The Murder of the Impossible Messner Mountain #15 1971

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Mungeclimber

Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
Mar 6, 2011 - 04:09pm PT
Messner is still the only person who has soloed Everest


may want to clarify that for the folks that don't see what yer getting at.


as in unsupported, no sherpa support, no fixed lines, etc? from what town or basecamp?
skywalker

climber
Mar 6, 2011 - 04:19pm PT
Ya know I had a partner who was very experienced and liked to make his suggestions known (ie. he was a very active belayer who was very encouraging). One time we set out to climb a long free climb and he advised me that "the route traverses right" as I passed said traverse. I paused...looked at the terrain...and yelled back (in a friendly matter) "I have a trad rack, I can go any way I want too!" and set off with my instincts. We eventually arrived at the summit, having a good time the whole way and my partner said "you have a trad rack, you can go anyway you want". Although we didn't have pitons nor a bolt kit.

Cheers!

S....
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Mar 6, 2011 - 06:28pm PT
I was present at a Messner slide show at the OR show in SLC a few weeks ago and had a great 30 minute talk with him at a reception after the show. He still looks youthful and fit but is not climbing actively at this time.
He is very involved in the three museums he has created at his castle compound in Italy. The museums are not only about climbing; one concerns itself with mountain culture and another is devoted to sacred mountains.
Messner is extremely devoted to the mountain environment on many levels: people, culture, wildlife, environment, and, yes, climbing.
He has always be concerned about ethical issues in climbing and my first encounter with him ended in a three hour dinner in a small cafe in Seattle discussing the Egger/Maestri issue. He seems to have taken it upon himself to ferret out untruths in alpine history and expose them.
He is a larger than life person of considerable ego who is abrasive to some but I, for one, admire and respect his integrity at least as much as I am in awe of his achievements.
The Dane

Trad climber
Copenhagen
Dec 7, 2011 - 01:37pm PT

Apropos Peter Haan's comment on Wolfgang Gullich. WG's solo climb of SR was apparently not an on sight climb.

Just to get the facts right in the history books.

Photos are from Reinhard Karls:

Klettern in Senkrechten Paradis - Yosemite. Limpert Verlag 1982 Germany.

Nice to re-read Reinhold Messners thought on grading and climbing.
Fat Dad

Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
Dec 7, 2011 - 04:38pm PT
The Dane,

Those photos of Wolfgang may have been taken the same summer he climbed Grand Illusion, unless he made consecutive trips to the Valley in the earliy 80s. I remember being a teenager in Camp 4 in '82 and '83 when he was there and there were rumors that he had just repeated Grand Illusion. One of my less shy friends went and asked him and he confirmed that he had done it. So, while he may not have gotten an onsight of Separate Reality, he nevertheless had a worthwhile summer.

BTW, Messner bump.
The Dane

Trad climber
Copenhagen
Dec 7, 2011 - 05:26pm PT
Not to spam the Messner topic - you can be right FD?

As far as I remember french climber Patrick Edlinger repeated Grand Illussion as the first european in the same period - but WG could have climbed it too.

Anyway his solo stands, it was just not an os.
bvb

Social climber
flagstaff arizona
Dec 7, 2011 - 05:36pm PT
Great read, and as relevant today is it was when initially published. I've still got that issue. Recall there is a photo of the Eiger Nordwand on the cover?
Peter Haan

Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
Apr 17, 2012 - 08:47pm PT
Thanks for the correction Dane. The lore was he had just gone up and climbed it, unroped. But as we all know, lore is one thing, history another. This brings back to comprehensibility, WG's unroped ascent of Separate Reality so long ago.

And also bumpin' another jewel from the Stevie Grossman Annals of Climbing

And lastly, Dark Glow of the Mountains on YouTube (Gasherbrum Der Leuchtende Berg) from 1985 Werner Herzog, Messner and Kammerlander! (Chessler has an english dubbed edition of this by the way)
Stewart Johnson

climber
lake forest
Apr 17, 2012 - 09:36pm PT
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 13, 2013 - 06:13pm PT
Bump for Nurturing the Impossible in 2013!
AP

Trad climber
Calgary
Jan 13, 2013 - 08:03pm PT
When Messner soloed Everest he was the only person on the mountain (monsoon 1980). He also did a poorly protected 5.11+ pitch in the Dolomites with mountain boots in the late 1960's on a long route that became a testpiece for hardmen in the 1980's. His thoughts are still relevant and are being played out by folks doing great technical climbs in the Himalayas.
I wonder what he thinks about the Cerro Torre bolt chopping?
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Jan 13, 2013 - 08:09pm PT
Saw Hayden's SS last night. I have been on the CT headwall and saw how the bolting avoided the natural lines. Hayden and Jason's line exploited natural features. At 5:11+ A2 it is not in a category that should intimidate CT aspirants.
They did the route in 14 hours from the col, so it would not appear to be an eliminate in that category either.
aspendougy

Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
Jan 13, 2013 - 08:24pm PT
I thought Allison Hargreaves also soloed Everest without supplemental oxygen. Is that right, or is Messner the only one?
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Jan 13, 2013 - 08:27pm PT
Messner soloed a new route....thus there were no fixed ropes.
bit'er ol' guy

climber
the past
Jan 13, 2013 - 10:07pm PT
Really?

This is a Debate?
AP

Trad climber
Calgary
Jan 13, 2013 - 11:57pm PT
If Messner had run into problems there was no one who could have helped out. This has to be one of the most badass solos of all time.
What was the title on the Mountain mag news after Everest "That Man Again"?
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - May 10, 2013 - 11:00am PT
Original school bump...
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
the crowd MUST BE MOCKED...Mocked I tell you.
May 10, 2013 - 12:12pm PT
What is the thread that connects this article to the UIAA pronouncements?

Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - May 17, 2014 - 02:44pm PT
"Impossible things are happening every day" Mary Poppins
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 27, 2014 - 08:18am PT
Bump for a Tea Party on the ceiling...or at least tucked under one!
Messages 41 - 60 of total 64 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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