meglio che riaccostarsi alla natura semplice e generosa per risentirci esseri umani? lo credo fermamente nell'insegnamento della natura, perciò sono convinto che la montagna con le sue bellezze, le sue leggi severe, costituisca oggi ancor meglio di ieri una delle più valide scuole del carattere: perché lassù si impara soprattutto a soffrire.
L'alpinismo effettivamente può essere più pericoloso di alcune altre attività umane, però se ci si avvicina alla montagna coscienziosamente preparati e si osservano le giuste regole della prudenza, l'avventura alpinistica diventa una cosa totalmente diversa dalla folle temerarietà. Purtroppo, come in tutte le cose, anche in montagna esiste l'imponderabile che può portare alle più gravi tragedie, ma ciò non significa che gli alpinisti siano votati alla morte. Al contrario, essi sono degli entusiasti della vita; amano accostarsi al massimo alla natura, sfiorando magari i margini estremi della vita stessa per assaporare la voluttà del vivere intensamente, attenti sempre a non oltrepassare mai i limiti delle loro possibilità.
Se abbiamo deciso di affrontare questa parete è perché abbiamo creduto che solamente l'impon- derabile avrebbe potuto arrestarci. E dove non esiste l'imponderabile? Varrebbe dunque la pena di rinunciare all'esistenza in cui si crede per il timore che il destino si mostri avverso?
Mentre, con questi pensieri mi accingo a ritornare al rifugio, vedo una povera farfalla portata fin qui dalla calda giornata, che con un ultimo colpo d'ali si abbatte sulla neve poco distante da me. Povero essere vivente che per sventura ti trovi a morire in un mondo crudele, di cui non avresti mai sospettato neppure l'esistenza! In questo tuo ultimo battito d'ali io vedo interpretato un dramma quasi umano. Chissà, penso, con quale terrore i tuoi piccoli occhi hanno assistito al tramonto dell'ultimo raggio di sole, alla metamorfosi repentina dei colori e chissà con quale orrore i tuoi sensi hanno avvertito i primi morsi del gelo, l'atroce certezza di morire e come me gli stessi infiniti rimpianti. Povero insetto, fratello mio di sventura in un luogo di morte, come mi sento simile a te in tutto! La tua tragedia è la mia, ciò che io vado cercando attraverso il superamento del Dru equivale all'ebbrezza che ti ha trasportata fin quassù e quel Dru che sto per affrontare altro non è per me che quell'ultimo raggio di sole che da poco hai visto tramontare! Se domani non riuscirò a sorreggermi, farò la tua stessa fine.
La montagna è una grande maestra che insegna anche a perdere.
Certo ci sono molte descrizioni tecniche delle sue imprese che per molti potrebbero essere noiose ma tra le pagine di questi suoi diari c'è anche tanta poesia.
Toccante il racconto della tragedia del Pilone centrale del Freney.
Che cosa c'è di meglio che riaccostarsi alla natura semplice e generosa per risentirci esseri umani? lo credo fermamente nell'insegnamento della natura, perciò sono convinto che la montagna con le sue bellezze, le sue leggi severe, costituisca oggi ancor meglio di ieri una delle più valide scuole del carattere: perché lassù si impara soprattutto a soffrire.
L'alpinismo effettivamente può essere più pericoloso di alcune altre attività umane, però se ci si avvicina alla montagna coscienziosamente preparati e si osservano le giuste regole della prudenza, l'avventura alpinistica diventa una cosa totalmente diversa dalla folle temerarietà. Purtroppo, come in tutte le cose, anche in montagna esiste l'imponderabile che può portare alle più gravi tragedie, ma ciò non significa che gli alpinisti siano votati alla morte. Al contrario, essi sono degli entusiasti della vita; amano accostarsi al massimo alla natura, sfiorando magari i margini estremi della vita stessa per assaporare la voluttà del vivere intensamente, attenti sempre a non oltrepassare mai i limiti delle loro possibilità.
