Reinhold Messner

Reinhold Andreas Messner, born on September 17, 1944, is an Italian climber, explorer, and author from the German-speaking province of South Tyrol. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest mountaineers of all time.

Messner achieved many amazing feats in his climbing career. He made the first solo ascent of Mount Everest and, together with Peter Habeler, was the first to climb Everest without using extra oxygen. He was also the first person to climb all 14 of the eight-thousanders without extra oxygen.

In addition to his mountain climbing, Messner explored many tough places. He crossed Antarctica and Greenland without using snowmobiles or dog sleds, and he even crossed the Gobi Desert alone.

Messner has written more than 80 books about his adventures. He received many awards for his achievements, including the 2nd Piolet d'Or Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 and the Princess of Asturias Award in Sports in 2018, which he shared with Krzysztof Wielicki. From 1999 to 2004, he served as a member of the European Parliament for north-east Italy, representing the Federation of the Greens.

Early life and education

Reinhold Messner was born into a German-speaking family in St. Peter, Villnöß, near Brixen in South Tyrol, which is part of Italy. He was the second of nine children and grew up with a love for climbing in the Alps and the Dolomites. His father took him to his first mountain summit when he was just five years old.

When Reinhold was 13, he started climbing with his younger brother Günther. By their early twenties, both were among Europe’s best climbers. Since the 1960s, Messner has supported a style of climbing called alpine style in the Himalayas, using very little equipment and help. He felt that the usual way of climbing, which he called “siege tactics,” was not respectful to nature and the mountains. He was inspired by Hermann Buhl in his approach to climbing.

Career

Reinhold Messner began his climbing career in the Alps, where he completed over 500 climbs between 1960 and 1964, mostly in the Dolomites. He achieved many first ascents in the Alps, including new routes on famous mountains like the Ortler and Grandes Jorasses.

Messner's career took a major turn in 1970 when he joined an expedition to Nanga Parbat. Though he and his brother reached the summit, the journey was difficult, and his brother did not survive the descent. Messner later became known for climbing without extra oxygen. In 1978, he and Peter Habeler reached the top of Mount Everest without oxygen, a feat many thought impossible. Messner also made the first solo climb of Everest in 1980.

Messner went on to achieve many other milestones. He was the first person to climb all fourteen peaks over 8,000 meters tall without extra oxygen. He also crossed Antarctica on skis and has written many books about his adventures. In 2006, he founded the Messner Mountain Museum to protect and preserve mountain regions around the world.

Expeditions

Ascents above 8,000m

Reinhold Messner was the first person to climb all fourteen of the world’s highest mountains, called the eight-thousanders, and he did this without using extra oxygen. Each of his climbs was also among the first twenty times each mountain had ever been climbed.

Other expeditions since 1970

Messner has traveled to many mountains around the world since 1970. Some of his trips include journeys to the mountains of Iran, Nepal, New Guinea, Pakistan, and East Africa. He made the first climb of Noshaq in the Hindu Kush and the first climb of the West Pillar of Marmolada. He climbed the south wall of Aconcagua and the North Face of Eiger with Peter Habeler. He also made first climbs on Denali, Kilimanjaro, and Ama Dablam.

Messner has explored many places, including Tibet, the Hoggar Mountains in Africa, the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang, and the Arctic. He has also crossed Antarctica and made trips to Bhutan, Greenland, and many other places around the world.

Climbs

Nanga Parbat

Reinhold Messner took five trips to climb Nanga Parbat. He reached the top in 1970 and again in 1978, this time alone. In the other years, he did not make it to the top.

Rupal Face 1970

In 1970, Messner joined an expedition to climb the very high Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat. He and his brother Günther reached the top together. When they came down, Günther did not make it, but Reinhold survived.

Solo climb in 1978

In 1978, after three tries, Messner finally reached the top of Nanga Parbat by himself.

Manaslu

In 1972, Messner climbed Manaslu on its south face. One of his friends had to turn back, and two others got lost in a storm and never returned.

Gasherbrum I

With Peter Habeler, Messner climbed Gasherbrum I in 1975. They were the first to climb an eight-thousander mountain without extra oxygen.

Mount Everest

In 1978, Messner and Habeler were the first people to climb Mount Everest without extra oxygen. Two years later, Messner climbed it alone.

K2

Messner tried to climb K2 in 1979 using a new path, but bad weather made this difficult.

Shishapangma

In 1979, Messner explored Shishapangma. The next year, he and a friend reached the top in difficult weather.

Kangchenjunga

In 1982, Messner tried to be the first person to climb three very high mountains in one year. He started with Kangchenjunga, but it was very hard and his friend got hurt.

Gasherbrum II

Messner climbed Gasherbrum II later in 1982 with two friends.

Broad Peak

Also in 1982, Messner climbed Broad Peak.

Cho Oyu

In the winter of 1982–83, Messner tried to be the first to climb Cho Oyu in winter but had to turn back. A few months later, he reached the top with two friends.

Annapurna

In 1985, Messner climbed Annapurna with a friend.

Dhaulagiri

Messner finally reached the top of Dhaulagiri in 1985 after trying before.

Makalu

Messner tried to climb Makalu several times but only succeeded in 1986.

Lhotse

In 1986, Messner climbed Lhotse and became the first person to climb all fourteen very high mountains.

