Mario Locatelli | The Mountain Goat Chronicles

Published: April 10, 2009

Bitterroot Valley mountaineer Mario Locatelli, known to many as “the Montana Mountain Goat,” has ascended 50 of the highest peaks in the United States, plus Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, since reaching the age of 70 (he’s now 76). And in his lifetime, he’s climbed 48 of those peaks twice.

He recounts his many climbing exploits, which include being buried alive in an avalanche in the Bitterroot Mountains, in his new book, The Mountain Goat Chronicles.

Locatelli was born in Italy and arrived in America as a youngster. His stories reflect the author’s boundless energy (he was the oldest person to ever climb Denali until last year, when a Japanese climber bested his record by one year) and deep respect and enthusiasm for the outdoors.

In addition to his climbing adventures, the engaging book recounts how he established the Mountain Goat endurance hike in the Bitterroot Mountains to raise money for charity, hunted big-game animals in Montana and Alaska, participated in search-and-rescue efforts in Ravalli County, and learned the ways of wayward pack animals and “pesky, pesky wood ticks.”

His daughter, Cathy Locatelli, wrote three chapters, and Mario credits his wife, Liesa, with helping him write the rest of the book. A 16-page color section shows Locatelli atop mountain peaks throughout the West. The book sells for $12.95; visit www.stoneydale.com for details.