Social media was flooded with messages and tributes to Mr. Ghezzi, who had taken part in mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas of Nepal and Pakistan as well as in the mountains of Peru, Chile and Bolivia. He was a keen trail runner and had climbed 5,600 climbs in Monte Grigna for 40 years. “I think we will really believe that he is gone only when we do not see him arrive tomorrow with his backpack and a smile on his face,” said Alex Torricini, director of Rifugio Brioschi, the refuge at the top of the mountain. “We were preparing to have a party for his 70th birthday, which he was going to celebrate on July 4. “When he did not return and we saw the helicopter, we knew something terrible had happened.” Alberto Locatelli, a photographer who covered Mr. Ghezzi’s endurance achievements, said: “I’m not surprised he fell while going to help someone. “He was like that – generous and altruistic.” A former warehouse worker, his record-breaking mountain climbs are officially recognized by the Italian Alpine Club or Club Alpino Italiano. “I climb the mountain because it is close to my house and because from the top there is a wonderful panorama,” he said in an interview.
