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Walter Bonatti in 1954

Walter Bonatti (Bergamo, 22 June 1930 – Rome, 13 September 2011) was an Italian mountain climber. He is noted for a solo climb of a new route on the south-west pillar of the Aiguille du Dru in August 1955 and the first solo winter ascent of the Matterhorn north face in 1965.

Life and career[link]

Bonatti on Gasherbrum IV summit, 1958

Bonatti was born in Bergamo. Famed for his climbing panache, he pioneered little known and technically difficult climbs in the Alps, Himalayas and Patagonia. At the age of 21, Bonatti in 1951 made the first ascent of the Grand Capucin, an extraordinary red granite pinnacle in the Mont Blanc massif, from 20 to 23 July. This was the climb that brought him to public notice. Aged 18, he had made the fourth ascent of the formidable North Face of the Grandes Jorasses with very poor equipment over a period of two days. Among his notable climbs were a solo climb of a new route on the south-west pillar of the Aiguille du Dru in August 1955,^[1] the first ever ascent of Gasherbrum IV in 1958^[2] and the first solo winter ascent of the Matterhorn north face in 1965. Bonatti was awarded the French Legion d'Honneur for saving the lives of two fellow-climbers in a disaster in the Alps. He authored a number of books about climbing and mountaineering. Bonatti died of pancreatic cancer^[3] in Rome on 13 September 2011 at the age of 81.^[4]

K2 controversy[link]

Bonatti was at the center of a climbing controversy about the first ascent of K2 by Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni. Along with Hunza climber Amir Mahdi, he carried oxygen cylinders to Lacedelli and Compagnoni at Camp IX for the summit attempt. Bonatti was later accused by Compagnoni of using some of the oxygen, causing the climbers to run out of oxygen on summit day. Using this supplemental oxygen would have been impossible for Bonatti, as he had neither mask nor regulator. Bonatti would cite two summit photos to support his response that Compagnoni had lied about running out of oxygen in route to the summit. Although Bonatti's account of the bivouac is supported by Lacedelli in K2: The Price of Conquest (2004), Lacedelli contends that the oxygen had in fact run out. However, he attributes this not to Bonatti's alleged use of the oxygen, but to the physical exertion of the climb causing the summit climbers to use more oxygen than expected.^{[citation needed]}

Another aspect of the controversy was the Bonatti-Mahdi forced bivouac of July 30, 1954. Compagnoni's decision to place the final camp (IX) at a higher location than previously agreed caused the problem. When Bonatti and Mahdi climbed up to deliver oxygen to Compagnoni and Lacedelli for their summit attempt, Mahdi's condition had deteriorated. Unable to descend with Mahdi, Bonatti needed the shelter of Camp IX's tent. The tent was placed high up, over a dangerous traverse to the left - not at the agreed location. Unable to traverse safely to the tent, Bonatti and Mahdi endured a forced bivouac in the open at 8100 meters; it cost Mahdi his fingers and toes. Compagnoni gave the reasonable explanation that his decision to move the tent was to avoid an overhanging serac.^{[citation needed]}

However, it is argued that he also had an ulterior motive: to avoid Walter Bonatti. Bonatti was in the best physical condition of all the climbers and the natural choice to make the summit attempt. If he had joined the summit team, he would likely have done so without the use of supplemental oxygen. If he had succeeded, any summit by Compagnoni would have been eclipsed. Although the Bonatti-Mahdi forced bivouac was not anticipated, Compagnoni intended to discourage Bonatti from reaching the tent. At 6:10 pm the next evening, Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli reached the summit of K2, using the supplemental oxygen Bonatti and Mahdi had brought them. Ardito Desio, in his final report, mentioned the forced bivouac only in passing. Mahdi's frostbite was an embarrassment to the expedition. The Italian government provided Mahdi with a small pension for his contribution and sacrifice on the first ascent of K2. Bonatti never reconciled with Compagnoni, owing to Compagnoni's allegedly false accusation that Bonatti used the oxygen intended for the summit attempt. He wanted to climb K2 "solo, alpine style, and without oxygen".^[5] He might well have succeeded. Two decades later, Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler astonished the mountaineering world by climbing Mount Everest without bottled oxygen.^{[citation needed]}

Mountaineering achievements[link]

• The north face of the Grandes Jorasses (1949)
• The east face of Grand Capucin (1951)
• The north faces of Tre Cime di Lavaredo in winter (1953)
• The southwest pillar of the Aiguille du Dru (The Bonatti pillar) (1955)
• Grand Pilier d'Angle (with Tito Gobbi) (1957)
• Gasherbrum IV: First Ever Ascent (1958)
• The Red Pillar of Brouillard (1959)
• Rondoy North - Patagonia (1961)
• The north face of the Grandes Jorasses in winter (1963)
• The north face of the Matterhorn: solo and in winter (1965)