The Seven Summits

In 1985, someone suggested a challenge to climb the highest mountain on each continent. Messner suggested a harder list of mountains to climb instead. He completed his list in 1986.

World-first records

Reinhold Messner is listed seven times in the Guinness Book of Records. All of his achievements are called "World's Firsts," which is the highest category of any Guinness World Record. As of 2021, Messner is the second highest record holder of "World's Firsts." His world firsts include:

• First ascent of Manaslu without extra oxygen
• First solo climb to the top of Everest
• First climb of Everest and K2 without extra oxygen
• First climb of the top three highest mountains without extra oxygen
• First climb of three 8,000-metre mountains in a row
• First climb of Everest without extra oxygen
• First climb of Gasherbrum I without extra oxygen

Guinness World Records changed the status of the record for climbing all fourteen 8000 metre plus peaks after research suggested Messner did not reach the true summit of Annapurna in 1985.

Record controversy

For many years, Guinness World Records said that Reinhold Messner was the first person to climb all 14 of the world's tallest mountains. These mountains are higher than 8,000 meters. Messner finished these climbs in 1986, starting in 1970. But Messner never really tried to be a record holder. Many climbers feel that chasing records isn’t the main point of climbing.

In 2023, Guinness World Records changed its mind. They decided that another climber, Ed Viesturs, should be called the first person to climb all 14 mountains. They based this on work by a man named Eberhard Jurgalski. He studied old photos and GPS data to guess where the true tops of the mountains were. He thought Messner had not reached the actual top of three mountains, but Viesturs had.

But many climbers, including Messner and Viesturs, disagreed with Jurgalski’s ideas. Jurgalski had never climbed these mountains himself, and other climbers said his methods were not right. Mountains can change over time, and there are also cultural ideas about what counts as a true summit. For example, Viesturs chose not to step on the very top of one mountain because local people asked him not to, even though he easily could have.

Later, Jurgalski changed some of his ideas. He said it was too hard to know the exact top of some mountains and that a “summit zone” of about 200 meters was a better way to think about it. Because of this, he said Messner should be recognized as the record holder forever.

Even though Jurgalski changed his mind and Viesturs said Messner should still be recognized, Guinness World Records still says Viesturs is the record holder.

Messner Mountain Museum

Main article: Messner Mountain Museum

In 2003, Reinhold Messner began creating a special museum about mountains. The Messner Mountain Museum opened on June 11, 2006. It tells stories about how mountains grow and change, the cultures of people who live near the Himalayas, and the history of South Tyrol.

The museum has several places where you can learn more:

• MMM Firmian at Sigmundskron Castle near Bozen shows how people and mountains are connected. You can see displays about the rocks and shapes of mountains, why they are important to people’s beliefs, and the history of climbing and visiting the mountains. There is also a white tower about the history of the village and South Tyrol’s independence.
• MMM Juval at Juval Castle focuses on magical mountains like Mount Kailash and Ayers Rock, and their importance in people’s beliefs. It also has many art pieces.
• MMM Dolomites, called the Museum in the Clouds, is at Monte Rite between Pieve di Cadore and Cortina d'Ampezzo. This museum is in an old fort and talks about rocks, especially in the Dolomites. From the top, you can see amazing views of the Dolomites.
• MMM Ortles at Sulden on the Ortler is underground and talks about ice and snow. It shows the history of climbing on ice and has many paintings and old climbing tools.
• MMM Ripa at Brunico Castle in South Tyrol is about people who live in the mountains in Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe. It shows their cultures, beliefs, and how they enjoy the mountains.
• MMM Corones, which opened in July 2015 on top of the Kronplatz mountain, is about traditional climbing.

Political career

In 1999, Reinhold Messner became a Member of the European Parliament for the Federation of the Greens, Italy's green party. He received over 20,000 votes in the European election and served his full term until 2004, when he left politics.

Messner was part of the South Tyrolean Greens, a regional and ecological party in South Tyrol that works closely with the Federation of the Greens.

Electoral history

Personal life

Reinhold Messner was married to Uschi Demeter from 1972 to 1977. He has a daughter named Làyla Messner with Canadian photographer Nena Holguin, born in 1981. In 2009, he married Sabine Stehle, a textile designer from Vienna, and they had three children together. They divorced in 2019. In 2021, Messner married Diane Schumacher, a woman from Luxembourg who lives in Munich, in the town of Kastelbell-Tschars near his home.

In media

Here are some films, TV shows, and music inspired by Reinhold Messner:

• The Dark Glow of the Mountains (Gasherbrum – Der leuchtende Berg), a 1985 TV show by Werner Herzog
• Portrait of a Snow Lion, a 1992 BBC/France3 show about Messner; part of The Climbers
• Messner, a 2002 film by Les Guthman
• Lissi und der wilde Kaiser, a 2007 animated comedy movie by Michael Herbig that ends with a photo of the Yeti and Reinhold Messner
• Nanga Parbat, a 2010 film about Messner's climbing
• Messner, a 2012 film about Messner's life, directed by Andreas Nickel
• 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, a 2021 Netflix film about Nirmal Purja climbing the world's highest mountains. Reinhold Messner shares his thoughts in the film.
• The Alpinist, a 2021 film with Messner's commentary

Ben Folds Five named their 1999 album The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner without knowing the real Messner. A school friend of drummer Darren Jessee suggested the name for fun on a fake ID.