The Italian team that conquered K2 in 1954. Lino Lacedelli standing, eight from the left, Walter Bonatti on his right side. (Photo: the Granger collection)

They say that there are bold climbers and there are old climbers – but there are not too many old, bold climbers. One of the very few, Lino Lacedelli, passed away on November 20th.

Mount Everest News: “After several failed attempts, K2 was finally summited in 1954 by the Italians, Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni. There has been a debate about the events that took place on that first climb ever since.” Read the full story here.

Telegraph: “A decade later the rumours and accusations became public when a newspaper article alleged that Bonatti had tried to steal the summit attempt. Bonatti sued for libel and won, but the full story did not come out until 2004, when Lacedelli published his book K2 – The Price of Victory. In it he revealed that the oxygen ran out not because of Bonatti’s sabotage, but because the route was so long and the climbing so tough that he and Compagnoni had simply exhausted the canisters. In 2008 Lacedelli’s and Bonatti’s version of the story was finally officially recognised by the Italian National Alpine Club.”
Read the full story here.

You will learn that controversy was no news already back in 1954. The legendary Walter Bonatti’s involvement in the story is interesting indeed.

Rest in peace, Lino Lacedelli, a great mountaineer and most likely a decend dude generally, too.

P.S. Mikko, thanks for tipping the occasion the other day.