Reinhold Messner

Reinhold Andreas Messner was born on September 17, 1944, in Brixen, South Tyrol, Italy, into a German-speaking family. He grew up in the nearby municipality of Villnöß, one of nine children to a schoolteacher who was also an enthusiastic mountain climber. Messner began climbing at an early age in the Dolomites, ascending a 3,000-meter peak by age five and undertaking difficult climbs with his younger brother Günther by age 13. He pursued alpine-style mountaineering, favoring light equipment and minimal external support, a philosophy he developed through a rigorous regimen of physical training. Before his first major Himalayan expedition in 1970, Messner had completed over 500 ascents in the Alps between 1960 and 1964, establishing numerous new routes and pioneering winter ascents on challenging faces.

His career took a pivotal and tragic turn in 1970 during an expedition to Nanga Parbat. Reinhold and Günther Messner reached the summit via the unclimbed Rupal Face, but Günther died during the descent on the Diamir Face. Reinhold survived with severe frostbite, leading to the amputation of seven toes. This event marked a shift in his climbing focus from rock climbing to high-altitude ice mountaineering due to his injuries. In the 1970s, Messner and his climbing partner Peter Habeler made significant achievements, including the first ascent of Gasherbrum I without supplemental oxygen in 1975 using alpine style, and the first ascent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen in 1978, a feat many experts considered impossible. Messner further solidified his legend in 1980 with the first solo ascent of Mount Everest, also without supplemental oxygen, during the monsoon season.

Throughout the 1980s, Messner continued to push boundaries, becoming the first person to climb all 14 eight-thousanders without supplemental oxygen by 1986. His expeditions also included non-climbing challenges, such as crossing Antarctica on skis with Arved Fuchs in 1989-1990, and traversing the Gobi Desert alone in 2004. He authored over 80 books documenting his experiences and served as a Member of the European Parliament for north-east Italy from 1999 to 2004, advocating for environmental conservation. In 2006, he founded the Messner Mountain Museum, a network of museums dedicated to various aspects of mountains and mountain cultures.