Reinhold Messner Is Still The GOAT
Despite Guinness saying he wasn't the first to climb the 14 8,000ers, the climber who aims to benefit the most disagrees
The Guinness Book of World Records does not have the final say about who’s done what in the world of climbing. The keepers of the records recently announced to the world that they don’t believe that Reinhold Messner was the first to summit the 14 8,000-metre peaks. Guinness is known for keeping track of records like the most Rubik’s cubes solved on a skateboard, and who ran the fastest 100 metres. However, climbing doesn’t have set parameters like other sports, so it’s much harder to measure records.
Messner, 79, had two of his world records taken away after Eberhard Jurgalsk, an amateur researcher, suggested that he never reached the summit of Annapurna. In an interview with the German Press Association, Messner said that Jurgalski said, “He has no idea. He is not an expert. He just confused the mountain. Of course, we arrived at the summit.” And about being included in the Guinness Book of World Records, Messner said, “I don’t care if my name is in the Guinness Book.”
After Messner was stripped of his world records, the new record holder became American Ed Viesturs, who told Gear Junkie, “I was like, this makes no sense to me. Messner is still the record-holder. People down here don’t really know what it’s like up there. For them to nitpick like this is kind of ridiculous.” And on Instagram, he said, “I truly believe that Reinhold Messner was the first person to climb all 14 8000ers and should still be recognized as having done so.”
About records, Messner said, “Reaching a summit represents a fraction of the effort and spirit required to make a first ascent. The meticulous planning, execution and most importantly, the iron-will to keep moving counts. Ultimately, climbing is a personal journey the records and lists are not what matters.” It seems that climbers have the final say about what climbers have done, not Guinness.
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