Reinhold Messner

•*Reveals the long view from an icon who, with age, has added wisdom to his list of accomplishments •*Messner climbing firsts: the world’s fourteen peaks taller than 8000 meters; Everest solo; Everest without supplemental oxygen •*Author of more than 60 books Reinhold Messner: My Life at the Limit, the newest book by the famed mountaineer, is a conversation between Messner and interviewer Thomas Hüetlin, an award-winning German journalist. It reveals a more thoughtful and conversational Messner than one finds in his previous books, with the “talk” between Messner and Hüetlin covering not only the highlights of Messner’s climbing career, but also his treks across Tibet, the Gobi, and Antarctica; his five-year-stint as a member of the European Parliament; his encounter with and study of the yeti; his thoughts on traditional male/female roles; and much more. Readers learn about Messner’s childhood, his thoughts about eating ice cream with girls (against), politics (mostly liberal), and his technique for killing chickens (sharp scissors). Messner is known as one of history’s greatest Himalayan mountaineers, a man who pushed back the frontiers of the possible for a whole generation of climbers. While the interest in My Life at the Limit is that it exposes much more of the man than his climbing career, that career is still utterly remarkable——and Mountaineers Books is proud to present this book, which is core to our mission, to audiences across North America. ***For a limited time, donors to our Legends and Lore series will receive a signed copy of My Life at the Limit. Click here > to learn more.***

* A mountaineering classic re-released in the Legends and Lore series * Two new chapters In Free Spirit Reinhold Messner describes the forces and events that have shaped him as a climber as famous for his discipline as for his innovative spirit. Messner evolved his philosophy of the single free-climbing line with its uncompromising purity of style in the Dolomites and, as equipment and technique developed, he was in the forefront of the transference of fast lightweight alpine methods to the great ranges. Here, he takes us from the days of his first climb (at the age of five) with his father to his brother’s tragic death on Nanga Parbat in 1970 to his later move away from the overcrowded Alps and 8000-meter peaks. He sought fulfillment, instead, in new challenges in lesser known parts of the world, such as crossing the expanse of Antarctica. Free Spirit is an exciting account of the career of a mountain pioneer.

The ascent of Nanga Parbat in 1970 marked the beginning of Reinhold Messner's remarkable career in Himalayan climbing. But this expedition has always been shrouded in controversy and mystery; his brother Günther, who accompanied him, met his death In The Naked Mountain Messner gives his side of the story in full for the first time. This most personal account is a story of death and survival .... and for those who want to understand what is the force that drives Messner on, this book is the key. 'Nothing if not passionate, Messner writes of the Himalyan experience with a nearly mystical fervour. His description of catastrophe at high altitude is page-turning.' Rock & Ice 'A gripping piece of writing .... The translation reads like a good thriller, drawing the reader back through historical epics; treading the footsteps of climbers right on the edge of things...' Scottish Mountaineer AUTHOR: Legendary mountaineer Reinhold Messner has written many books including All 14 Eight-Thousanders for Crowood. 152 illustrations

As a boy, climbing legend Reinhold Messner was inspired by another legend: George Mallory's tragic final ascent of Mount Everest in 1924. To Messner, and to thousands of others, Mallory's attempt--whether or not it succeeded--remains the greatest exploit in the annals of mountain climbing. Though Mallory's body was finally found, we have lost, Messner believes, the spirit that guided him; summiting Everest has become merely a corporate challenge and a matter of technology, not a rendezvous with destiny. Using the British climber's journals and letters, Messner thrillingly re-creates Mallory's three assaults on Everest, including his final ascent. Here is both an investigation into the death of George Mallory and a deeply felt homage--to a mountain, to the spirit of an age, and to the man who inspired those who followed in his footsteps.

'Everest by fair means - that is the human dimension, and that is what interests me ... In reaching for the oxygen cylinder, a climber degrades Everest ... a climber who doesn't rely on his own strength and skills, but on apparatus and drugs, deceives himself. In May 1978 Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler became the first climbers in history to reach the summit of Mount Everest without the use of supplementary oxygen - an event which made international headlines and permanently altered the future of mountaineering. Here Messner tells how the and Habeler accomplished the impossible - and how it felt. He describes the dangers of the Khumbu Icefield, the daunting Lhotse flank, two lonely storm-filled nights at 26,247 feet, and finally the last step to the summit. Everest: Expedition to the Ultimate is a riveting account of the exhaustion, the exhilaration and the despair of climbing into the death zone. The book also includes a history of the mountain, successful ascents and Messner's reflections on recent tragedies on Mount Everest. Reinhold Messner was the first to climb all fourteen peaks higher than 8,000 metres. The author of more than a dozen books on his adventures, he lives in a castle in northern Italy.

What does it take to be one of the world's best high-altitude mountain climbers? A lot of fundraising; traveling in some of the world's most dangerous countries; enduring cold bivouacs, searing lungs, and a cloudy mind when you can least afford one. It means learning the hard lessons the mountains teach. Steve House built his reputation on ascents throughout the Alps, Canada, Alaska, the Karakoram and the Himalaya that have expanded possibilities of style, speed, and difficulty. In 2005 Steve and alpinist Vince Anderson pioneered a direct new route on the Rupal Face of 26,600-foot Nanga Parbat, which had never before been climbed in alpine style. It was the third ascent of the face and the achievement earned Steveand Vince the first Piolet d"or (Golden Ice Axe) awarded to North Americans. Steve is an accomplished and spellbinding storyteller in the tradition of Maurice Herzog and Lionel Terray. Beyond the Mountain is a gripping read destined to be a mountain classic. And it