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Gegenwind: Vom Wachsen an Widerständen | Reinhold Messners persönlichstes Buch: zum 80. Geburtstag sein neues großes autobiografisches Buch
Eine, wenn nicht die Konstante in Reinhold Messners Leben ist der ob als schwere Stürme auf dem Weg zum Südpol mit Arved Fuchs oder mit seinem Bruder Hubert über das Grönland-Eis, ob allein beim Zeltaufbau oder in den steilsten Wänden. Vor allem zurück in der Zivilisation, wo seine Taten von jeher Widerspruch provozieren. Schon als junger Bergsteiger wurde er diskreditiert; immer wieder erlebte er Anfeindungen – als meinungsstarker Individualist, Autor und Museumsmacher. Mit der Erfahrung aus acht Jahrzehnten reflektiert Messner Freundschaften und Intrigen, alpinistische wie private Höhepunkte und Rückschläge. Eindrucksvoll vermittelt er, wie Gegenwind Flügel wachsen lässt. Und die Fähigkeit, auch im Alter Träume zu realisieren.
»Sein Name ist Marke und Programm zugleich.« Focus
»Sein Name ist Marke und Programm zugleich.« Focus
337 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 29, 2024
6 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Reinhold Messner
202 books241 followersReinhold Messner (born September 17, 1944) is an Italian mountaineer and explorer from South Tyrol, often cited as the greatest mountain climber of all time. He is renowned for making the first solo ascents of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen and for being the first climber to ascend all fourteen "eight-thousanders" (peaks over 8,000 metres above sea level). He is the author of at least 63 books (in German, 1970–2006), many of which have been translated into other languages.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 31, 2025
True story:
I bumped into Reinhold Messner at the base of Mount Sabyinyo in Rwanda on December 31, 2016.
Because I had read several of his books, I instantly recognized him with his signature disheveled hair and gray beard.
Still, I politely asked, "Excuse me. Are you Reinhold Messner?"
He looked at me, grumbled an unclear non-answer, and turned away to join his small group.
I shuffled over to Rejoice Tapon and said, "I'm 95% sure that that man over there is Reinhold Messner, the greatest mountaineer ever!"
She'd never heard of him, but she said, "I'll get a selfie with him!"
Rejoice boldly asked him for a selfie.
Perhaps Messner was impressed with her beauty, or didn't want to appear racist by turning down what he figured was a local Rwandan (Rejoice is from Cameroon). Regardless, he agreed. And she triumphantly showed it off to me to rub it in.
I mention this story because I laughed when I read Messner's confession on Kindle Location 3057 of "Against the Wind." He wrote: "Approachability and sociability have never been my strong points."
This sums up what I hope is NOT his final book.
His book is full of criticisms of Messner.
Most criticisms originate from journalists, climbers, or partners.
However, sometimes he criticizes himself (like his poor social skills).
For Messner, all these criticisms are a constant "headwind" that he has faced throughout this remarkable long life (he's over 80).
This book is NOT what I expected.
I've read five of his books and loved them all, especially "Crystal Horizon," which is about his solo climb up Everest's north face in 1980 without oxygen.
I expected profound reflections and wisdom.
The book's subtitle even promises "reflections."
However, the reflections are shallow.
The subtitle should be, "Defending Myself Against an Army of Critics."
He spends about 25% of the book discussing the tragic loss of his brother, Gunther, on Nanga Parbat.
Throughout the book, he has long excerpts of articles that heavily criticize Messner, especially about how he "abandoned" his brother after summitting.
I admire Messner for sharing what his critics say and then offering his rebuttal.
He could have made a series of strawman arguments that he could easily tear down.
Instead, he gives his critics a strong platform, and they crucify him.
I never doubted his story, which I read in one of his previous books.
He said that after he and Gunther summited, they traversed the mountain by descending the Rupal Face instead of returning the way they ascended.
Reinhold was significantly ahead of Gunther, who died in an avalanche.
Messner spends MANY pages refuting idiotic claims that others have made.
For example, they claim Messner went down one way while he told his brother to go down a different way, alone.
They claim that he planned all along to traverse the mountain, which he denies.
What's sad is that you don't need to invent lies to make Messner look bad.
Just use his words against him.
I'll do so by just taking three points from his latest book.
1. Messner repeatedly said that Gunther was extremely weak at the summit and suffering from altitude issues.
2. His book says, "Reinhold reported that he was about one and a half hours in front of his brother and had lost sight of him."
