Comments on: The Compressor Route chopped… more thoughts

By: A short history of Cerro Torre, the world’s most controversial mountain | Mark Horrell

Fri, 19 Jun 2015 08:58:18 +0000

[…] them the chance just because they are better climbers and have different beliefs? One respected climbing historian asked the question “should we flatten the Pyramids because they were built with slave […]

By: Nicola Ciancaglini

Nicola Ciancaglini — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:33:58 +0000

In reply to Gregory.

… as if it were the Italians that go around the world imposing their way of doing, going and think about everything…

Regardless, excellent post and very compelling reply by Steph.

Nic

By: Drew Peacock

Drew Peacock — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 16:04:55 +0000

It is a tricky question as to the removal of the bolts. Personally, I think that that was a very important part of climbing history so it should have been left alone. The best climbing is in Awesome Montgomery.

Montgomery is awesome!!

By: Gregory

Gregory — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:02:00 +0000

In reply to E Aldrich. Interesting thought about temptation... I succumbed, and I had one of the best experiences of my entire life. Then I went around and had an equally excellent experience on the West Face.

By: E Aldrich

E Aldrich — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:39:06 +0000

I posted on the Supertopo thread, but feel you and others like Steph have revealed a more nuanced and mature vision of climbing history here. Actions taken by ‘advocates’ of any stripe have a way of aggravating the general consensus, and often over time their strident views look more and more out of touch with the community. Maestri was obviously out of line, even for his era, but I think it would have been both more appropriate and more relevant had someone promptly removed the Compressor route at that point in time. For climbers who weren’t even born yet to make this “statement” today seems misguided and overindulgent. Yes, the route was generally ‘dissed from the start; unfortunately, akin to the “Trade Route” up Everest, its existence became an attractive nuisance that provided the most accessible avenue up a classic mountain, and the traffic reveals the tastes and inclinations of the masses, a ‘statement’ in itself. If the throngs had boycotted the line, except for “fair means” attempts, the subsequent chopping might have been in accord with popular sentiment. Unfortunately, the use of that route evolved into something very different from Maestri’s dubious purpose, and the current ‘statement’ came 40 years too late.
It seemed appropriate, somehow, that by its existence the Comp’ Route was a form of temptation – test yourself, resist, or succumb. Try to convince yourself you’d done a real climb, but know that you were always compromising something.

In many ways, Maestri’s taint on that mountain contaminates the route to this day; his ghost darkens the ridge and the hearts of climbers, so that no matter how the thing is approached, something bad and unsavory comes along. The mountain is great, and legendary, but that route is cursed, perhaps best left unrepeated and ignored, whatever one’s ostensible style.

By: Gregory

Gregory — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:07:23 +0000

In reply to gianni battimelli.

What a fine comment, Gianni. Thank you for checking in. Totally fabulous that you’re a long-time reader of Ascent. I really enjoyed writing that story — and I especially enjoyed working with Steve Roper, who’s an excellent editor. Very happy to hear that it communicates inspiration and good feelings to you, even after all this time. I had a marvelous experience on the Compressor Route. One of the highlights of my life.

And don’t worry about your English. To my shame, it’s a lot better than my Italian.

Cheers, Greg

By: gianni battimelli

gianni battimelli — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:39:55 +0000

Hi Greg, I’m a moderate climber from Italy, who never has been to Patagonia and most likely never will, and in any case no longer to climb on Torre or anywhere else, being now well over 60… Days ago, in the burst of revived interest about this story spurred by the chopping and all the fuss about it, I went again on your story on the “Cerro Torre Odissey” on Ascent (yeah, I’m one of the few proud Italian owners, collectors and estimators of that revered journal, which since 1970 has always been one of my main sources of inspiration) and I just want to say how the good feelings emerging from that reading contrast with most of the (verbal) violence, acritical thinking and aggressive behaviour found on too many of the comments I could read these days on the matter, especially on supertopo…
Ah, and regarding that, please be sure that no one irate climber from Italy will actually go and chop the bolts on the Nose in retaliation… It was just, from the part of the people who kept raising this argument, a way to confront the “pure ethical elitists” with one among the several contradictory realities that some would ignore and on the contrary, in my humble opinion, are the sauce of this crazy world of climbing.
Sorry for the fuzzy logic of this post, english not being my mother language it is sometimes hard to render properly the nuances of thoughts that are not black-and-white cut.

By: Michael Freeman

Michael Freeman — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 02:01:13 +0000

In reply to Gregory.

I’m still in c-dale, CO. Though I rarely surface anymore. I heard this news at a gym and just had to open my big mouth.

I’m not much for social networking, blogs, posts, etc., etc. I just use e-mail: justsendit@mac.com

By: Gregory

Gregory — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:44:36 +0000

In reply to Michael Freeman. THE Mike Freeman? Where are you at these days? Would love to get caught up. Cheers, GC

By: Michael Freeman

Michael Freeman — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:25:19 +0000

I occasionally read and hear about this stuff from time-to-time and think to myself … it just never ends, does it? Ahhhh … it’s good to be an “armchair crag rat!”
–mf