Robinson William Leggatt

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Biografie:
William Leggatt Robinson (1902-1992)
Robin Robinson began climbing in Britain in 1921, enthusiastically and methodically, words which characterise everything he undertook. In 1937 Dr. Tom Longstaff encouraged him to take to high mountaineering. This led to his first, guided, alpine climbs in 1939, when his ascents included Mont Blanc, Aiguille du Tacul and Aiguille de I'M. During those pre-war years, because of his abiding interest in Italian art, literature and music, he also learned the Italian language. Thus the war found him in Himachal Pradesh in charge of two thousand Italian prisoners of war. His recounting of their stories was inexhaustible.
He went mostly to Italian mountains after the war in alternate years. (In the non-climbing years he and his wife travelled extensively in Europe, 'avid for culture' he would say laughingly, especially Romanesque churches.) Between 1947 and 1962 he climbed Adamello, Presanella, Grivola, Gran Paradiso and Monte Rosa (Punta Gnifetti) as well as Wildspitze and the Breithorn, always with guides, in addition to much exploration of the Val d'Aosta and the Dolomites by himself.
Then in 1973 he started again with a guided crossing of the Nuovo Weisstor pass from Macugnaga to Gornergrat with my wife and me. He said we had inspired him to a new lease of life. In truth, of course, it was he who had inspired us. Four years later we made an easy ascent of Cevedale together.
Robin's election to the Alpine Club in 1978, largely for his long experience and continuing enthusiasm, was a source of deep satisfaction. He responded by giving what assistance he could, such as preparing indices for volumes of the Alpine Journal, helping with its editing and translating and reviewing Italian books.
For eight of the next ten seasons we spent part of our mountain holidays together. In 1978, alone on the Sentiero Roma above Val Masino, he fell while cutting steps on hard snow between the Gianetti and Allievi huts and was slightly injured. After a laborious descent to San Martino he was taken to hospital to be patched up. That experience did not put him off.
1980 saw the conclusion of his lengthy exploration of all the side valleys of the Val d'Aosta. In 1981, in the woods above St Barthelemy, north of Nus, we chanced to meet a forester, one of his prisoners of war nearly 40 years earlier. In the Graian Alps in 1984 we embarked on a walk south from Ceresole Reale across the top of the Stura valleys, but had underestimated the difficulty of the terrain. Our first night was spent in exquisite discomfort in a cowherd's stone shelter. The three quarter-bottles of champagne I was carrying helped to atone for the hardship, but we abandoned that exploration the following day. Snowstorms had frustrated our attempts on Ortles in 1978 and Pyramide Vincent in 1982, and in 1985 we failed to climb Monte Viso from the Quintino Sella Hut. That was our last expedition together. Robin's last was based on Terme di Valdieri (Alpi Marittime) in 1987, his eighty-fifth year. His 'annual reports' - discursive, informative, amusing and reflective - were a delight to read. I treasure my copies.
Robin's last visit to the Club, appropriately, was for the Italian evening in November 1991. He died on II October 1992 after a short illness, five days after his 90th birthday, barely four months after his wife's death. He was a generous and considerate friend, ever the gentleman.
Alan Harris
Quelle: Alpine Journal Vol. 98, 1993, Seite 337-338


Geboren am:
1902
Gestorben am:
11.10.1992