Se abbiamo deciso di affrontare questa parete è perché abbiamo creduto che solamente l'impon- derabile avrebbe potuto arrestarci. E dove non esiste l'imponderabile? Varrebbe dunque la pena di rinunciare all'esistenza in cui si crede per il timore che il destino si mostri avverso?
Mentre, con questi pensieri mi accingo a ritornare al rifugio, vedo una povera farfalla portata fin qui dalla calda giornata, che con un ultimo colpo d'ali si abbatte sulla neve poco distante da me. Povero essere vivente che per sventura ti trovi a morire in un mondo crudele, di cui non avresti mai sospettato neppure l'esistenza! In questo tuo ultimo battito d'ali io vedo interpretato un dramma quasi umano. Chissà, penso, con quale terrore i tuoi piccoli occhi hanno assistito al tramonto dell'ultimo raggio di sole, alla metamorfosi repentina dei colori e chissà con quale orrore i tuoi sensi hanno avvertito i primi morsi del gelo, l'atroce certezza di morire e come me gli stessi infiniti rimpianti. Povero insetto, fratello mio di sventura in un luogo di morte, come mi sento simile a te in tutto! La tua tragedia è la mia, ciò che io vado cercando attraverso il superamento del Dru equivale all'ebbrezza che ti ha trasportata fin quassù e quel Dru che sto per affrontare altro non è per me che quell'ultimo raggio di sole che da poco hai visto tramontare! Se domani non riuscirò a sorreggermi, farò la tua stessa fine.
La montagna è una grande maestra che insegna anche a perdere.
March 6, 2018
To those having a bit of knowledge of alpininism, the name Walter Bonatti is met across many books ; that of a man having overcome some of the most difficult climbs in the Alps ; that of a man smeared by others after the K2 incident ; and that of his grandiose good bye to alpinism on the Cervino.
From hearing a few interviews of Bonatti, and reading this book, you understand how deeply spiritual (though not believing in god) A man Bonatti is ; how his alpinistic life and further adventures were lived out of a conjuction of ethics, search for the unknown and its limits. And indeed, in this beatifully written book, it is the personnality of Bonatti that stands out ; that of a man of intimate convictions, probably feeling misundertood, and of a singular deep belief that finding his inner self his the most important thing ; and that compromising with it the most unacceptable.
I could extract many quotations from the book (this is a book where i felt to meet someone having the same thoughts (in a much better way) than me). (This being my translation from the italian)
"Nothing of which I have done, obviously, is important, but it entirely belongs to me and identifies me".
A nice epitaph not a few of us would like on our graves I would believe.
From hearing a few interviews of Bonatti, and reading this book, you understand how deeply spiritual (though not believing in god) A man Bonatti is ; how his alpinistic life and further adventures were lived out of a conjuction of ethics, search for the unknown and its limits. And indeed, in this beatifully written book, it is the personnality of Bonatti that stands out ; that of a man of intimate convictions, probably feeling misundertood, and of a singular deep belief that finding his inner self his the most important thing ; and that compromising with it the most unacceptable.
I could extract many quotations from the book (this is a book where i felt to meet someone having the same thoughts (in a much better way) than me). (This being my translation from the italian)
"Nothing of which I have done, obviously, is important, but it entirely belongs to me and identifies me".
A nice epitaph not a few of us would like on our graves I would believe.
March 12, 2014
First ascents of all the difficult Alpine peaks, first solo winter ascent of the Matterhorn, open bivouac on K2 at 8000 metres. Bonatti climbed everything the hard way, looking for the simplest way of climbing and shunning new technology as reducing the aesthetic; detracting from the achievement.
“For me, the value of a climb is the sum of three inseparable elements, all equally important: aesthetics, history, and ethics. Together they form the whole basis of my concept of alpinism. Some people see no more in climbing mountains than an escape from the harsh realities of modern times. This is not only uninformed but unfair. I don’t deny that there can be an element of escapism in mountaineering, but this should never overshadow its real essence, which is not escape but victory over your own human frailty.”
