Reinhold Messner Quotes

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Reinhold Messner

Profession : Explorer

Birth : September 17, 1944

The cliches that circulate in the German media about Joachim Sauer are a total fallacy. The fact is that he's his own man. He's witty, he's profound, he can be incredibly funny, and he's an extremely bright guy.

Reinhold Messner

I am a South Tyrolean. I identify with this land.

Reinhold Messner

The best climbers no longer go to the 8000ers, but to the most difficult mountains in the world which are 6000 or 7000-meter-peaks. There they find any kind of playground. But it is a pity that the really good climbers have fewer opportunities to finance their expeditions because so much attention is taken away by the Everest tourists.

Reinhold Messner

At 30 I was not quiet enough inside myself. At 40 I was not rich enough. At 50 I was still hoping to change the world.

Reinhold Messner

When I was a small child, I began on small mountains. Now, as I am getting older, the small peaks are getting bigger. If I am lucky, some day I will end on a small peak.

Reinhold Messner

I go to the mountains for an adventure and each time I pray I will get up and down again.

Reinhold Messner

I go to the wild mountains where I am responsible for myself. Step by step I am making sure that I don't die.

Reinhold Messner

In the West, the art of rock climbing is growing because it has to do with less risk, good muscles. But the people seeking high goals in high places are in Eastern Europe, and they reach their goals because they are willing to suffer more.

Reinhold Messner

The Slovenians are the very best climbers in the world.

Reinhold Messner

On Mount Everest it feels as if you are in the womb, but on K2 you are always out on the edge.

Reinhold Messner

When I held in my hands the remains of Gunther, I had a strong feeling, like a phantom pain of an amputee.

Reinhold Messner

I am not an anarchist, but I am anarchistical.

Reinhold Messner

Gunther and I always shared the work. Each of us carried his own sleeping bag and tent, and porters carried the rest, until the highest camp, when we were on our own. Nobody helped us up there.

Reinhold Messner

Climbing has so much more culture than all other activities put together. There is no culture in tennis, just a few names, a few dates. No big culture in soccer. But we have thousands of books, great philosophers, thinkers, painters.

Reinhold Messner

I want to look into the dark spaces in people's souls. At what happens to us when we go to the mountains.

Reinhold Messner

For years I was a rock climber and nothing else. I went to school, yes, and university, yes, but in my heart I was a rock climber.

Reinhold Messner

On your own, relying on yourself, you will never feel you are stronger than the mountain, and your respect for the peak grows.

Reinhold Messner

I left many different mountains but always the gods gave me a chance to go back. I was always going with a quiet foot.

Reinhold Messner

I am not so proud to climb all the 8,000-meter peaks, but I was proud to climb Nanga Parbat solo. That was the most elegant thing I did.

Reinhold Messner