Reinhold Messner, the Italian mountaineer and polar explorer, is undoubtedly the greatest alpinist of modern times. He gained worldwide fame for his groundbreaking and challenging ascents of the world’s highest peaks. Among his many achievements are solo climbing Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen and becoming the first person in history to conquer all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks. Afterwards, he moved on to conquering the most inaccessible and dangerous places on the planet. No climber in the world has such a reputation as Messner, and it is unlikely that anyone will be able to repeat his success in the future.
After completing the Himalayan circuit, Messner traveled to Antarctica and Greenland, crossed the Gobi Desert alone, served as a Member of the European Parliament, and is now dedicated to creating mountaineering museums. He has also published over 80 books about his experiences as a climber and explorer. In 2018, together with Krzysztof Wieliczka, he received the Princess of Asturias Award in the “Sports” category.
Early Life and the Alpine Climbing Style
Messner was born in Brixen, a small town in northern Italy. Growing up surrounded by the Dolomites deeply influenced his life’s path. By the age of 13, he had already completed numerous challenging climbs, first in the Eastern Alps and later across other alpine peaks.
In the 1960s, Messner became one of the pioneers of the alpine style of mountaineering, which emphasizes minimal lightweight equipment and climbing with little to no external assistance. This philosophy was shared by his younger brother Günther and by Peter Habeler, whom Messner met during an expedition in the Peruvian Andes in 1969.
Messner made his first Himalayan expedition in 1970, ascending Nanga Parbat (8,126m) alongside his brother Günther. He was the first to reach the summit via the Rupal Face (south side). However, his brother died during the descent, Reinhold barely survived, losing several fingers to frostbite. Despite this heartbreaking loss, Messner continued to revolutionize Himalayan mountaineering, challenging traditions and paving the way for new climbing approaches.
In 1975 Messner and Habeler made their first alpine-style ascent of an 8,000-meter mountain without supplemental oxygen when they climbed the northwest slope of Gasherbrum I.
Later in 1978 Messner made the first unsupported ascent of Everest, also with Habeler.
Three months later Messner completed the first solo ascent of an 8,000-meter peak, climbing Nanga Parbat via the Diamir Face in just three days, entirely unsupported.
In 1980, Messner achieved his most legendary feat—solo climbing Mount Everest without oxygen or external support. This expedition shattered several Himalayan climbing conventions:
- He climbed outside the traditional pre-monsoon season, utilizing a rare weather window in late August.
- It was the first-ever solo ascent of Everest.
- It was the first ascent of Everest in pure alpine style—without a pre-established route or support teams.
- He completed the climb in just four days, from base camp to the summit and back.
Finally, in 1986, Messner became the first person to climb all 14 of the world’s eight-thousanders (four of them twice). By the time he descended the last eight-thousander (Lhotse), the 43-year-old mountaineer had climbed more than 3,000 peaks, nearly 100 first ascents, 24 expeditions to the world’s highest peaks, and a number of unique solo ascents.
In addition to Messner’s mountaineering achievements, one should mention that he and Arved Fuchs became the first to cross Antarctica without motorized transport, completing the journey in just three months in late 1989 and early 1990.
The Uniqueness of Reinhold Messner
Messner accomplished all of this—and survived. That, in itself, is his greatest achievement. His unique combination of physical abilities, personal philosophy, and deep understanding of risk allowed him to push himself to the extreme—without overstepping the fine line between life and death.
“If I managed to climb all 14 eight-thousanders and stay alive, it’s because I always knew when to stop. I could sense when the risk was too great. That is why I am still here.”
The ability to retreat, and not to reach the real limit, is a special high art, which, unfortunately, few people master. Messner’s climbs seem incredibly risky, but they are based on his knowledge of the mountains and an accurate assessment of his capabilities.