“For me, the value of a climb is the sum of three inseparable elements, all equally important: aesthetics, history, and ethics. Together they form the whole basis of my concept of alpinism. Some people see no more in climbing mountains than an escape from the harsh realities of modern times. This is not only uninformed but unfair. I don’t deny that there can be an element of escapism in mountaineering, but this should never overshadow its real essence, which is not escape but victory over your own human frailty.”
February 13, 2020
I really enjoyed this book, and found it quite inspiring. But before describing the book, I must make a brief detour.
A long time ago, when I was a student and for a few years afterwards I was a keen rock climber and a mountaineer. Keen I may have been, but talented I was not. I was a rather mediocre climber, and my list of climbs is fairly modest. But nevertheless, I did enough to appreciate climbing, and understand what being a good climber requires, even if I was not one of them.
I say this because Bonatti's book is all about climbing, and for a climber it is exciting and enthralling stuff, with lots of adventure, some tragedy and some personal challenges. I suspect some of the descriptions of climbs may be dull if you are not really interested in climbing.
Bonatti was an extraordinary climber, and sometimes a controversial character. A true hard man, and a man who had a very specific view of the ethics of climbing - avoiding certain techniques which he regarded as cheating. He climbed some incredibly serious routes, often in terrible conditions and with what we would regard as very primitive equipment. He regularly comes across as a difficult, possibly stubborn person who might be easy to fall out with. But he is also inspiring and engaging to read about and I suspect a great friend to those who managed to befriend him.
His writing is generally very good. Although written over several decades and you can see the improvement in his writing through the course of the book. If you are a climber or like adventure then this is definitely a worthy read.
A long time ago, when I was a student and for a few years afterwards I was a keen rock climber and a mountaineer. Keen I may have been, but talented I was not. I was a rather mediocre climber, and my list of climbs is fairly modest. But nevertheless, I did enough to appreciate climbing, and understand what being a good climber requires, even if I was not one of them.
I say this because Bonatti's book is all about climbing, and for a climber it is exciting and enthralling stuff, with lots of adventure, some tragedy and some personal challenges. I suspect some of the descriptions of climbs may be dull if you are not really interested in climbing.
Bonatti was an extraordinary climber, and sometimes a controversial character. A true hard man, and a man who had a very specific view of the ethics of climbing - avoiding certain techniques which he regarded as cheating. He climbed some incredibly serious routes, often in terrible conditions and with what we would regard as very primitive equipment. He regularly comes across as a difficult, possibly stubborn person who might be easy to fall out with. But he is also inspiring and engaging to read about and I suspect a great friend to those who managed to befriend him.
His writing is generally very good. Although written over several decades and you can see the improvement in his writing through the course of the book. If you are a climber or like adventure then this is definitely a worthy read.
May 11, 2020
I recommend some Ludovico Einaudi in the background when reading through Bonatti’s adventures, it’s a cinematic experience of human endurance and strength. Bonatti’s trail, tribulations and love for mountains jump off the pages, as though you are taking every step with him. Bonatti teaches us that every generation in every time has to fight to preserve and appreciate the natural world, that in order to do so you must hold onto your integrity and values even in a world that ostracises the good. While Bonatti’s’ heart and life was lived up in the height of the alps, his wisdom and morals translate to our modern city lives and can teach us all a lesson or two.
July 27, 2025
5/5 capolavoro. Come ci si sente a scalare vette di ottomila metri, a vedere la volta celeste che illumina l'Himalaya mentre si osservano valanghe e slavine che ti aspettano nel percorso che devi compiere. La paura e l'attrazione di domare la natura, l'amicizia e nello stesso tempo la perdita di compagni di cordata. La fame, il dormite settimane in piedi o su bivacchi appesi alla parete. Cosa di può dire se non wow?
lo reputo un capolavoro che mi ha emozionato più volte. L'ho letteralmente bevuto.
lo reputo un capolavoro che mi ha emozionato più volte. L'ho letteralmente bevuto.
