True story:
I bumped into Reinhold Messner at the base of Mount Sabyinyo in Rwanda on December 31, 2016.
Because I had read several of his books, I instantly recognized him with his signature disheveled hair and gray beard.
Still, I politely asked, "Excuse me. Are you Reinhold Messner?"
He looked at me, grumbled an unclear non-answer, and turned away to join his small group.
I shuffled over to Rejoice Tapon and said, "I'm 95% sure that that man over there is Reinhold Messner, the greatest mountaineer ever!"
She'd never heard of him, but she said, "I'll get a selfie with him!"
Rejoice boldly asked him for a selfie.
Perhaps Messner was impressed with her beauty, or didn't want to appear racist by turning down what he figured was a local Rwandan (Rejoice is from Cameroon). Regardless, he agreed. And she triumphantly showed it off to me to rub it in.
I mention this story because I laughed when I read Messner's confession on Kindle Location 3057 of "Against the Wind." He wrote: "Approachability and sociability have never been my strong points."
This sums up what I hope is NOT his final book.
His book is full of criticisms of Messner.
Most criticisms originate from journalists, climbers, or partners.
However, sometimes he criticizes himself (like his poor social skills).
For Messner, all these criticisms are a constant "headwind" that he has faced throughout this remarkable long life (he's over 80).
This book is NOT what I expected.
I've read five of his books and loved them all, especially "Crystal Horizon," which is about his solo climb up Everest's north face in 1980 without oxygen.
I expected profound reflections and wisdom.
The book's subtitle even promises "reflections."
However, the reflections are shallow.
The subtitle should be, "Defending Myself Against an Army of Critics."
He spends about 25% of the book discussing the tragic loss of his brother, Gunther, on Nanga Parbat.
Throughout the book, he has long excerpts of articles that heavily criticize Messner, especially about how he "abandoned" his brother after summitting.
I admire Messner for sharing what his critics say and then offering his rebuttal.
He could have made a series of strawman arguments that he could easily tear down.
Instead, he gives his critics a strong platform, and they crucify him.
I never doubted his story, which I read in one of his previous books.
He said that after he and Gunther summited, they traversed the mountain by descending the Rupal Face instead of returning the way they ascended.
Reinhold was significantly ahead of Gunther, who died in an avalanche.
Messner spends MANY pages refuting idiotic claims that others have made.
For example, they claim Messner went down one way while he told his brother to go down a different way, alone.
They claim that he planned all along to traverse the mountain, which he denies.
What's sad is that you don't need to invent lies to make Messner look bad.
Just use his words against him.
I'll do so by just taking three points from his latest book.
1. Messner repeatedly said that Gunther was extremely weak at the summit and suffering from altitude issues.
2. His book says, "Reinhold reported that he was about one and a half hours in front of his brother and had lost sight of him."
3. However, later in the book, Messner writes, "During the descent, I was convinced that he was right behind me."
I'm a mountaineer who has been in many difficult situations and sometimes been with a weak or injured partner.
I would certainly get ahead of my weak partner to scout the terrain, to find the easiest path down.
However, I would ALWAYS remain within sight or earshot, ESPECIALLY if my partner is feeble.
If they're suffering from high altitude issues, they could collapse at any moment.
This is common sense & prudence.
How can Messner claim, "I was convinced that he was right behind me," and admit that he was "about one and a half hours in front of his brother and had lost sight of him."
That's a ridiculous contradiction.
It's normal that in the darkness, you might get ahead of your partner and lose visual and auditory contact for several minutes.
The moment you realize that you're disconnected, you should stop and wait for your partner to catch up.
If he doesn't appear after 15 minutes, it's time to backtrack.
To get 90 minutes ahead of your weakened partner is negligent.
That fact is all I need to know that Messner was wrong, negligent, and irresponsible.
He screwed up.
That's all he needs to say.
However, instead of addressing this obvious failure, Messner spends pages proving that his critics are wrong about many of their false claims.
Enough about their claims! Shut up, Messner!
Address the elephant in the room, which you readily admit!
And yet, he doesn't clearly and unambiguously say that he was a horrible brother and climbing partner during that descent.
The closest he comes to admitting his mistake is when he writes:
"Felix Kuen was also one and a half hours ahead of his climbing partner when he reached the summit. Sigi Löw lagged behind during the descent from the summit in 1962 and fell. The very nature of the glacier also caused us to be so far apart."
B******t. No glacier forces two climbers to be 90 minutes apart!
On the contrary!
Most glaciers force climbers to rope up together in case one falls into a crevasse.
Instead, "Messner explains that it’s standard practice among mountaineers for the partner who is feeling fitter to go first to find the best way down through crevasses."
Yes, but not 90 minutes ahead!!!
I hoped that 80-year-old Messner would not spend 25% of the book disproving the lies or stupid hypotheses of his critics.
Instead, he should have simply said, "I regret not staying close to Gunther throughout the descent. Yes, that might mean that we would both get caught in a deadly avalanche, but given his weakened state, I should never have gotten 90 minutes ahead of him. Ten minutes max. I screwed up."
Another bewildering part of the book:
"I have been ostracized, slandered, and harmed by people I have shared personal bonds with. The worst thing for me was when I was kicked out of my family home at the age of seventy-five, by my wife. I was given no warning or reason. Despite being often apart from my wife and children while on my many expeditions, I am a family man.We also traveled to places together and I was often at home for months at a time."
WTF? Really? "No warning or reason"? C'mon, Messner.
If you have no clue why your 2nd wife kicked you out, you're not only the Greatest Mountaineer of All Time (GOAT), but you're also the Most Oblivious Man of All Time.
OTHER TIDBITS
He writes, "I’ve had heart surgery twice."
I didn't know, but that suggests he's probably in his final decade.
He writes, "I failed three times on an eight-thousander."
I wish he reflected on those failures.
As Nietzsche puts it: “There are two types of tragedy in our lives. Not reaching our goals—and even worse, reaching our goals.”
CONCLUSION
This book is filled with flaws and is disappointing.
Messner wastes all his reflections on his critics.
How shallow.
You'd think a god like Messner would rise above such petty people and their words.
You'd think one of the most mentally tough people in history would not have such thin skin and a fragile ego that any stupid critic can make mighty Messner squirm and get defensive.
Who cares?!
You're MESSNER!
The GOAT!
Messner should make a poster in his house that quotes Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, who said, "No one ever erected a statue of a critic."
Messner will have statues and accolades forever.
His critics will be forgotten.
It's so sad to see that they get underneath his thin skin.
I was hoping he was tougher and could brush them off like he brushes off the lack of oxygen.
So why do I give it 4 stars instead of 1 star?
Because, like it or not, the book is a window into Messner's soul.
And I find that revealing and interesting, even if it's a bit disappointing.
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