3. However, later in the book, Messner writes, "During the descent, I was convinced that he was right behind me."
I'm a mountaineer who has been in many difficult situations and sometimes been with a weak or injured partner.
I would certainly get ahead of my weak partner to scout the terrain, to find the easiest path down.
However, I would ALWAYS remain within sight or earshot, ESPECIALLY if my partner is feeble.
If they're suffering from high altitude issues, they could collapse at any moment.
This is common sense & prudence.
How can Messner claim, "I was convinced that he was right behind me," and admit that he was "about one and a half hours in front of his brother and had lost sight of him."
That's a ridiculous contradiction.
It's normal that in the darkness, you might get ahead of your partner and lose visual and auditory contact for several minutes.
The moment you realize that you're disconnected, you should stop and wait for your partner to catch up.
If he doesn't appear after 15 minutes, it's time to backtrack.
To get 90 minutes ahead of your weakened partner is negligent.
That fact is all I need to know that Messner was wrong, negligent, and irresponsible.
He screwed up.
That's all he needs to say.
However, instead of addressing this obvious failure, Messner spends pages proving that his critics are wrong about many of their false claims.
Enough about their claims! Shut up, Messner!
Address the elephant in the room, which you readily admit!
And yet, he doesn't clearly and unambiguously say that he was a horrible brother and climbing partner during that descent.
The closest he comes to admitting his mistake is when he writes:
"Felix Kuen was also one and a half hours ahead of his climbing partner when he reached the summit. Sigi Löw lagged behind during the descent from the summit in 1962 and fell. The very nature of the glacier also caused us to be so far apart."
Bullshit. No glacier forces two climbers to be 90 minutes apart!
On the contrary!
Most glaciers force climbers to rope up together in case one falls into a crevasse.
Instead, "Messner explains that it’s standard practice among mountaineers for the partner who is feeling fitter to go first to find the best way down through crevasses."
Yes, but not 90 minutes ahead!!!
I hoped that 80-year-old Messner would not spend 25% of the book disproving the lies or stupid hypotheses of his critics.
Instead, he should have simply said, "I regret not staying close to Gunther throughout the descent. Yes, that might mean that we would both get caught in a deadly avalanche, but given his weakened state, I should never have gotten 90 minutes ahead of him. Ten minutes max. I screwed up."
Another bewildering part of the book:
"I have been ostracized, slandered, and harmed by people I have shared personal bonds with. The worst thing for me was when I was kicked out of my family home at the age of seventy-five, by my wife. I was given no warning or reason. Despite being often apart from my wife and children while on my many expeditions, I am a family man.We also traveled to places together and I was often at home for months at a time."
WTF? Really? "No warning or reason"? C'mon, Messner.
If you have no clue why your 2nd wife kicked you out, you're not only the Greatest Mountaineer of All Time (GOAT), but you're also the Most Oblivious Man of All Time.
OTHER TIDBITS
He writes, "I’ve had heart surgery twice."
I didn't know, but that suggests he's probably in his final decade.
He writes, "I failed three times on an eight-thousander."
I wish he reflected on those failures.
As Nietzsche puts it: “There are two types of tragedy in our lives. Not reaching our goals—and even worse, reaching our goals.”
CONCLUSION
This book is filled with flaws and is disappointing.
Messner wastes all his reflections on his critics.
How shallow.
You'd think a god like Messner would rise above such petty people and their words.
You'd think one of the most mentally tough people in history would not have such thin skin and a fragile ego that any stupid critic can make mighty Messner squirm and get defensive.
Who cares?!
You're MESSNER!
The GOAT!
Messner should make a poster in his house that quotes Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, who said, "No one ever erected a statue of a critic."
Messner will have statues and accolades forever.
His critics will be forgotten.
It's so sad to see that they get underneath his thin skin.
I was hoping he was tougher and could brush them off like he brushes off the lack of oxygen.
So why do I give it 4 stars instead of 1 star?
Because, like it or not, the book is a window into Messner's soul.
And I find that revealing and interesting, even if it's a bit disappointing.
I bumped into Reinhold Messner at the base of Mount Sabyinyo in Rwanda on December 31, 2016.
Because I had read several of his books, I instantly recognized him with his signature disheveled hair and gray beard.
Still, I politely asked, "Excuse me. Are you Reinhold Messner?"
He looked at me, grumbled an unclear non-answer, and turned away to join his small group.
