Cesare Maestri Responds to Critics

Italian Cesare Maestri, who has been a the center of a climbing controversy for more than 45 years, has responded to the latest round of criticism leveled against him in an interview conducted by National Geographic Adventure. Maestri, who is considered one of the all time great climbers, claims to have summitted Cerro Torre, a daunting peak in Argentine Patagonia, in 1959. During the descent, he says that his climbing partner, Toni Egger, was swept off the mountain by an avalanche, and with him went their only camera, and the only proof that they had reached the summit. Since that time, their has been rampant speculation as to the validity of his claims. The mountain was besieged by awful weather, and is a dangerous, extremely difficult, technical climb.

Well, a few months ago a team of young Italians actually did make it to the summit, and they reported that they saw no bolts on the way to the top, nor did they find a can, that Maestri reported to have left there. This has sparked another round of infighting in the climbing community, as Maestri and his critics continue to exchange barbs. The interview posted above is clearly hostile on Maestri's part, and does little to convince anyone either way, but the "expert opinion" following it is pretty telling.