This book is a peak by peak account of Messner's ascent of the world's fourteen 8,000 metre peaks between 1970 and 1986. The fourteen chapters describe the difficulties, tragedies and ultimate successes of the ascent of each peak. This is a second revised edition, with a new introduction.



On 16 October 1986, Reinhold Messner successfully reached the 8,511-metre summit of Lhotse in Nepal, and thereby became the first man to stand on all fourteen of the world's eight-thousand metre summits - an unbelievable achievement and a sensation in mountaineering history. What motivated Messner to be so dedicated in pursuit of his goal, despite unimaginable hardships, to keep confronting danger and death, loneliness and self-doubt? The answers to these questions can be found in this book. Here, you will get a glimpse of what it takes to mount an expedition to one of the eight-thousanders, and learn to understand Reinhold Messner, witness his unique way of tackling problems, and share the day-to-day experiences of a climber who has pushed himself and Alpinism to new dimensions.