Books[link]

The Mountaineering Books of Walter Bonatti

• Le Mie Montagne (My Mountains), Walter Bonatti, Bologna: Zanichelli, 1961
• I Giorni Grandi (The Great Days), Walter Bonatti, Verona: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, 1971
• Magia del Monte Bianco (Magic of Mont Blanc), Walter Bonatti, Como: Massimo Baldini Editore, 1984
• Processo al K2 (Trial on K2), Walter Bonatti, Como: Massimo Baldini Editore, 1985
• La Mia Patagonia (My Patagonia), Walter Bonatti, Como: Massimo Baldini Editore, 1986
• Un Modo di Essere (A way of Living), Walter Bonatti, Milan: dall'Oglio Editore, 1989
• K2-Storia di un Caso (K2 - The Story of a Court Case), Walter Bonatti, Bergamo: Ferrari Editrice, 1995
• Montagne di Una Vita (Mountains of a Life), Walter Bonatti, Milan: Baldini & Castoldi, 1995
• K2-Storia di un Caso (K2 - The Story of a Court Case), Walter Bonatti, 2d ed. Milan: Baldini & Castoldi, 1996
• In terre lontane, Walter Bonatti, Baldini & Castoldi, Milano, 1998 [1st ed 1997]
• The Mountains of my Life, Walter Bonatti, Modern Library, 2001. ISBN 0-375-75640-X
• K2. La verità. 1954-2004, Walter Bonatti, 2005, Baldini Castoldi Dalai editore. ISBN 88-8490-845-0.
• K2. Lies and Treachery, Robert Marshall, 2009, Carreg Ltd. UK. ISBN 978-0-9538631-7-4.

Other

• On the Heights. Hart-Davis, 1964. ISBN B0000CMDRK
• Magic of Mont Blanc. Gollancz, 1985. ISBN 0-575-03560-9
• K2 (Italian). Baldini e Castoldi, 1998. ISBN 88-8089-072-7

References[link]

External links[link]

• Obituary in The Guardian
• Obituary in UKClimbing.com

Enzo Biagi in 2006

Enzo Biagi (August 9, 1920 – November 6, 2007) was an Italian journalist and writer.

Biography[link]

Biagi was born in Lizzano in Belvedere, and began his career as a journalist in Bologna. Active in journalism for six decades and author of some eighty books, Biagi won numerous awards, among which the 1979 Saint Vincent prize and the 1985 Ischia International Journalism Award. In 1987, he won the Premio Bancarella, for his book Il boss è solo, interviewing former Mafia boss Tommaso Buscetta, who had turned pentito (state witness). He worked on the Italian national TV channel Rai Uno until 2001.

On May 9, 2001, just two days before the general elections in Italy, during his daily prime time 10-minute TV show Il Fatto, broadcast on Rai Uno, Biagi interviewed the popular actor and director Roberto Benigni, who gave a hilarious talk about Silvio Berlusconi declaring his preference for the other candidate, Francesco Rutelli from the Olive Tree coalition.^[1]

Biagi disappeared from TV screens a few months after Berlusconi's declarations in Sofia named also Editto Bulgaro, where the then-Prime Minister accused the popular journalist, together with fellow journalist Michele Santoro and showman/comedian Daniele Luttazzi, of having made criminal use of the public television service.

Biagi's defenders argue that a public service should provide pluralism, and that a country where government prevents opposing ideas from being voiced on air is a régime.

The issue of Berlusconi's motives for entering politics in the first place emerged in an interview that he gave with Biagi and Indro Montanelli, stating "If I don't enter politics, I will go to jail and become bankrupt."^[2]

On April 22, 2007, 86-year-old Enzo Biagi made his TV comeback on the RAI with RT - Rotocalco Televisivo, a current affairs show which is broadcast on Raitre. At the opening of the show, he declared:

Good evening, sorry if I am a bit emotional, maybe it is visible. There has been a technical problem, and the break has lasted five years.

Until shortly before his death he was also a columnist for the daily Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, which he had worked for since the early 1970s.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Obituary in The Times, 1 December 2007
• "RT - Rotocalco Televisivo" website (Italian)
• Enzo Biagi, a political affair (Italian)
• "Il fatto" di Enzo Biagi ("The event" by Enzo Biagi) (Italian)
• Associated Press: Enzo Biagi obituary (Published Nov. 6, 2007)

Simone Moro (born 27 October 1967) is an Italian alpinist. He has climbed several 8000m peaks without using supplementary oxygen. ^[1]

Early life[link]

Born in Bergamo (Italy) from a middle-class family, he grew up in the borough of Valtesse, and was strongly supported by his father in his passion for the mountains. His father was a climber and biker at a high level and also created a lively and international environment around him ^[1]. He started climbing the Presolana and other massifs of the Alpi Bergamasche at 13, however he continued his studies until graduating cum laude at the university.

