Reinhold Messner's Solo Everest: Climbing Without Oxygen, Without Help¶

In August 1980, Reinhold Messner did what most climbers considered impossible — he climbed Everest alone, without supplemental oxygen, via a new route on the North Face during monsoon season. Already the first to climb Everest without oxygen (1978 with Peter Habeler), Messner's solo ascent cemented him as the greatest mountaineer in history.

Introduction¶

Who Is Reinhold Messner¶

The 1978 Breakthrough¶

Everest Without Oxygen — Messner and Habeler¶

Medical Skepticism and Proof¶

Planning the Solo Ascent¶

Why Monsoon Season¶

The North Face Route Choice¶

Mental Preparation¶

The Climb — August 1980¶

Advanced Base Camp Alone¶

The Three-Day Solo Push¶

Hallucinations and Survival¶

Summit and Descent¶

Messner's 14 Eight-Thousanders¶

The Quest to Climb Them All¶

The Final Summit — Lhotse, 1986¶

Legacy and Philosophy¶

"By Fair Means" — The Alpine Style Revolution¶

Influence on Modern Mountaineering¶

Messner's Lessons for Every Climber¶