Reinhold Messner

Reinhold Messner was one on nine sons of German-speaking parents and his father Josef got him onto the mountains at an early age. By the time he was just five, Messner was climbing peaks in excess of 3,000 metres. Reinhold went on to become an outstanding Italian mountaineer capable of adjusting to any climbing, or weather, condition, but was also a great believer in not using artificial aids, wherever possible. He was certainly a pioneer, and held many mountaineering records. Between 1970-86 Messner became the first person to climb all 14 of the world’s peaks over 8,000 metres. The first of those climbs was the Rupal Face of the Nanga Parbat (8,125m), which he climbed with his brother Gunther who was sadly killed when hit by an avalanche on the descent. Messner also lost six toes to frostbite on the climb. Another brother, Siegfried, was killed when struck by lightning during a climb in 1985.

Messner became the first person to reach the summit of Everest (with Austrian Peter Habeler) without the aid of oxygen in 1978, and in 1980 became the he first man to perform the feat alone. Messner continued his record-breaking, and in 1986, when he reached the top of Mount Vinson in Antarctica, he completed the conquest of the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. Messner was also the first man to cross Antarctica on foot and, with the use of skis, crossed the South Pole in 1990 without the help of animals or mechanical means. In complete contrast to his former exploits, Messner crossed the Gobi desert in 2004.

A dedicated ecologist, Messner was elected member of the European Parliament for the Federation of the Greens in 1999 until 2004 when his term expired, and he quit politics. In 2003 he opened five museums in the Alps under the name of Messner Mountain Museum (MMM). He won several honours in recognition of his exploits including the Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2014, and in Spain he was awarded the Princess of Asturias Award for Sport in 2018. Messner was also awarded the Olympic Order (silver) in 1988, but refused it.