Mountain climbing career[link]

Simone Moro began his climbing activity in the Grigne, near his home city, and in the Dolomites. His father was his first Mentor followed by Alberto Cosonni and Bruno Tassi ^[2]. In this period he was primarily involved in rock climbing, an activity that has never left. In 1992 he participated to his first Himalayan expedition to Mount Everest. One year later Moro climbed Aconcagua, achieving the first winter summit of that peak. During his career he has attempted a number of mountains including Cerro Mirador and Makalu in 1993; Shisha Pangma and summited Lhotse in 1994, Kangchenjunga in 1995; Fitz Roy, Dhaulagiri and summited Shisha Pangma in 1996; summited again Lhotse in 1997 and tried Annapurna in December 1997 (avalanche buried his guide from Kazakhstan Anatoli Boukreev); tried Everest again in 1998; summited four peaks Pik Lenin (7134), Peak Korzhenevskaya (7105), Ismoil Somoni Peak (7495, formerly known as Pik Kommunizma), Pik Khan Tengri (7010) with young Kazakhstan guide Denis Urubko; then summited with him Everest in 2000 and Marble Wall in winter 2001; tried traverse Everest-Lhotse in 2001; summited three peaks: Mount Vinson, Cho Oyu and Everest in 2002; summited three peaks: Broad Peak, Elbrus and Kilimanjaro in 2003, summited Baruntse along a new route and tried Shisha Pangma and Annapurna in 2004; Batura and Batokshi peaks in 2005, Broad Peak in winter 2006 and 2007. In 2005 he achieved the first winter summit of Shisha Pangma, with Piotr Morawski. In 2006 he completed the solo, south-north traverse of Everest descending from the top in 4 hours^{[citation needed]}.

Moro in 1996 climbed the west wall of Fitz Roy (3341m in Patagonia) in 25 hours from the base to the summit and back to the base. In 1996 he climbed Shisha Pangma South (8008m) without oxygen in 27 hours using skis in the descent from 7100 meters. In Winter 1997 he attempted the South face of Annapurna. During this attempt his climbing companions Anatoli Boukreev and Dimitri Sobolev were lost under an avalanche. In 2008 he achieved (with Herve Barmasse) the first ascent of Beka Brakai Chhok (6950 m Karakorum). The climbing was performed in pure alpine style and in 43 hours.

In January 2009 Moro completed the first winter ascent of Makalu with Denis Urubko.[1]

In February 2011 Moro completed the first winter ascent of Gasherbrum II with Denis Urubko and Cory Richards.[2]

In May 2001 during an attempt on the wall of Lhotse at 8000 he abandoned the climb to search, rescue and save English alpinist Tom Moores. Moro was recipient of the Fair Play Pierre de Coubertin trophy from UNESCO, the Civilian Gold Medal from Italian president Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and the David A. Sowles Memorial Award from the American Alpine Club.

1. 1994,1997 — Lhotse
2. 2002 — Cho Oyu
3. 2005 — Shisha Pangma First winter ascent
4. 2009 — Makalu First winter ascent
5. 2000,2002,2006,2010 — Mount Everest
6. 2011 — Gasherbrum II First winter ascent

Bibliography[link]

• Simone Moro, Cometa sull'Annapurna, Corbaccio Editore
• Simone Moro, "8000 metri di vita" (ITA/ENG Version), Grafica & Arte Editore

References[link]

1. Interview, L’Eco di Bergamo, January 23, 2003
2. Interview, Simone Moro dalle falesie agli 8000, PlanetMountain

External links[link]

• Simone Moro homepage
• PlanetMountain
• Simone Moro And Denis Urubko - FIRST MAKALU WINTER - Notice: February 10, 2009 in Spanish

Reinhold Messner
Reinhold Messner in October 2009
Born	(1944-09-17) 17 September 1944 (age 67) Brixen, Italy
Occupation	Mountaineer
Website
www.reinhold-messner.de

Reinhold Messner (born 17 September 1944) is an Italian mountaineer, adventurer and explorer from the German-speaking autonomous province Alto Adige/Südtirol "whose astonishing feats on Everest and on peaks throughout the world have earned him the status of the greatest climber in history."^[1] He is renowned for making the first solo ascent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen and for being the first climber to ascend all fourteen "eight-thousanders" (peaks over 8,000 metres (26,000 ft) above sea level). He is the author of at least 63 books (in German, 1970–2006), many of which have been translated into other languages.