I shuffled over to Rejoice Tapon and said, "I'm 95% sure that that man over there is Reinhold Messner, the greatest mountaineer ever!"
She'd never heard of him, but she said, "I'll get a selfie with him!"
Rejoice boldly asked him for a selfie.
Perhaps Messner was impressed with her beauty, or didn't want to appear racist by turning down what he figured was a local Rwandan (Rejoice is from Cameroon). Regardless, he agreed. And she triumphantly showed it off to me to rub it in.
I mention this story because I laughed when I read Messner's confession on Kindle Location 3057 of "Against the Wind." He wrote: "Approachability and sociability have never been my strong points."
This sums up what I hope is NOT his final book.
His book is full of criticisms of Messner.
Most criticisms originate from journalists, climbers, or partners.
However, sometimes he criticizes himself (like his poor social skills).
For Messner, all these criticisms are a constant "headwind" that he has faced throughout this remarkable long life (he's over 80).
This book is NOT what I expected.
I've read five of his books and loved them all, especially "Crystal Horizon," which is about his solo climb up Everest's north face in 1980 without oxygen.
I expected profound reflections and wisdom.
The book's subtitle even promises "reflections."
However, the reflections are shallow.
The subtitle should be, "Defending Myself Against an Army of Critics."
He spends about 25% of the book discussing the tragic loss of his brother, Gunther, on Nanga Parbat.
Throughout the book, he has long excerpts of articles that heavily criticize Messner, especially about how he "abandoned" his brother after summitting.
I admire Messner for sharing what his critics say and then offering his rebuttal.
He could have made a series of strawman arguments that he could easily tear down.
Instead, he gives his critics a strong platform, and they crucify him.
I never doubted his story, which I read in one of his previous books.
He said that after he and Gunther summited, they traversed the mountain by descending the Rupal Face instead of returning the way they ascended.
Reinhold was significantly ahead of Gunther, who died in an avalanche.
Messner spends MANY pages refuting idiotic claims that others have made.
For example, they claim Messner went down one way while he told his brother to go down a different way, alone.
They claim that he planned all along to traverse the mountain, which he denies.
What's sad is that you don't need to invent lies to make Messner look bad.
Just use his words against him.
I'll do so by just taking three points from his latest book.
1. Messner repeatedly said that Gunther was extremely weak at the summit and suffering from altitude issues.
2. His book says, "Reinhold reported that he was about one and a half hours in front of his brother and had lost sight of him."
3. However, later in the book, Messner writes, "During the descent, I was convinced that he was right behind me."
I'm a mountaineer who has been in many difficult situations and sometimes been with a weak or injured partner.
I would certainly get ahead of my weak partner to scout the terrain, to find the easiest path down.
However, I would ALWAYS remain within sight or earshot, ESPECIALLY if my partner is feeble.
If they're suffering from high altitude issues, they could collapse at any moment.
This is common sense & prudence.
How can Messner claim, "I was convinced that he was right behind me," and admit that he was "about one and a half hours in front of his brother and had lost sight of him."
That's a ridiculous contradiction.
It's normal that in the darkness, you might get ahead of your partner and lose visual and auditory contact for several minutes.
The moment you realize that you're disconnected, you should stop and wait for your partner to catch up.
If he doesn't appear after 15 minutes, it's time to backtrack.
To get 90 minutes ahead of your weakened partner is negligent.
That fact is all I need to know that Messner was wrong, negligent, and irresponsible.
He screwed up.
That's all he needs to say.
However, instead of addressing this obvious failure, Messner spends pages proving that his critics are wrong about many of their false claims.
Enough about their claims! Shut up, Messner!
Address the elephant in the room, which you readily admit!
And yet, he doesn't clearly and unambiguously say that he was a horrible brother and climbing partner during that descent.
The closest he comes to admitting his mistake is when he writes:
"Felix Kuen was also one and a half hours ahead of his climbing partner when he reached the summit. Sigi Löw lagged behind during the descent from the summit in 1962 and fell. The very nature of the glacier also caused us to be so far apart."
Bullshit. No glacier forces two climbers to be 90 minutes apart!
On the contrary!
Most glaciers force climbers to rope up together in case one falls into a crevasse.
Instead, "Messner explains that it’s standard practice among mountaineers for the partner who is feeling fitter to go first to find the best way down through crevasses."
Yes, but not 90 minutes ahead!!!
I hoped that 80-year-old Messner would not spend 25% of the book disproving the lies or stupid hypotheses of his critics.
