In reply to antoniusblock:
> (In reply to Luca Signorelli)
> [...]
>
> Its not what you do right, but what you do wrong that will stay with famous climbers. Cesare Maestri created a massive controversy over the ethics of climbing (twice). Apart from the Cerro Torre controversies, I know nothing of what Maestri did. As far as most people are concerned, that is all they know about him. Which is how they will remember him.
I understand well that the Cerro Torre thing is/was a massive faux pas in terms of ethics (but does anyone ever put that in the early 70's context?). But again, Maestri did so many things beside bolting Cerro Torre, that at least form the point of view of an Italian who's more or less outside all the politics of the Dolomites scene, is difficult to escape the gut feeling he'll get forever trashed more because the way he rubbed everyone the wrong way back home (because he's a loudmouth, brash, politically incorrect, publicity seeking extraordinary climber, with the added stigma he's been succesful in a lot of things beside climbing) rather than just the fact that he was "just" an extraordinary climber...
The self defeating attitude of - part of - the Italian climbing scene will never cease to amaze me (and yes, the Claudio Corti affair was partially borne out of this attitude, if you've ever wondered that)