January 21, 2016
Bonatti is truly one of the greatest mountaineers to ever touch a rock and he manages to demonstrate this completely through his writing without coming off as haughty or vain. For example, his rope solo ascent of the Bonatti Pillar on the Dru is one of the most intense climbing passages I have ever read and is a testament to his technical expertise, boldness, brilliance on the rock, and determination. This is true of all the essays, from those detailing his ascent of K2 and Gasherbrum IV (and the farcical accusations he faced upon his descent from the former) to his treks through Patagonia ("The base of the proximal phalanx of my second toe was fractured. Fortunately, it turned out to be less serious than I had feared. Once I got my swollen foot in my boot and laced it up tightly, it was possible for me to walk, and I did so for the next eighteen days."). His writing is straightforward and plain, but still conveys the splendor and thrill of the mountains ("The rising moon flooded the sky with astonishingly bright light that prevented the night from growing dark, but not the spread of its infinite calm...I was drunk with solitutde and the sort of imaginings that at times lift us out of ourselves and place us where we would most wish to be.").
Bonatti may come off as prickly to some given his staunchly traditional mountaineering ethics. For example, he condemns even stoppers, not to mention camming units, for protection, claiming that they, "murder the impossible." He saw mountaineering as a way to come to know himself ("Climb symbolized a victory of man over his own limitations more than a victory over a mountain face.") and was unwilling to undermine his standards for anyone ("I could not accept just anyone on the other end of my rope, nor could I translate into money a bond that made sense, for me, only in friendship with my ropemate.").
I don't like to fall into the trap of nostalgia, but Bonatti is a perfect example of what we can all aspire to as climbers and adventurers.
Bonatti may come off as prickly to some given his staunchly traditional mountaineering ethics. For example, he condemns even stoppers, not to mention camming units, for protection, claiming that they, "murder the impossible." He saw mountaineering as a way to come to know himself ("Climb symbolized a victory of man over his own limitations more than a victory over a mountain face.") and was unwilling to undermine his standards for anyone ("I could not accept just anyone on the other end of my rope, nor could I translate into money a bond that made sense, for me, only in friendship with my ropemate.").
I don't like to fall into the trap of nostalgia, but Bonatti is a perfect example of what we can all aspire to as climbers and adventurers.
September 14, 2016
Francis Scott Fitzgerald una volta ha detto: "Questa è la parte più bella di tutta la letteratura:
scoprire che i tuoi desideri sono desideri universali, che non sei solo o isolato da nessuno. Tu appartieni."
Leggo libri da sempre, ma solo pochi mi sono davvero rimasti dentro. Konrad Lorenz, Jane Goodall, Tiziano Terzani, Jean-Paul Sartre e, sì, Walter Bonatti. Persone e opere che non c'entrano nulla le une con le altre, ma che in qualche modo hanno dato un senso al mio percorso.
Walter Bonatti è stato un personaggio controverso. Amato e odiato da molti, solitario, sfuggente, la sua unica vera pace la trovava sulla cima di una montagna impossibile, sempre in bilico fra la vita e la morte. Sono state proprio le sue visioni a darmi quella sensazione che descrive Fitzgerald: non sono l'unica. Non sono l'unica a cui non vanno del tutto giù le regole caotiche della città, non sono l'unica che vuole di più.
Ho finito il libro proprio ieri, giorno dell'anniversario della sua morte.
Avresti compiuto 86 anni ieri, e anche se ormai sono rassegnata al fatto che non ti conoscerò mai, ti devo comunque ringraziare per quello che, inconsapevolmente, mi hai dato.
scoprire che i tuoi desideri sono desideri universali, che non sei solo o isolato da nessuno. Tu appartieni."