Instead, he should have simply said, "I regret not staying close to Gunther throughout the descent. Yes, that might mean that we would both get caught in a deadly avalanche, but given his weakened state, I should never have gotten 90 minutes ahead of him. Ten minutes max. I screwed up."
Another bewildering part of the book:
"I have been ostracized, slandered, and harmed by people I have shared personal bonds with. The worst thing for me was when I was kicked out of my family home at the age of seventy-five, by my wife. I was given no warning or reason. Despite being often apart from my wife and children while on my many expeditions, I am a family man.We also traveled to places together and I was often at home for months at a time."
WTF? Really? "No warning or reason"? C'mon, Messner.
If you have no clue why your 2nd wife kicked you out, you're not only the Greatest Mountaineer of All Time (GOAT), but you're also the Most Oblivious Man of All Time.
OTHER TIDBITS
He writes, "I’ve had heart surgery twice."
I didn't know, but that suggests he's probably in his final decade.
He writes, "I failed three times on an eight-thousander."
I wish he reflected on those failures.
As Nietzsche puts it: “There are two types of tragedy in our lives. Not reaching our goals—and even worse, reaching our goals.”
CONCLUSION
This book is filled with flaws and is disappointing.
Messner wastes all his reflections on his critics.
How shallow.
You'd think a god like Messner would rise above such petty people and their words.
You'd think one of the most mentally tough people in history would not have such thin skin and a fragile ego that any stupid critic can make mighty Messner squirm and get defensive.
Who cares?!
You're MESSNER!
The GOAT!
Messner should make a poster in his house that quotes Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, who said, "No one ever erected a statue of a critic."
Messner will have statues and accolades forever.
His critics will be forgotten.
It's so sad to see that they get underneath his thin skin.
I was hoping he was tougher and could brush them off like he brushes off the lack of oxygen.
So why do I give it 4 stars instead of 1 star?
Because, like it or not, the book is a window into Messner's soul.
And I find that revealing and interesting, even if it's a bit disappointing.
March 24, 2025
I just finished reading this book in German, which is Reinhold Messner’s mother tongue. I grew up following and respecting his adventures and incredible feats, but this book is a real disappointment. It truly makes him sound like an old, grumpy man who is very bitter about his life and still holds grudges 50 years later. What happened to all the wisdom and enlightenment gained in the mountains?
October 3, 2024
Von und über ihn wurde schon viel geschrieben. Deshalb war ich gespannt, ob ich in seinem neuen Buch auch etwas Neues über Reinhold Messner erfahren würde. Tatsächlich konnte er mir nur wenig Neues erzählen. Aber das ist auch schwer bei einem Menschen, der so in der Öffentlichkeit präsent ist.
Ungewöhnlich ist seine Herangehensweise. Reinhold Messner sucht sich bewusst Situationen aus seinem Leben aus, in denen er den im Titel erwähnten Gegenwind erlebte. Für den Bergsteiger ist dieser Gegenwind der Anlass, um sich besonders anzustrengen, um es seinen Kritikern zu beweisen. Das, was er erreicht hat, gibt seinem Vorgehen recht.
Manche Themen werden mehr als einmal angesprochen und so unter verschiedenen Gesichtspunkten betrachtet. Die Tragödie am Nanga Parbat und der jahrelange Streit darüber, was wirklich passiert ist. Hier kann man spüren, wie viel Kraft ihn das gekostet hat. Auch die Geschichte mit dem Yeti kommt zur Sprache, die ihm viel Spott eingebracht und sich auch verselbständigt hat. Hätte man die Sache anders angehen können? Wahrscheinlich schon, aber dazu hätte man sich aus der Situation heraus begeben und sie neu betrachten müssen.
Das ist etwas, was ich in diesem Buch vermisst habe. Reinhold Messner reflektiert nicht, Er schreibt von den Widerständen, denen er sich ausgesetzt sieht, aber er überlegt nicht, woher sie kommen. Vielleicht trifft ihn deshalb manche Kritik besonders hart. Aber ich war auch von dem Ton überrascht, der in manchen Artikeln und Interviews, die in Messners Buch zu lesen waren, herrschte. Stellenweise hatte ich den Eindruck, als ob es zum guten Ton gehörte, gegen ihn zu sein.