Biography[link]

Born in Brixen (Bressanone), Italy, Messner is a native speaker of German and also fluent in Italian.^[2] He grew up in Villnöß and spent his early years climbing in the Alps and fell in love with the Dolomites. His father, Josef Messner, was a teacher. He was also very strict and sometimes severe with Reinhold. Josef led Reinhold to his first summit at the age of five. Reinhold had eight brothers and one sister: he later climbed with his brother Günther and made Arctic crossings with his brother Hubert.

When Reinhold was 13, he began climbing with his brother Günther, age 11. By the time Reinhold and Günther were in their early twenties, they were among Europe's best climbers.^[3]

Since the 1960s, and inspired by Hermann Buhl, he was one of the first and most enthusiastic supporters of alpine style mountaineering in the Himalayas, which consisted of climbing with very light equipment and a minimum of external help. Messner considered the usual expedition style ("siege tactics") disrespectful towards nature and mountains.

His first major Himalayan climb in 1970, the unclimbed Rupal face of Nanga Parbat, turned out to be a tragic success. Both he and his brother Günther Messner reached the summit, but Günther died two days later on the descent of the Diamir face. Reinhold lost six toes, which had become badly frostbitten during the climb and required amputation.^[3] Reinhold has been severely criticized for persisting on this climb with an insufficiently experienced Günther.^[4] The 2010 movie Nanga Parbat by Joseph Vilsmaier is based on his account of the events.^[5]

While Messner and Peter Habeler were noted for fast ascents in the Alps of the Eiger North Wall, standard route (10 hours) and Les Droites (8 hours), his 1975 Gasherbrum I first ascent of a new route took three days. This was unheard of at the time.

In the 1970s, Messner championed the cause for ascending Mount Everest without supplementary oxygen, saying that he would do it "by fair means" or not at all.^[6] In 1978, he reached the summit of Everest with Habeler.^[6] This was the first time anyone had been that high without bottled oxygen and Messner and Habeler proved what certain doctors, specialists, and mountaineers thought impossible. He repeated the feat, without Habeler, from the Tibetan side in 1980, during the monsoon season. This was Everest's first solo summit.

In 1978, he made a solo ascent of the Diamir face of Nanga Parbat. In 1986, Messner became the first to complete all fourteen eight-thousanders (peaks over 8,000 metres above sea level).^[7] Messner has crossed Antarctica on skis, together with fellow explorer Arved Fuchs. He has written over 60 books ^[8] about his experiences, a quarter of which have been translated. He was featured in the 1984 film The Dark Glow of the Mountains by Werner Herzog.

Messner today carries on a diversified business related to his mountaineering skills. From 1999 to 2004, he held political office as a Member of the European Parliament for the Italian Green Party (Federazione dei Verdi). He was also among the founders of Mountain Wilderness, an international NGO dedicated to the protection of mountains worldwide.

In 2004 he completed a 2,000-kilometre (1,200 mi) expedition through the Gobi desert. He now mainly devotes himself to the Messner Mountain Museum, of which he is the founder.

Expeditions[link]

To 1970[link]

Up to 1970 Reinhold Messner had made a name for himself mainly through his achievements in the Alps. Between 1950^{[citation needed]} and 1964 he led over 500 ascents, most of them in the Dolomites. In 1965, he climbed a new direttissima route on the north face of the Ortler. A year later, he climbed the Walker pillar on the Grandes Jorasses and conquered the Rocchetta Alta di Bosconero. In 1967 he made the first ascent of the northeast face of the Agnér and the first winter ascents of the Agnér north face and Furchetta north face. In 1968 he achieved further firsts: the Heiligkreuzkofel middle pillar and the direct south face of the Marmolata. In the following year, Messner joined an Andes expedition, during which he succeeded, together with Peter Habeler, in making the first ascent of the Yerupaja east face up to the summit ridge and, a few days later, the first ascent of the 6,121 metre-high Yerupaja Chico ^[9] He also made the first solo ascent of the Droites north face, the Philip intersection on the Civetta and the south face of Marmolata di Rocca. As a result of his achievements, Messner won the reputation of being one of the best climbers in Europe. So, in 1970, he was invited to join a major Himalayan expedition. In the light of his later successes, the year 1970 can be regarded as one of the turning points in Messner's life.

Climbs of the eight-thousanders after 1970[link]

Reinhold Messner was the first man to climb all fourteen eight-thousanders in the world and without supplemental oxygen. His climbs were also all amongst the first 20 ascents for each mountain individually. Specifically, these are:

Location of the eight-thousanders.

