As someone who was into Crowley when I was 13-14 (and then read up on him again as an adult)- he was a genuinely interesting person, kind of a Renaissance man f

As someone who was into Crowley when I was 13-14 (and then read up on him again as an adult)- he was a genuinely interesting person, kind of a Renaissance man for his time, while of course also being an utter loon. For instance he was a genuine mountaineer, not just a dilettante, and I believe held a record on K2 for a time. He was also pretty ahead of his time in absorbing wisdom from Indian & Chinese cultures, something that was probably less appreciated in a more Western-centric era. He was also kinda ahead of his time with hard drugs.... Interestingly, he met L Ron Hubbard towards the end of his life, and apparently judged the man as a con artist, FWIW