London or New York, 1980, 1st UK or USA edition. 268 pp, ills. Hardcover with dust jacket. Other than the author's signature, there is no writing in the book or other flaws, and the dust jacket has no wear and is not price clipped. The Dust Jacket is protected by a removable Brodart clear plastic book cover. The Dust Jacket and the Book are in Fine condition.
This copy is SIGNED by Reinhold Messner on the title page or hgalf title page. There is no inscription, just his name.
This describes Messner's first Himalayan expedition in 1978. It describes three expeditions to Nanga Parbat in the 1970s, including his solo of the peak, and the death of Reinhold's brother Gunther.
Reinhold Messner has had a long association with Nanga Parbat, all German speaking Himalayan climbers do, due to the long history of Expeditions in the 1930s. Messner has written about 5 books on Nanga Parbat by my count, and this is the only that has been released in English. It is highly unlikely that the others will be translated.
1970 - THE RUPAL FACE
In 1970 the two brothers Reinhold and Günter Messner participated in their first Himalayan expedition. They successfully climbed the mixed route of the Rupal Flank to the summit of Nanga Parbat. The route where hard and the climb to the summit was a great feat itself. Due to extreme weather, the late hour and that Günther was extremely exhausted, they made the decision to descend through unknown terrain by the less steep West Face.
After three days of descending, both brothers were near total physical collapse. Especially Günther, who found it very hard to keep up in Reinhold's pace. Near the foot at the mountain Reinhold was in front to scout a way through the crevasses. When he returned back up to meet Günter he had perished! Only a large avalanche cone showed the place where Günther should be! Reinhold searched desperately for his brother for a whole day. He just couldn't believe that his brother, together with whom he has shared so many climbing adventures in the Alps together with was dead!
This was the first time that Reinhold got to know the thin line between total mental, physical collapse and madness. With his last powers he stumbled into base-camp. Badly frostbitten, Reinhold had to amputate sex of his toes and several fingertips. This was the third ever ascent of Nanga Parbat. - And a personal catastrophe for Reinhold Messner that took many, many years to get over.
Until todays date (year 2002), the Rupal Face is still waiting for a second ascent...
1971 - LOOKING FOR GÜNTHER
The following year, Reinhold returned to Nanga Parbat to search for his missing brother. Not a trace was found...
1973 - A SOLO ATTEMPT
Again, in 1973, Reinhold returned to Nanga Parbat. The mountain was by now always present in his mind and dreams. He was totally obsessed with the idea to climb it solo - and tried - and failed.
1977 - A SOLO ATTEMPT
In 1977, during a personal crisis, Reinhold once again returned to 'his' mountain, and once again he planned to climb it solo. This time he never dared to make a 100% committed try, because he was scared that - 'somewhere up there, I would freak out and be unable to cope'.
1978 - THE DIAMIR FACE
Finally, with with a strong inner force and self-confidence in his mind, Reinhold successfully solo climbed a new route on the Diamir Face.
The climb was done in pure Alpine style. No climbing equipment except for his ice axe and crampons where brought on the trip. This was the first time ever an 8,000 meter mountain was climbed solo. On the way up, an earthquake triggered a massive avalanche that blocked the possibility for any retreat down through the chosen route. Reinhold immediately put the avalanche behind him in his mind; this time he was ready and he had never a single thought about retreat.
On the third day Reinhold reached the top! The descent was a masterpiece itself, done through unknown terrain. A new route up, a new route down - solo on Nanga Parbat!
