Reinhold Messner Stripped of World Records
New research suggests that he was not the first to climb the 14 8,000-metre peaks
Legendary alpinist Reinhold Messner, 79, has had two of his world records taken away after new research suggests that he never reached the true summit of Annapurna. Messner was credited as being the first climber to summit the 14 8,000-metre peaks. He climbed them without supplementary oxygen.
German Himalayan chronicler Eberhard Jurgalski concluded that Messner never climbed Annapurna, which has led to the Guinness Book of World Records taking away two titles from Messner: first up the 14 8,000ers and first to do so without supplementalary oxygen. The new record holder, according to Guinness, is American Ed Viesturs. In an interview with the German Press Association, Messner said that Jurgalski is wrong, saying, “He has no idea. He is not an expert. He just confused the mountain. Of course, we arrived at the summit.”
The Guinness Book released this statement: “The Guinness World Records titles affected by this reclassification of ‘true summits’ have necessarily had to be reset in order to reflect the base-camp-to-summit requirements. This should in no way detract from the incredible pioneering achievements made by some of the most significant mountaineers over the past 50 years; however, in the same way that we require marathon runners to finish the full 42.195-km (26.219-mile) course and circumnavigators to cover at least the 40,075-km (24,900-mile) circumference of the Earth, for a mountain climb to qualify for a Guinness World Records title, we must insist on a base-camp-to-true-summit ascent, as per the updated 8000ers.com guidelines.”
Messner is left with other world records, including the first to climb Everest and K2 without supplemental oxygen, the first to solo Everest, the first to climb Manaslu without supplementary oxygen, the first to top three highest mountains without supplemental oxygen, the first 8,000-metre mountain hat-trick, and the first to climb Everest and Gasherbrum I without supplementary oxygen. About being included in the Guinness Book of World Records, Messner said, “I don’t care if my name is in the Guinness Book.”
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