Reinhold Messner

Reinhold Messner, born in South Tyrol in 1944, is an Italian mountaineer, adventurer, and author. After studying engineering, he briefly worked as a secondary-school teacher before devoting himself entirely to mountaineering. At the age of five, he climbed a 3,000-metre peak accompanied by his father. As a rock climber and high-altitude mountaineer, he completed numerous first ascents. He was the first person to climb all 14 eight-thousanders, including Mount Everest alone and without supplemental oxygen. He also crossed Antarctica on foot with Arved Fuchs in 1989–90, as well as Greenland and several deserts. Messner published numerous books, translated into many languages, and made documentary films. He also served as a member of the European Parliament and established the Messner Mountain Museum, with six locations in South Tyrol.