 Messner in 2024 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Italian |
| Born | 17 September 1944 Brixen (Bressanone), South Tyrol, Italy |
| Website | Official website |
| Climbing career | |
| Known for | First to climb all 14 eight-thousanders, first to climb all 14 eight-thousanders without supplemental oxygen, and first to climb Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen |
| First ascents |
|
| Major ascents | First solo ascent of Mount Everest and first ascent without supplemental oxygen |
Reinhold Andreas Messner (German: [ˈʁaɪnhɔlt ˈmɛsnɐ]; born 17 September 1944) is an Italian climber, explorer, and author from the German-speaking province of South Tyrol. He made the first solo ascent of Mount Everest and, along with Peter Habeler, the first ascent of Everest without supplemental oxygen. He was the first person to climb all 14 eight-thousanders, doing so without supplementary oxygen. Messner was the first to cross Antarctica and Greenland with neither snowmobiles nor dog sleds[1] and also crossed the Gobi Desert alone.[2] He is widely considered to be the greatest mountaineer of all time.[3][4][5]
From 1999 to 2004, Messner served as a member of the European Parliament for north-east Italy, as a member of the Federation of the Greens.
Messner has published more than 80 books about his experiences as a climber and explorer. In 2010, he received the 2nd Piolet d'Or Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2018, he received jointly with Krzysztof Wielicki the Princess of Asturias Award in the category of Sports.
- ^ Messner, Reinhold (1991). Antarctica: Both Heaven and Hell. Mountaineers. ISBN 9780898863055.
- ^ Messner, Reinhold (2013). Gobi: Il deserto dentro di me (in Italian). Ed. Mare Verticale. ISBN 9788897173236.
- ^ "Reinhold Messner, greatest mountaineer on earth - Academy of achievement". 1 December 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ^ "The 9 Best Mountaineers of All Time". 14 February 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ^ "Why Reinhold Messner Is The Greatest Living Human". 11 November 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2023.