Leggo libri da sempre, ma solo pochi mi sono davvero rimasti dentro. Konrad Lorenz, Jane Goodall, Tiziano Terzani, Jean-Paul Sartre e, sì, Walter Bonatti. Persone e opere che non c'entrano nulla le une con le altre, ma che in qualche modo hanno dato un senso al mio percorso.
Walter Bonatti è stato un personaggio controverso. Amato e odiato da molti, solitario, sfuggente, la sua unica vera pace la trovava sulla cima di una montagna impossibile, sempre in bilico fra la vita e la morte. Sono state proprio le sue visioni a darmi quella sensazione che descrive Fitzgerald: non sono l'unica. Non sono l'unica a cui non vanno del tutto giù le regole caotiche della città, non sono l'unica che vuole di più.
Ho finito il libro proprio ieri, giorno dell'anniversario della sua morte.
Avresti compiuto 86 anni ieri, e anche se ormai sono rassegnata al fatto che non ti conoscerò mai, ti devo comunque ringraziare per quello che, inconsapevolmente, mi hai dato.
March 9, 2018
I think I would have liked to have met Walter Bonatti. He seemed to be a very thoughtful person with a beautiful soul.
If you've read The Conquest of K2 which is the "official" account of the Italians being the first to summit K2, I highly recommend reading Walter's book where he tells the true story of the details behind his unprecedented bivouac at 8,100 meters with the "Hunza Mahdi;" how Compagnoni and Lacedelli moved Camp 9 from the agreed upon location and didn't respond to the calls from Bonatti and Mahdi.
The book is written chronologically and each chapter discusses a separate climb/adventure. I'm used to mountaineering books which deal with one climb, so there are tons of details of every day, every step, every belay. This was a pleasant change because he uses only a few pages to tell his account of his climbs, i.e., his historic winter ascent of the north face of Mont Blanc.
Walter Bonatti is my new mountaineering hero.
If you've read The Conquest of K2 which is the "official" account of the Italians being the first to summit K2, I highly recommend reading Walter's book where he tells the true story of the details behind his unprecedented bivouac at 8,100 meters with the "Hunza Mahdi;" how Compagnoni and Lacedelli moved Camp 9 from the agreed upon location and didn't respond to the calls from Bonatti and Mahdi.
The book is written chronologically and each chapter discusses a separate climb/adventure. I'm used to mountaineering books which deal with one climb, so there are tons of details of every day, every step, every belay. This was a pleasant change because he uses only a few pages to tell his account of his climbs, i.e., his historic winter ascent of the north face of Mont Blanc.
Walter Bonatti is my new mountaineering hero.
May 30, 2016
Well-written and extremely thrilling accounts of a selection of climbs by Bonatti. Since he made me feel as if I were on each mountain with him, there now will be no need for me to attempt those summits. Bonatti is clearly one of the best mountain climbers who ever lived.
July 3, 2024
nie da się przejść obok doświadczeń autora obojętnie. wstrząsają one niezależnie od tego, czy opisywane nest zwycięstwo czy porażka. bonatti opisał to co widział, robił i czuł, a to wystarczyło do stworzenia i przeżycia historii wyjątkowej. jestem pewny, że doceniłbym ją tym bardziej, jeśli doświadczyłbym w życiu wspinaczki i alpinizmu. gdyż to, co osiągają ci ludzie - nawet nie w kontekście samego zdobywania gór, lecz wysiłku fizycznego i niebagatelnej siły woli i umysłu - jest niewyobrażalne
November 30, 2023
Libro intenso, ricco di descrizioni ed emozioni.
Particolarmente interessante l’appendice, fa riflettere.
Particolarmente interessante l’appendice, fa riflettere.
August 13, 2023
There were certainly times where the repeated descriptions of Bonatti’s various adventures became tedious but ultimately this is still an amazing book and insight into the mentality of a man who did amazing things throughout his life. His Farewell to Mountaineering is a masterful description on how to lead one’s life on it’s own terms.
