Reinhold Messner (3)Mount EverestOn 8 May 1978, Reinhold Messner stood withPeter Habeleron the summit ofMount Everest; the first men ever to climb Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen. Prior to this ascent it was disputed whether this was possible at all. Messner and Habeler were members of an expedition led by Wolfgang Nairz along thesoutheast ridgeto the summit. Also on this expedition wasReinhard Karl, the first German to reach the summit (with oxygen).Two years later, on 20 August 1980, Messner again stood atop the highest mountain in the world. This time, too, the ascent was made without supplementary oxygen. For this solo climb, he chose thenortheast ridgeto the summit, where he crossed above theNorth Colin the North Face to theNorton Couloirand became the first man to climb through this steep gorge to the summit. Messner decided spontaneously during the ascent to use this route to bypass the exposed northeast ridge. Prior to this solo ascent, he had not set up a camp on the mountain.[12]

K2For 1979, Messner was planning to climbK2on a new direct route through the South Face, which he called the "Magic Line". Headed by Messner, the small expedition consisted of six climbers: Italians Alessandro Gogna, Friedl Mutschlechner and Renato Casarotto; the Austrian, Robert Schauer; and Germans Michl Dacher, journalist, Jochen Hlzgen, and doctor Ursula Grether, who was injured during the approach and had to be carried to Askole by Messner and Mutschlechner. Because of avalanche danger on the original route and time lost on the approach, they decided on climbing via theAbruzzi Spur. The route was equipped with fixed ropes and high-altitude camps, but no hauling equipment (Hochtrger) or bottled oxygen was used. On 12 July, Messner and Dacher reached the summit; then the weather deteriorated and attempts by other members of the party failed.

Shishapangma[edit]During his stay in Tibet as part of his Everest solo attempt, Messner had the opportunity to exploreShishapangma. A year later, Messner, with Friedel Mutschlechner, Oswald Oelz and Gerd Baur, set base camp on the north side of the only eight-thousander which is entirely within Chinese territory. On 28 May, Messner and Mutschlechner reached the summit in very bad weather; part of the climb involvingski mountaineering.