On 31 July 1954 Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli reached the summit of K2, 8,611 metres, for the first time on the 1954 Italian expedition to K2 but for over fifty years the 1954 Italian Karakora
Compagnoni (left) and Lacedelli, frostbitten on their return from the summit of K2
Desio returning to Italy after the expedition
Oxygen equipment on summit (1954)
Bonatti in 1965
Walter Bonatti
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Walter Bonatti was an Italian mountaineer, alpinist, explorer and journalist. He was noted for many climbing achievements, including a solo climb of a new alpine climbing route on the south-west pilla
1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy
…expedition. That the climbers did indeed reach the summit was never in dispute. Initially there were complaints from one of the members of the expedition, Walter Bonatti, about how he felt the report overlooked the importance of his and Amir Mahdi's roles in enabling the climb to be successful. Bonatti also complained…
Walter Bonatti in 1964
North Face of the Grandes Jorasses. The Walker Spur, climbed by Bonatti in 1949, is number 9.
Grand Capucin
Position of Camp IX and of the unplanned Bonatti-Mehdi open bivouac