Reinhold Messner schreibt, dass er die Kritik, den Gegenwind brauchte, um weiterzukommen. Sie waren für ihn der Ansporn, immer weiterzumachen. Seine Erfolge geben seinem Vorgehen Recht, aber man kann auch zwischen den Zeilen herauslesen, wie viel Kraft ihn manche Kämpfe gekostet haben. Sein Buch ist ein Rückblick auf ein Leben, aber mir fehlt ein wenig die Auseinandersetzung damit.
Ungewöhnlich ist seine Herangehensweise. Reinhold Messner sucht sich bewusst Situationen aus seinem Leben aus, in denen er den im Titel erwähnten Gegenwind erlebte. Für den Bergsteiger ist dieser Gegenwind der Anlass, um sich besonders anzustrengen, um es seinen Kritikern zu beweisen. Das, was er erreicht hat, gibt seinem Vorgehen recht.
Manche Themen werden mehr als einmal angesprochen und so unter verschiedenen Gesichtspunkten betrachtet. Die Tragödie am Nanga Parbat und der jahrelange Streit darüber, was wirklich passiert ist. Hier kann man spüren, wie viel Kraft ihn das gekostet hat. Auch die Geschichte mit dem Yeti kommt zur Sprache, die ihm viel Spott eingebracht und sich auch verselbständigt hat. Hätte man die Sache anders angehen können? Wahrscheinlich schon, aber dazu hätte man sich aus der Situation heraus begeben und sie neu betrachten müssen.
Das ist etwas, was ich in diesem Buch vermisst habe. Reinhold Messner reflektiert nicht, Er schreibt von den Widerständen, denen er sich ausgesetzt sieht, aber er überlegt nicht, woher sie kommen. Vielleicht trifft ihn deshalb manche Kritik besonders hart. Aber ich war auch von dem Ton überrascht, der in manchen Artikeln und Interviews, die in Messners Buch zu lesen waren, herrschte. Stellenweise hatte ich den Eindruck, als ob es zum guten Ton gehörte, gegen ihn zu sein.
Reinhold Messner schreibt, dass er die Kritik, den Gegenwind brauchte, um weiterzukommen. Sie waren für ihn der Ansporn, immer weiterzumachen. Seine Erfolge geben seinem Vorgehen Recht, aber man kann auch zwischen den Zeilen herauslesen, wie viel Kraft ihn manche Kämpfe gekostet haben. Sein Buch ist ein Rückblick auf ein Leben, aber mir fehlt ein wenig die Auseinandersetzung damit.
November 1, 2025
Reinhold Messner is one of the world's most famous mountaineers, and his life is full of fascinating adventures and unexpected turns. However, the memoir's structure is rather haphazard. For instance, a significant portion consists of articles about Messner. Therefore, I would recommend it to hardcore fans who are already familiar with the basics of his biography. They will find a lot of insight and interesting details here. If you are looking for a classic mountaineering book, I suggest other volumes.
Thanks to the publisher, Mountaineers Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Thanks to the publisher, Mountaineers Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
December 14, 2025
Was soll man über Leute sagen, die sich selbst zitieren? Die ihr mit Abstand eigener größter Fan sind?
Ja, Messner wurde unrecht getan. Und wer ausführlich, nein mehr als ausführlich darüber lesen will, ist mit diesem Buch bestens bedient, denn es geht um nichts anderes. Leider muss man auch enorme Leidensfähigkeit mitbringen, denn Messners Schreibstil ist ... grauenhaft. Man kann es leider nicht beschönigen, Messner ist kein Schriftsteller.
Aber wie gesagt, wer lang und breit von Messners ständigem Kampf gegen Widerstände lesen will ist hier genau richtig. Unterhaltsam ist es leider nicht.
Ja, Messner wurde unrecht getan. Und wer ausführlich, nein mehr als ausführlich darüber lesen will, ist mit diesem Buch bestens bedient, denn es geht um nichts anderes. Leider muss man auch enorme Leidensfähigkeit mitbringen, denn Messners Schreibstil ist ... grauenhaft. Man kann es leider nicht beschönigen, Messner ist kein Schriftsteller.
Aber wie gesagt, wer lang und breit von Messners ständigem Kampf gegen Widerstände lesen will ist hier genau richtig. Unterhaltsam ist es leider nicht.
September 29, 2025
Es wiederholt sich viel, aber das Verständnis für diesen großartigen Bergsteiger wächst, kenne ich ihn oft aus Gesagtem als brummig. Er erinnert mich an den Almöhi aus Heidi :-)
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