Reinhold Messner in 1989: “It means nothing to me to be listed next to the pasta makers and all the other curiosities” Image: picture alliance / Udo Bernhart
A Himalayan expert claims that Reinhold Messner never reached the summit of Annapurna. The mountaineer loses two records in the Guinness Book. In the interview, Messner contradicts the allegations.
Mr. Messner, did you climb the summit of Annapurna in the Himalayas with Hans Kammerlander on April 24, 1985?
Yes, we were at the summit. There is a very long summit ridge there, you have to know that. And there are three main peaks that are over 8000 meters high: the West Peak, which is also the main peak, the Middle Peak and the East Peak. We didn’t climb the standard route, but came out of the wall at the west summit because it was our first time climbing the northwest face. Our goal was primarily to climb this wall. This corresponded to the attitude of mountaineering at the time. The goal was no longer just the summit, the path to get there also became the goal.
