Reinhold Messner

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Rankings

Covers

Records

Messner's list of achievements is unmatched in mountaineering history. He was the first to climb all 14 eight-thousanders without supplemental oxygen, a feat that took 16 years and redefined the limits of human endurance. His firsts on Everest, the first oxygen-free ascent and the first solo ascent, were considered physiologically impossible at the time. His polar crossings and desert treks further demonstrate his extraordinary range as an explorer. These accomplishments have earned him the deepest respect from the climbing community and a lasting legacy as the greatest mountaineer of all time.

AwardsMessner has received mountaineering's highest honors, including the Piolet d'Or Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 and the Princess of Asturias Award in Sports in 2018, shared with Krzysztof Wielicki. He has also been awarded honorary doctorates from the University of Innsbruck and the University of Turin.

Honours & Distinctions

Honorary Doctorate

University of Innsbruck·2000

Honorary degree for contributions to science and exploration.

Honorary Doctorate

University of Turin·2005

Honorary degree in recognition of cultural and scientific work.

Rankings & Lists

Greatest Mountaineer of All Time

Various·2020

Magazine Covers

National Geographic

1980-11-01

Everest Solo

Records & Feats

First person to climb all 14 eight-thousanders without supplemental oxygen

Mountaineering·1986

Completed in 1986, a feat that took 16 years.

First ascent of Everest without supplemental oxygen

Mountaineering·1978

With Peter Habeler in 1978.

First solo ascent of Everest

Mountaineering·1980

Without supplemental oxygen in 1980.