November 6, 2020
Luin tätä kirjaa syksyn kiipeilyretkillä pitkin Eurooppaa. Historialliset ensinousut Alpeilta ovat huimaa luettavaa (aina on kylmä, nälkä ja lumimyrsky, tietysti). K2 ja varsinkin sen jälkipyykki käyvät puuduttavaksi luettavaksi.
July 3, 2023
"La montagna è stata per me soprattutto un motivo e un mezzo per andare oltre, per dare spazio alla mia curiosità. E qui riemerge il fatto che io sono, in fondo, un gran curioso."
August 20, 2007
Me and alpinism are the perfect oxymoron.
And yet I like so much reading about these kind of books in which adventure perfectly suits with wild life and danger.
Bonatti was the youngest alpinist of an Italian expedition which was the first in the world to reach the top of Hymalaian K2 in 1954. At that time the success of this expedition was followed a lot by the italian mass medias and public opinion which considered "the K2 conquerors" like national heroes.
Walter Bonatti never reached the top of K2. As a youngster, he was treated more as a local sherpa carrier than as a member of the expedition by his famous companions, Lacedelli and Compagnoni.
Suddenly they abandoned him at more than 8000 metres without oxygen or explanations. Bonatti survived, but his awful experience became like a black spot to clean up in the post K2 climbing tales. Furthermore Lacedelli and Compagnoni have always rejected Bonatti's accusations.
"The Mountains of my life" speaks about the controversial K2 episode, but has much more to offer. Reading at these pages you can feel the love, the symbiosis between Bonatti and some of the most known peaks in the world which have been all climbed by him, sometimes in unbelievable circumstances.
And yet I like so much reading about these kind of books in which adventure perfectly suits with wild life and danger.
Bonatti was the youngest alpinist of an Italian expedition which was the first in the world to reach the top of Hymalaian K2 in 1954. At that time the success of this expedition was followed a lot by the italian mass medias and public opinion which considered "the K2 conquerors" like national heroes.
Walter Bonatti never reached the top of K2. As a youngster, he was treated more as a local sherpa carrier than as a member of the expedition by his famous companions, Lacedelli and Compagnoni.
Suddenly they abandoned him at more than 8000 metres without oxygen or explanations. Bonatti survived, but his awful experience became like a black spot to clean up in the post K2 climbing tales. Furthermore Lacedelli and Compagnoni have always rejected Bonatti's accusations.
"The Mountains of my life" speaks about the controversial K2 episode, but has much more to offer. Reading at these pages you can feel the love, the symbiosis between Bonatti and some of the most known peaks in the world which have been all climbed by him, sometimes in unbelievable circumstances.
August 9, 2022
Un giorno mi sono innamorata di una frase, ho acquistato un libro di avventure e sono rimasta affascinata completamente dalla figura di Walter Bonatti. Un uomo avventuroso e amante della natura, un atleta eccezionale che ha scritto la storia dell’alpinismo scalando le montagne più difficili del mondo, ma sempre con rispetto e utilizzando solo ed esclusivamente lo stile tradizionale alpino. Un uomo che non è sceso mai a compromessi con niente e nessuno, sempre alla continua ricerca di emozioni, che non ha mai conosciuto il rimpianto perché ha realizzato tutti i suoi sogni.
Ho imparato a conoscerlo leggendo i suoi scritti e ascoltando le sue indimenticabili interviste e da allora ha scalato la vetta di tutti i miei idoli.
Questo libro è una raccolta di storie e ricordi delle sue imprese più indimenticabili, avventure che lasciano col fiato sospeso, mai banali o noiose. Storie belle e tristi ma ricche di sentimento e pathos. Leggendo questo libro non si può non innamorarsi della figura di questo incredibile e travolgente uomo che fino all’ultimo è rimasto fedele a se stesso, ai suoi principi e alle sue Montagne.
Insuperabile e indimenticabile.
