“I went to the mountains as a child and now it’s too late to stop,” says Reinhold Messner. The extreme mountaineer became famous for having climbed all 14 eight-thousanders, even without oxygen masks and being the first to do so on some of them. But the fact that he also made it to the South Pole and through the Gobi Desert shows that it was not just the mountains that fascinated him. This man wanted to explore the extreme ends of the earth – and he managed to do so, even under extraordinary conditions.
“In contrast to modern adventurers, Reinhold Messner is less concerned with records than with being exposed to as untouched natural landscapes as possible and travelling with a minimum of equipment,” his website continues. “He followed Albert Frederick Mummery’s proclaimed ‘By fair means’ on Nanga Parbat, Fridtjof Nansen’s ‘Call of the North’ into the pack ice of the Arctic and crossed the Antarctic via the South Pole based on an idea by Ernest Henry Shackleton.”
Reinhold Messner had rope partners, but also envious people
Reinhold Messner’s most important tours included those with Peter Habeler (Mount Everest, 1978), Hans Kammerlander (the double crossing of the eight-thousanders Gasherbrum II and Hidden Peak, 1984) and Arved Fuchs (the Antarctic tour via the South Pole, 1989). However, Messner felt that the publications about the tours were misrepresented: In the case of Peter Habeler, whose book “The Lonely Victory” was written by a ghostwriter, there was never a correction despite the discussion – probably because the book sold better with Messner as the enemy.
Not only did his climbing and hiking partners occasionally have a different opinion of Messner’s accounts, even his fellow mountaineers had their doubts about their accuracy. They wondered whether Messner had really been on Nanga Parbat and demanded proof. However, Messner was able to provide it in the form of photos.
A life as unique and successful as that of Reinhold Messner also raises doubts about his credibility. All doubts have probably been dispelled long ago.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