Nanga Parbat[link]

Rupal face of Nanga Parbat

Reinhold Messner took a total of five expeditions to Nanga Parbat. In 1970 and 1978 he reached the summit; in 1971, 1973 and 1977, he did not. In 1971 he was primarily looking for his brother.

Rupal Face 1970[link]

In May and June 1970 Reinhold Messner took part in the Nanga Parbat South Face expedition led by Karl Herrligkoffer, the objective of which was to climb the as yet unclimbed Rupal Face, the highest rock face in the world. His brother, Günther, was also a member of the team. On the morning of 27 June, Reinhold Messner was of the view that the weather would deteriorate rapidly, and set off alone from the last high-altitude camp. Surprisingly his brother climbed after him and caught up to him before the summit. By late afternoon, both had reached the summit of the mountain and had to pitch an emergency bivouac shelter without tent, sleeping bags and stoves because darkness was closing in. The events that followed have been the subject of years of legal actions and disputes between former expedition members, and have still not been finally resolved. What is known now is that Reinhold and Günther Messner descended the Diamir Face, thereby achieving the first crossing of Nanga Parbat (and second crossing of an eight-thousander after Mount Everest in 1963). Reinhold arrived in the valley six days later with severe frostbite, but survived. His brother, Günther, however died on the Diamir Face - according to Reinhold Messner on the same descent, during which they became further and further separated from each other. As a result, the time, place and exact cause of death is unknown. Messner claimed his brother had been swept away by an avalanche.

In the early years immediately after the expedition there were disputes and lawsuits between Reinhold Messner and the expedition leader, Karl-Maria Herrligkoffer. After a quarter-century of peace, the dispute flared up again in October 2001, when Reinhold Messner raised surprising allegations against the other members of the team for failing to come to their aid. The rest of the team consistently maintained that Reinhold Messner had told them of his idea for crossing the mountain before setting off for the summit. Messner himself asserts, however, that he made a spontaneous decision to descend the Diamir Face together with his brother for reasons of safety. A number of new books (Max von Kienlin, Hans Saler, Ralf-Peter Märtin, Reinhold Messner) stoked the dispute (with assumptions and personal attacks) and led to further court proceedings.

In June 2005 after an unusual heat wave on the mountain, the body of his brother was recovered on the Diamir Face, which is consistent with Messner's account of events.^[10][11]

In 2008/2009 the drama was turned into a film called Nanga Parbat by Joseph Vilsmaier based on the memories of Reinhold Messner and without participation from the other former members of the expedition. The film was due to be shown from mid-January 2010 in cinemas, but cannot be considered as a full account of the events.^[12]

Because of frostbite, especially on his feet (six toes were amputated), Reinhold Messner was not able to climb quite as well on rock after the 1970 expedition. He therefore turned his attention to higher mountains, where there was much more ice.^[13]

Solo climb in 1978[link]

After three unsuccessful expeditions, Reinhold Messner reached the summit of Nanga Parbat again via the Diamir Face on 9 August 1978. This was the first solo ascent of any eight-thousander. He used new routes both for the ascent and the descent.

Manaslu[link]

In 1972, Messner succeeded in climbing Manaslu on, what was then, the totally unknown south face of the mountain, of which there were not even any pictures. From the last high-altitude camp, he climbed with Frank Jäger, who turned back before reaching the summit. Shortly after Messner reached the summit, the weather changed and heavy fog and snow descended. Initially Messner became lost on the way down, but later found his way back to the camp, where Horst Fankhauser and Andi Schlick were waiting for him and Jäger. Jäger did not return, although his cries were heard from the camp. Orientation had become too difficult. Fankhauser and Schlick began to search for him that evening, but lost their way and sought shelter at first in a snow cave. Messner himself was no longer in a position to help the search. The following day, only Horst Fankhauser returned. Andi Schlick had left the snow cave during the night and become lost. So the expedition had to mourn the loss of two climbers. Messner was later criticised for having let Franz Jäger go back down the mountain alone.^[13]

Gasherbrum I[link]

The ascent of Gasherbrum I saw for the first time a mountaineering expedition succeeding in conquering an eight-thousander using alpine style climbing. Until that point, all fourteen 8000 meter peaks had been summitted using the expedition style, though Hermann Buhl had earlier advocated "West Alpine Style" (similar to "capsule" style, with a smaller group relying on minimal fixed ropes). Together with Peter Habeler, Messner succeeded in making the second ascent of Gasherbrum I on 10 August 1975, becoming the first man ever to climb three eight-thousanders.

