Jim Bridwell's Opinion on Cerro Torre

[gnarnaphobe]

http://www.planetmountain.com/english/N ... eyid=39298

Climbing and mountaineering legend Jim Bridwells opinion on cerro torre as well as life..

[squamish climber]

Interesting piece of writing. The article could use a good editor. I also get the feeling this editorial is from an Italian translation, and the translator took some liberty in translating it.

Jim Bridwell suggests Jason Kruk and Hayden Kennedy were idealistic and ignorant of history and FA ethics. But then Bridwell admits his own ignorance in the first paragraph:

Certainly I would need far more knowledge of what these American climbers did on the climb, to render more than what would amount to ignorant prejudice. I don’t know if they climbed the original route to the summit or if there were variations or if they removed mostly bolts from the various filming exploits. Nor am I certain how many bolts might have been added since I was last on the climb, thirty-three years ago.

So Bridwell confesses he has not read their account of the climb, nor the recent history of the mountain and states to make a judgement without knowing these things would amount to 'ignorant prejudice'. That doesn't seem to give him much pause before launching into a critique against the bolt removal. Referring to Kruk and Kennedy as Americans doesn't help with his credibility either on the bolt removal controversy.

[gnarnaphobe]

Yep Birdwells opinions on the situation are broad, but they clearly illustrate his opinion on the subject.