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Cerro Torre: the mountaineering community's response

bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065

my point is that lama's accomplishments seems like they are getting downplayed around north america ,,,,

all people can seem to talk about is bolting ... if lama comes up, its like "sport weenie, not a real climb, he just did a boulder problem" or something along those lines

i dont care too much about the bolts ...

but i do care about FFAs ... and lama's seems to be quite respectable ...

and i personally dont like his personality too much from what ive seen in the vids ... but he got it done

i hate to say it, but if it isnt done by one of their own, i dont think people here care too much about FFAs ... especially if we can have more fun discussing "fair means" and bolts ...

Brian Croce · · san diego, CA · Joined Aug 2011 · Points: 60

the fact that maestri sat on cerro torre with a compressor drill and bolted an entire route, then without even finishing said route claimed a FA, is ludicris in the first place.

Who gives a rats ass if this dumbasses route was chopped? It should have been eons ago.

Ryan Williams · · London (sort of) · Joined May 2009 · Points: 1,245

I have always thought David Lama was a tool... always hated him. Not for what he did to Cerro Torre but for what he did to a beautiful mountain in Malaysia and for how he left the local community there without any way to climb or profit from his bolting bonanza.

But even I can see that he has grown, matured, and now understands how to treat not only the mountains, but other climbers and communities. I take my hat off to him for attempting and succeding in learning and growing as a person and a climber. I am happy for him and amazed at his accomplishment. He has taken alpine free climbing to a new level in an honorable way.

I don't know who the other two guys are. All I know about them is that Kennedy seems to be a pretty good alpinist and that they didn't free the route...

Johny Q · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2011 · Points: 35
superkick wrote:the fact that maestri sat on cerro torre with a compressor drill and bolted an entire route, then without even finishing said route claimed a FA, is ludicris in the first place. Who gives a rats ass if this dumbasses route was chopped? It should have been eons ago.
Likewise who gives a crap if it was aid-climbed again?

The news, in case you crusty mountain-men missed it, is that a young man actully climbed that mountain. Now that, is impressive.
James Arnold · · Chattanooga · Joined Dec 2008 · Points: 55
"100% of those who agree found to be in agreement on Cerro Torre."

One of the best things I've read this year...especially in the context of the url...

Funny to me to watch DL get castigated last year all over sites, people all on a warpath to boycott red bull, hatred for the "sporty" fella then the kid comes back and well, fires the rig.

In great style. JMO. Congrats, Mr. Lama. Who will be the first to repeat I guess, is the next question...probably no one on that "list"...who knows?

Not until a few metres beneath the snowfield, approximately 20 metres above my last solid friend, I’m able to connect two stoppers, a pin and a cam as my last placement.

I'm not lining up, that's for sure....bueller...anyone?
topher donahue · · Nederland, CO · Joined Sep 2007 · Points: 210
Scott O wrote: Why, then, is there objection to chopping the route?
I object because the bolt chopping in El Chalten will inspire the same thing that followed the bolt wars in the 80s in the US - climbing regulation. My guess is that within 2 years we'll have climbing permit fees and climbing rules managed by the National Park in El Chalten. To me, regulation and fees is a bigger problem for "free" climbing than a bolt ladder from 1970.

If somebody wanted to do a restoration project down there, it would have been a much more well-received choice to remove the hundreds of meters of Ferrari's cable ladders from Fitz Roy's east pillar and all the alpinist trash, broken cable ladders, and rotting gear stashes from Paso Superior. For some reason, all the activists and luminaries don't seem to mind these much more visible alpinist messes.
BJ Sbarra · · Carbondale, CO · Joined Aug 2006 · Points: 671

Maybe this will clear things up for some of you:

Cerro Torre For Dummies (& Non-Alpinists)

bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065
planetmountain.com/english/…

more thread necro ... mister bridwell's article on the chopping ...

In brief I would say; it is not a right to change or destroy someone else’s creation, it only takes away the right of all others to repeat Maestri's route.

and a new FA from that sport weenie lama ...

alpinist.com/doc/web12w/new…

Nighttime temperatures plummeted; while leading the next morning's first rope length Lama "couldn't feel [his] fingers." Protection opportunities gradually became rarer and rarer. "Looking down, I could barely see my last piece of gear," reports Lama. Ortner took the lead for the next pitch, encountering the same freezing temperatures and runout climbing. The pair continued for another six pitches until the climbing above looked altogether impossible. After a long traverse to more accessible terrain, Lama and Ortner settled onto a ledge and spent their second night on the wall.



^^^ nice sport route ;)
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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