Messner reached the summit again in 1984, this time together with Hans Kammerlander. This was achieved as part of a double ascent where, for the first time two eight-thousander peaks (Gasherbrum I and II) were climbed without returning to base camp. Again, this was done in alpine style, i.e. without the pre-location of stores.^[13]

Mount Everest[link]

Mount Everest. In front: Nuptse. Right: Lhotse

On 8 May 1978, Reinhold Messner stood with Peter Habeler on the summit of Mount Everest; the first men ever to climb Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen. Prior to this ascent it was disputed whether this was possible at all. Messner and Habeler were members of an expedition led by Wolfgang Nairz along the southeast ridge to the summit. Also on this expedition was Reinhard Karl, the first German to reach the summit (with oxygen).

Two years later, on 20 August 1980, Messner again stood atop the highest mountain in the world. This time, too, the ascent was made without supplementary oxygen. For this solo climb he chose the northeast ridge to the summit, where he crossed above the North Col in the North Face to the Norton Couloir and became the first man to climb through this steep gorge to the summit. Messner decided spontaneously during the ascent to use this route to bypass the exposed northeast ridge. Prior to this solo ascent he had not set up a camp on the mountain.^[13]

K2[link]

K2 seen from Concordia

For 1979, Messner was planning to climb K2 on a new direct route through the South Face, which he called the "Magic Line". Headed by Messner, the small expedition consisted of six climbers: Italians Alessandro Gogna, Friedl Mutschlechner and Renato Casarotto; the Austrian, Robert Schauer; and Germans Michl Dacher, journalist, Jochen Hölzgen, and doctor, Ursula Grether, who was injured during the approach and had to be carried to Askole by Messner and Mutschlechner. Because of avalanche danger on the original route and time lost on the approach they decided on climbing via the Abruzzi Spur. The route was equipped with fixed ropes and high-altitude camps, but no hauling equipment (Hochträger) or bottled oxygen was used. On 12 July, Messner and Dacher reached the summit; then the weather deteriorated and attempts by other members of the party failed.^[14][15]

Shishapangma[link]

During his stay in Tibet as part of his Everest solo attempt, Messner had the opportunity to explore Shishapangma. A year later, Messner, with Friedel Mutschlechner, Oswald Oelz and Gerd Baur, set base camp on the north side of the only eight-thousander which is entirely within Chinese territory. On 28 May Messner and Mutschlechner reached the summit in very bad weather; part of the climb involving ski mountaineering.^[13][15][16]

Kangchenjunga[link]

In 1982, Messner wanted to become the first climber ever to scale three eight-thousanders in one year. He was planning on climbing Kangchenjunga first, before tackling Gasherbrum II and the Broad Peak.

Messner had chosen a new variation of the route up the North Face. Because there was still a lot of snow at the time of the expedition, Messner and Mutschlechner made very slow progress. In addition, the sheer difficulty of the climb forced the two mountaineers to use fixed ropes. Finally, on 6 May, Messner, Mutschlechner and Ang Dorje stood on the summit. There, Mutschlechner suffered frostbite to his hands, and later to his feet as well. Whilst bivouacking during the descent, the tent tore away from Mutschlechner and Messner, and Messner also fell ill. He was suffering from an amoebic abscess in the liver, making him very weak. In the end he only made it back to base camp with Mutschlechner's help.^[13]

Gasherbrum II[link]

After his ascent of Kangchenjunga, Mutschlechner flew back to Europe because his frostbite had to be treated and Messner needed rest. So the three mountains could not be climbed as planned. Messner was cured of his amoebic abscess in the liver and then travelled to Gasherbrum II, but could not use the new routes as planned. In any case his climbing partners, Sher Khan and Nazir Sabir, would not have been strong enough. Nevertheless, all three reached the summit on 24 July in a storm. During the ascent Messner discovered the body of a previously missing Austrian mountaineer, whom he buried two years later at the G I - G II crossing.^[13]

Broad Peak[link]

Broad Peak was the third eight-thousander scaled by Messner in 1982. At the time, he was the only person with a permit to climb this mountain, but he came across Jerzy Kukuczka and Wojciech Kurtyka, who had permits to climb K2 but used its geographic proximity to climb Broad Peak illegally. In early descriptions of the ascent, Messner omitted to mention this encounter but he referred to it several years later. On 2 August Messner was reunited with Nazir Sabir and Khan again on the summit. The three mountaineers had decamped and made for Broad Peak immediately after their ascent of Gasherbrum II. The climb was carried out with a variation from the normal route at the start.^[13]

Cho Oyu[link]

In the winter of 1982/1983, Messner attempted the first winter ascent of Cho Oyu. He reached an altitude of about 7,500 metres, when great masses of snow forced him to turn back. This expedition was his first with Hans Kammerlander. A few months later, on 5 May, he reached the summit via a partially new route together with Kammerlander and Michl Dacher.^[13]

