Ricardo Cassin Passes 8/7/2009

[Nif]

Good-bye to a mountaineering great....

Planet Mountain is an italian web-site so if you look at the date on top of the first article it is day/month format.

http://planetmountain.com/english/News/shownews1.lasso?l2&keyid=36910

http://www.climbing.com/community/perspective/riccardo_cassin-the_full_interview/index.html

 

[J.Dub]

Founder of the Cassin equipment company and namesake of the Cassin Ridge on K2. One of the original Lecco Spiders and all-around mountaineering legend.

And 100 years young when he died.

Rest in peace, Ricardo.

 

[Nif]

and namesake of the Cassin Ridge on K2

Rest in peace, Ricardo.

Actually Denali, not sure if he ever made it to K2, I know he missed the Italian expedition that got the FA, but in 100 years he did not miss out on a lot, that's for sure.....

 

[Chip]

(At age 99) You might think that with him confined to a wheelchair, Cassin’s spirit might be broken, but when you ask Cassin how he feels, he smiles and says he is happy to be alive and that it was just four years ago when 30 minutes of push-ups and sit-ups were part of his morning routine. That is why at 85 he was able to climb the 5.10b Luna Nascente, in Val di Mello, Italy

HOLY HAPPY LONG LIFE, BATMAN !

Thanks for the link, excellent articles.

 

[J.Dub]

Actually Denali, not sure if he ever made it to K2, I know he missed the Italian expedition that got the FA, but in 100 years he did not miss out on a lot, that's for sure.....

D'OH! Fingers typing faster than brain is working, evidently.

Yes, Cassin Ridge on Denali. He did miss out on the K2 FA expedition due to some health issue, IIRC. I'm pretty sure he was on a FA expedition to one of the other 8,000M peaks, though. Maybe one of the Gasherbrums?

And climbing a .10b at age 85....!?!? Dayum, I don't think even the great Fred Beckey is doing that!

 

[JohnL]

Yes, Cassin Ridge on Denali. He did miss out on the K2 FA expedition due to some health issue, IIRC. I'm pretty sure he was on a FA expedition to one of the other 8,000M peaks, though. Maybe one of the Gasherbrums?

If you read between the lines of this quote by Cassin, it would appear that the cardiac problem was trumped up to keep him off the team. Desio (IMHO from what I have read of the expedition) appeared to be the type who did not want to be upstaged or have his leadership challenged. "In 1952, he [ Ardito Desio, the expedition leader] had taken me to the Himalaya to sketch the route, organize the expedition, and [figure out] the material to bring. Before we left for Kathmandu, he sent me to do a physical in Rome, where I was told I had some cardiac problems and had to stay home while the expedition members conquered the mountain."

Cassin led a successful expedition to Gasherbrum IV (not an 8K peak). Summiters were Walter Bonatti and Carlo Mauri, coincidentally on Aug 6 of 1958.

JohnL

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Yes, Cassin Ridge on Denali. He did miss out on the K2 FA expedition due to some health issue, IIRC. I'm pretty sure he was on a FA expedition to one of the other 8,000M peaks, though. Maybe one of the Gasherbrums?

If you read between the lines of this quote by Cassin, it would appear that the cardiac problem was trumped up to keep him off the team. Desio (IMHO from what I have read of the expedition) appeared to be the type who did not want to be upstaged or have his leadership challenged. "In 1952, he [ Ardito Desio, the expedition leader] had taken me to the Himalaya to sketch the route, organize the expedition, and [figure out] the material to bring. Before we left for Kathmandu, he sent me to do a physical in Rome, where I was told I had some cardiac problems and had to stay home while the expedition members conquered the mountain."

Cassin led a successful expedition to Gasherbrum IV (not an 8K peak). Summiters were Walter Bonatti and Carlo Mauri, coincidentally on Aug 6 of 1958.

JohnL

The VftT thread a few months ago on Achille Compagnoni's passing got me re-interested in the K2 expedition of 1954 (ex., see book at link below), in which Walter Bonatti was ostracized by the leaders of the expedition. I think that things would have been a lot different if Ricardo Cassin had been there.

http://www.amazon.com/K2-Price-Conquest-Lino-Lacedelli/dp/1594850305

 

[cbcbd]

Very sad. What a life. I'll have to let my climbing partner know... he's a huge Cassin fan. Even more reason for us to climb "his" ridge next year in commemoration.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Yes, Cassin Ridge on Denali. He did miss out on the K2 FA expedition due to some health issue, IIRC. I'm pretty sure he was on a FA expedition to one of the other 8,000M peaks, though. Maybe one of the Gasherbrums?


The VftT thread a few months ago on Achille Compagnoni's passing got me re-interested in the K2 expedition of 1954 (ex., see book at link below), in which Walter Bonatti was ostracized by the leaders of the expedition. I think that things would have been a lot different if Ricardo Cassin had been there.

http://www.amazon.com/K2-Price-Conquest-Lino-Lacedelli/dp/1594850305

Here is another book that I am now reading, which includes the 1954 K2 ascent from Bonatti's point of view, which I favor.

http://www.amazon.com/Mountains-Lif...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249955101&sr=1-1