Ho imparato a conoscerlo leggendo i suoi scritti e ascoltando le sue indimenticabili interviste e da allora ha scalato la vetta di tutti i miei idoli.
Questo libro è una raccolta di storie e ricordi delle sue imprese più indimenticabili, avventure che lasciano col fiato sospeso, mai banali o noiose. Storie belle e tristi ma ricche di sentimento e pathos. Leggendo questo libro non si può non innamorarsi della figura di questo incredibile e travolgente uomo che fino all’ultimo è rimasto fedele a se stesso, ai suoi principi e alle sue Montagne.
Insuperabile e indimenticabile.
March 18, 2024
Je pensais m'évader avec ce livre, or on garde sans cesse les pieds sur terre, enfoncés par tous les scandales que Bonati raconte. Jalousie, tricherie, mensonge. L'auteur aimerait que personne d'autre que lui puisse accomplir ses exploits. Un mec égocentrique et pénible à lire, qui se plaint sans arrêt. La beauté de ses ascensions est gâchée par son attitude. À la fin, son monologue est une accusation à tous les alpinistes. Il ne se rend pas compte que tout ce qu'il critique, il l'a fait lui-même, lors de ses ascensions, ou il l'aurait fait s'il avait eu les moyens techniques à l'époque. Dommage, parce que les histoires sont bien racontées.
April 5, 2020
Walter Bonatti was a pure soul, pure as the mountains that he hiked and climbed with a passion that not many people after him had.
A real book, written not only for those who love the mountains but for every human that feels the need of re-connecting for what’s important and real in life.
This is the story of a few of Walter’s achievements where he explains step by step how he got to those peaks, but most importantly what he went through as a human.
A real book, written not only for those who love the mountains but for every human that feels the need of re-connecting for what’s important and real in life.
This is the story of a few of Walter’s achievements where he explains step by step how he got to those peaks, but most importantly what he went through as a human.
May 31, 2017
Bonatti è semplicemente oltre. Leggere poi questo suo libro è come leggere Salgari (per il linguaggio!!)/Smith+ Aristotele messo insieme. Affascinante, ricco di suspence, colpi di scena, avventura pura con una colonna sonora di riflessioni stupende sul senso della vita - come solo il grande Walter riusciva ad esprimere. Sono di parte. Molto di parte. Lo so. Ma è Walter. Tutto il resto è noia.
November 12, 2024
Quelqu'un a-t-il relu cette traduction ? Le nombre de coquilles, c'est aberrant.. (je précise que ça n'influe pas la note puisque ce n'est pas la faute de Bonatti)
Histoires d'ascensions captivantes et impressionnantes certes, mais ton un peu trop condescendant, "l'alpinisme c'était mieux avant", "moi je respecte la montagne et pas vous", dommage.
Histoires d'ascensions captivantes et impressionnantes certes, mais ton un peu trop condescendant, "l'alpinisme c'était mieux avant", "moi je respecte la montagne et pas vous", dommage.
December 13, 2013
I am periodically hiking in different parts of world and although high mountains alpinism is a very long way away from my hiking experience, reading this book I was able frequently share the same feelings of awe before the beauty of our planet that only people going into mountains can appreciate.
March 8, 2024
I’ve read lots of climbing books and this rates up there with the translations of Bonatti’s contemporaries Buhl (Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage) and Terray (Conquistadors of the Useless).
Bonatti achieved some of the most incredible climbs of the 1950s and 60s. He was lauded by those who recognised his feats for what they were but twice was hung out to dry by his own national association.
This book, translated by the excellent Robert Marshall, tells Bonatti’s story from the teenager who repeated some of the hardest climbs in the Alps and then set standards unparalleled in climbing history (the impossible made possible), to the man who was involved in some of the most desperate acts of mountaineering survival in the Himalaya, Andes and most memorably on the slopes of Mont Blanc.
Like all geniuses Bonatti had his flaws - his being the adamant belief that assisted climbing techniques were tantamount to cheating. This clearly didn’t endear him to all but his story is remarkable.