Annapurna[link]

In 1985, Messner topped out on Annapurna. Using a new route on the northwest face, he reached the summit with Kammerlander on 24 April. Also on the expedition were Reinhard Patscheider, Reinhard Schiestl and Swami Prem Darshano, who did not reach the top. Even during Messner and Kammerlander's ascent the weather was not good and they had to be assisted by the other three during the descent due to heavy snowfall.^[13]

Dhaulagiri[link]

Messner's attempt on the summit in 1977 fails on Dhaulagiri's South Face

Messner had already attempted Dhaulagiri in 1977 and 1984, but failed. In 1985 he finally made it. He climbed with Kammerlander up the normal route along the northeast ridge. After only 3 days of climbing they stood on the top in a heavy storm on 15 May.^[13]

Makalu[link]

Messner tried four times to climb Makalu. He failed in 1974 and 1981 on the South Face of the south-east ridge. In winter 1985/1986 he attempted the first winter ascent of Makalu via the normal route. Even this venture did not succeed.^[13] Not until February 2009, was the Makalu successfully climbed in winter by Denis Urubko and Simone Moro.

In 1986 Messner returned and succeeded in reaching the top using the normal route with Kammerlander and Mutschlechner. Although they had turned back twice during this expedition, they made the summit on the third attempt on 26 September. During this expedition Messner witnessed the death of Marcel Rüedi, for whom the Makalu was his 9th eight-thousander. Rüedi was on the way back from the summit and was seen by Messner and the other climbers on the descent. Although he was making slow progress, he appeared to be safe. The tea for his reception had already boiled when Rüedi disappeared behind a snow ridge and did not reappear. He was found dead a short time later.^[13]

Lhotse[link]

Messner climbed his last eight-thousander, Lhotse, on 16 October 1986 together with Hans Kammerlander, using the normal route. Both climbers had to contend with a strong wind in the summit area. To reach the summit that year and before winter broke, they took a direct helicopter flight from the Makalu base camp to the Lhotse base camp.

Thus Messner became the first person to climb all eight-thousanders, before Jerzy Kukuczka. Since this ascent, Messner has never climbed another eight-thousander.^[13] In 1989 Messner led a European expedition to the South Face of the mountain. The aim of the expedition was to forge a path up the as-yet unclimbed face. Messner himself did not want to climb any more. The expedition was unsuccessful.^[17]

Other expeditions after 1970[link]

Reinhold Messner at the Bozen Bacon Festival, May 2004

• 1971 — Journeys to the mountains of Persia, Nepal, New Guinea, Pakistan and East Africa
• 1972  — Noshak (7,492 m) in the Hindu Kush
• 1973 — Marmolata West Pillar, first climb; Furchetta West Face, first climb
• 1974  — Aconcagua south wall (6,959 m), partially new "Tyrol Route"; Eiger North Face with Peter Habeler in 10 hours (then a record; still today the fastest climb by a roped party)
• 1976 — Mount McKinley (6,193 m), "Face of the Midnight Sun", first climb
• 1978  — Kilimanjaro (5,895 m), "Breach Wall", first climb
• 1979 — Ama Dablam rescue attempt; first climbs in the Hoggar Mountains, Africa
• 1981 — Chamlang (7,317 m) Centre Summit-North Face, first climb
• 1985 — Tibet Transversale with Kailash exploration
• 1986 — Crossing of East Tibet; Mount Vinson (4,897 m, Antarctic), on 3 December 1986, thus becoming the first person to complete Seven Summits without the use of artificial oxygen on Mount Everest.^[18]
• 1987 — Bhutan trip; Pamir trip
• 1988 — Yeti-Tibet solo expedition
• 1989–1990 — Antarctic crossing (over the South Pole) on foot, 2,800 km trek with Arved Fuchs
• 1991 — Bhutan crossing (east-west); "Around South Tyrol" as a positioning exercise
• 1992 — Ascent of Chimborazo (6,310 m); crossing of Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang
• 1993 — Trip to Dolpo, Mustang and Manang in Nepal; Greenland longitudinal crossing (diagonal) on foot, 2,200 km trek
• 1994 — Cleaning project in North India/Gangotri, Shivling region (6,543 m); to Ruwenzori (5,119 m), Uganda
• 1995 — Arctic crossing (Siberia to Canada) failed; trip to Belukha (4,506 m), Altai Mountains/Siberia
• 1996 — Trip through East Tibet and to Kailash
• 1997 — Trip to Kham (East Tibet); small expedition into Karakorum; filming on the Ol Doinyo Lengai (holy mountain of the Massai) in Tanzania
• 1998  — Trip to the Altai Mountains (Mongolia) and to Puna de Atacama (Andes)
• 1999 — Filming: San Francisco Peaks, Arizona (Holy mountain of Navajo); trip into the Thar Desert/India
• 2000 — Crossing of South Georgia on the Shackleton Route; Nanga Parbat Expedition; filming on Mount Fuji/Japan for the ZDF series Wohnungen der Götter (~"Homes of the Gods")
• 2001  — Dharamsala and foothills of the Himalayas/India; ZDF series Wohnungen der Götter on Gunung Agung/Bali
• 2002 — In the "International Year of the Mountains" visit by mountaineers into the Andes and ascent of Cotopaxi (5,897 m), Ecuador
• 2003 — Trekking to Mount Everest (fiftieth anniversary of the first successful climb); trip to Franz Joseph Land/Arctic; on 1 October opening of the "Günther Mountain School" in the Diamir Valley on Nanga Parbat/Pakistan
• 2004 — Longitudinal crossing of the Gobi Desert (Mongolia) on foot, about 2,000 km trek
• 2005 — Trip to the Dyva Nomads in Mongolia; "time journey" around Nanga Parbat/Pakistan

The Messner Mountain Museum[link]

In 2003 Messner started work on a project for a mountaineering museum.^[19] On 11 June 2006 the Messner Mountain Museum (MMM) opened, a museum that unites the stories of the growth and decline of mountains, culture in the Himalayan region and the history of South Tyrol within one museum.

Plan view of the Messner Mountain Museum at Firmian

The MMM consists of the main museum at Sigmundskron Castle, which majors on the relationship between man and mountain, and four branches with different themes:

• Juval Castle in the Burggrafenamt looks at mystical mountains, such as Mount Kailash or Ayers Rock and their religious significance.
• The MMM on the Monte Rite (2181 metres high) is dedicated to the subject of rocks, particularly in the Dolomites. Here, the history of the formation of the Dolomites is explained. It is housed in an old fort.
• The fourth MMM is located in Sulden on the Ortler. Here, everything revolves around the theme of ice. It deals with the history of mountaineering on ice and the great glaciers of the world. Next to the MMM is the "Yak und Yeti" inn.
• The fifth MMM is still in development. It is due to be opened in the spring of 2011 at Bruneck Castle in the South Tyrol. In addition to the presentation of various hill tribes, such as Sherpas, Tibetans and Hunza, each year guest speakers from mountainous areas of the world will talk about their lives in the castle.^[20]

In Media[link]

• Gasherbrum - Der leuchtende Berg, a Werner Herzog TV documentary from the year 1985, also known as: The Dark Glow of the Mountains.
• Nanga Parbat (2010)
• The band Ben Folds Five has an album entitled The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner

References[link]

Selected bibliography (English translations)[link]

• Messner, Reinhold (1998). Free Spirit: A Climber's Life. Seattle, WA, USA: Mountaineers Books. ISBN 0-89886-573-5. 
• Messner, Reinhold (1998). The Crystal Horizon: Everest - The First Solo Ascent. Seattle, WA, USA: Mountaineers Books. ISBN 0-89886-574-3. 
• Messner, Reinhold (1999). All Fourteen 8,000ers. Seattle, WA, USA: Mountaineers Books. ISBN 0-89886-660-X. 
• Messner, Reinhold (2000). My Quest for the Yeti: Confronting the Himalayas' Deepest Mystery. New York, NY, USA: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-20394-8. 
• Messner, Reinhold (2001). The Big Walls: From the North Face of the Eiger to the South Face of Dhaulagiri. Seattle, WA, USA: Mountaineers Books. ISBN 0-89886-844-0. 
• Messner, Reinhold; trans. by Tim Carruthers (2002). The Second Death of George Mallory: The Enigma and Spirit of Mount Everest. New York, NY, USA: St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-27075-5. 
• Messner, Reinhold (2003). The Naked Mountain. Seattle, WA, USA: Mountaineers Books. ISBN 0-89886-959-5. 

• Publications in German

Sources[link]

• Wetzler, Brad (October 2002). "Reinhold Don't Care What You Think". Outside Magazine. http://outsideonline.com/outside/features/200210/200210_messner_1.html. 
• Krakauer, Jon. Into Thin Air. United States of America: Random House, 1996.

External links[link]

• Official site (German)
• Discovery of remains ends controversy about the death of Reinhold Messner's brother
• Messner Mountain Museum
• Messner Mountain Museum website
• Messner - 2002
• [1] (rare English interview with Messner)

Interviews[link]

• Gaia Symphony Documentary series (Japanese production).

See also[link]

• List of climbers