One of the best in its genre
Bonatti achieved some of the most incredible climbs of the 1950s and 60s. He was lauded by those who recognised his feats for what they were but twice was hung out to dry by his own national association.
This book, translated by the excellent Robert Marshall, tells Bonatti’s story from the teenager who repeated some of the hardest climbs in the Alps and then set standards unparalleled in climbing history (the impossible made possible), to the man who was involved in some of the most desperate acts of mountaineering survival in the Himalaya, Andes and most memorably on the slopes of Mont Blanc.
Like all geniuses Bonatti had his flaws - his being the adamant belief that assisted climbing techniques were tantamount to cheating. This clearly didn’t endear him to all but his story is remarkable.
One of the best in its genre
May 20, 2021
Bonatti has unique and traditional ideas about climbing.
He includes the frustrating experience of false accusations regarding an ascent of
K2, leading to his sort of vindication.
Climbing for him is a spiritual experience which he describes very carefully and accurately reminding won a great deal of Saint-Exupéry. It is a very great pleasure to follow him on an assent of Mont Blanc...and watch him make a good decision in Patagonia.
The last bit of the book is a reaffirmation of his despising of modern mountaineering techniques to the exclusion of solving the problem of mountain climbing and rather wishing for the challenge to remain a challenge.
He includes the frustrating experience of false accusations regarding an ascent of
K2, leading to his sort of vindication.
Climbing for him is a spiritual experience which he describes very carefully and accurately reminding won a great deal of Saint-Exupéry. It is a very great pleasure to follow him on an assent of Mont Blanc...and watch him make a good decision in Patagonia.
The last bit of the book is a reaffirmation of his despising of modern mountaineering techniques to the exclusion of solving the problem of mountain climbing and rather wishing for the challenge to remain a challenge.
Read
September 12, 2021The first half of the book is very enjoyable. Early successes of unclimbed peaks, new ways up these mountains found by Bonatti. Nice little adventures in each chapter that had me on edge for his and others survival. Many thanks to the translator for his efforts to learn Italiano and get us these stories.
The second half of the book deals with the many years of battle the author spent trying to recover the honor of his name. Its devastating and disturbing to have to live with these problems. I couldn't cope with this half of the book.
The second half of the book deals with the many years of battle the author spent trying to recover the honor of his name. Its devastating and disturbing to have to live with these problems. I couldn't cope with this half of the book.
January 2, 2022
Incredibly well-written book. Bonatti has the ability to make you feel as if you were there with him on each climb, and shows the extreme conditions alpinists of those times had to put up with, and with very rudimentary equipment compared to today.
In the first part, each chapter recounts a different climb, while the second part goes into more detail about exactly what happened on the K2 expedition. It's tragic how he was defamed and forced to climb in relative isolation at such a young age, simply because of unfair and unnecessary accusations. Vergognatevi, CAI!
In the first part, each chapter recounts a different climb, while the second part goes into more detail about exactly what happened on the K2 expedition. It's tragic how he was defamed and forced to climb in relative isolation at such a young age, simply because of unfair and unnecessary accusations. Vergognatevi, CAI!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2017
I had to read this book both in English (the first purchased) and in Italian (understand a very technical book about a subject I'm not that familiar with was a bit too much). Despite some mistranslations, the English edition was richer and provided more context to the numerous feats accomplished by Bonatti, and also came with photos that were not included in my Italian version. All and all, I'm happy I was able to read them both.
September 22, 2017
Libro stupendo, non solo nei contenuti che comunque rimangono asciutti seppur coinvolgenti. Ma nell’esempio di un uomo coerente fino in fondo, che non è mai sceso a compromessi con se stesso o con gli stereotipi che andavano di moda al suo tempo. Credo e penso che possa essere considerato uno stile di vita da prendere come riferimento anche nelle nostro quotidiano, che può essere distante dai suoi luoghi ma molto vicino nello stile di vita.
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