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Hermann Buhl: Climbing Without Compromise
"Mountaineering is a relentless pursuit. One climbs further and further yet never reaches the destination. Perhaps that is what gives it its own particular charm. One is constantly searching for something never to be found." - Hermann Buhl
* Co-author Reinhold Messner is himself a legendary climber deeply influenced by Buhl's accomplishments
* Draws upon previously unpublished resources and interviews with family and friends
* Buhl wrote the classic Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage
Hermann Buhl -- the first man to stand atop Nanga Parbat, and legendary for his will to push himself to the last -- was the mountaineer of the 1950s. His account, Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage, has inspired generations of climbers. Yet that classic, shaped and romanticized by a collaborator, does not reveal the man Buhl really was. Now celebrated mountaineer Reinhold Messner and journalist Horst Hofler publish Buhl in his own words, pure and unadorned, in Hermann Climbing without Compromise.
Drawing text from Buhl's original climbing diaries, journals, and articles written for mountaineering publications of his time, Messner and Hofler present a portrait of the whole man-strong -- willed, creative, and fragile. A loner, rough-edged in his relations with fellow climbers, Buhl took opposition and disagreements heavily to heart. He was demanding as a father, yet he often sang for his young daughters. Though intense and always pushing his limits on the mountain, he displayed a subtle sense of humor in his journals.
Climbing without Compromise also reveals Buhl as an astonishingly modern mountaineer. Indeed, Buhl was a pioneer looking to the future. Buhl lived, above all, for and through his climbing, at a time when no one dreamed about making a living through top alpine achievements. The Buhl Crack on the Cima Canali demonstrates his style as a free climber; his ascent of Broad Peak gives us a glimpse of the super-alpinism of the future. Had Hermann Buhl been born 40 years later, writes Messner, he would surely have been one of the leading sport climbers, and a classic mountaineer without equal. But the whirlwind of energy that was Hermann Buhl was not destined to live a long life. When a cornice collapsed beneath him on Chogolisa, Buhl became instead a tragic hero of the 20th century.
* Co-author Reinhold Messner is himself a legendary climber deeply influenced by Buhl's accomplishments
* Draws upon previously unpublished resources and interviews with family and friends
* Buhl wrote the classic Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage
Hermann Buhl -- the first man to stand atop Nanga Parbat, and legendary for his will to push himself to the last -- was the mountaineer of the 1950s. His account, Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage, has inspired generations of climbers. Yet that classic, shaped and romanticized by a collaborator, does not reveal the man Buhl really was. Now celebrated mountaineer Reinhold Messner and journalist Horst Hofler publish Buhl in his own words, pure and unadorned, in Hermann Climbing without Compromise.
Drawing text from Buhl's original climbing diaries, journals, and articles written for mountaineering publications of his time, Messner and Hofler present a portrait of the whole man-strong -- willed, creative, and fragile. A loner, rough-edged in his relations with fellow climbers, Buhl took opposition and disagreements heavily to heart. He was demanding as a father, yet he often sang for his young daughters. Though intense and always pushing his limits on the mountain, he displayed a subtle sense of humor in his journals.
Climbing without Compromise also reveals Buhl as an astonishingly modern mountaineer. Indeed, Buhl was a pioneer looking to the future. Buhl lived, above all, for and through his climbing, at a time when no one dreamed about making a living through top alpine achievements. The Buhl Crack on the Cima Canali demonstrates his style as a free climber; his ascent of Broad Peak gives us a glimpse of the super-alpinism of the future. Had Hermann Buhl been born 40 years later, writes Messner, he would surely have been one of the leading sport climbers, and a classic mountaineer without equal. But the whirlwind of energy that was Hermann Buhl was not destined to live a long life. When a cornice collapsed beneath him on Chogolisa, Buhl became instead a tragic hero of the 20th century.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2000
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About the author
Reinhold Messner
203 books243 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 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 28, 2022
Excellent insight into a very driven man’s world. Extraordinary feats for their time and a relentless thirst to keep climbing in spite of set backs.
April 28, 2013
Hermann Buhl was a mountaineering legend, the first on Nanga Parbat (in a dramatic solo ascent from the upper camp) and Broad Peak (as part of a summit team of 4), and then died on his 3rd 8000-meter peak, Chogolisa. Two authors researched this bio, the most recognizable of the two is clearly Reinhold Messner--a living legend himself.
For those partial to mountaineering lit, this is one for the personal library. When climbers today become familiar with the stories of those climbing "giants" of another era, we are motivated and inspired to get back into the mountains. This book accomplishes that.
One noticeable weakness is the general writing style. The appendix describes the authors' desire to let Hermann Buhl tell his own story in his own words as much as possible. Though I haven't read it yet, Buhl's first ascent of Nanga Parbat (in 1953) was documented in a book called "Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage" written ostensibly by Buhl...but Buhl's manuscript was then edited liberally (and at times completely re-written) by Kurt Maix, in the clearly romanticized style of the day. Messner, while acknowledging Maix's book as a classic in its time, also yearns to recapture and honor Buhl's actual thoughts & perspectives. And he achieves that, for better or for worse.
But you only discover this when you hit the appendix...I wish it was a prologue, so you know this info going in. Without this knowledge, I would have given the book a lower rating--since in the early portion, it is at times tedious or even stylistically uninteresting. (Part of this is the author's style, other times it is merely an honest reflection of Buhl's diary excerpts in the early parts of the book). Not to mention, the authors' first language is not English, which made for the occasional lack of connection with this American reader. But these "faults", when contextualized, pose no problem. In fact, only a myopic reader with an entertain-me worldview would dismiss this book on such merit.
The content gets immediately interesting with the chapter "Alone on the North East Face of the Badille", and continues to the end. Buhl's solo of the Piz Badille is followed by his Himalayan expeditions: Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak, and finally Chogolisa. Made me want to head to the Himalaya!
Hermann Buhl was arguably the greatest mountain climber of his era, leading the way in hard ascents of rock, ice, in the Alps and the Himalayas. If you are a climber, pick this one up.
For those partial to mountaineering lit, this is one for the personal library. When climbers today become familiar with the stories of those climbing "giants" of another era, we are motivated and inspired to get back into the mountains. This book accomplishes that.
One noticeable weakness is the general writing style. The appendix describes the authors' desire to let Hermann Buhl tell his own story in his own words as much as possible. Though I haven't read it yet, Buhl's first ascent of Nanga Parbat (in 1953) was documented in a book called "Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage" written ostensibly by Buhl...but Buhl's manuscript was then edited liberally (and at times completely re-written) by Kurt Maix, in the clearly romanticized style of the day. Messner, while acknowledging Maix's book as a classic in its time, also yearns to recapture and honor Buhl's actual thoughts & perspectives. And he achieves that, for better or for worse.
But you only discover this when you hit the appendix...I wish it was a prologue, so you know this info going in. Without this knowledge, I would have given the book a lower rating--since in the early portion, it is at times tedious or even stylistically uninteresting. (Part of this is the author's style, other times it is merely an honest reflection of Buhl's diary excerpts in the early parts of the book). Not to mention, the authors' first language is not English, which made for the occasional lack of connection with this American reader. But these "faults", when contextualized, pose no problem. In fact, only a myopic reader with an entertain-me worldview would dismiss this book on such merit.
The content gets immediately interesting with the chapter "Alone on the North East Face of the Badille", and continues to the end. Buhl's solo of the Piz Badille is followed by his Himalayan expeditions: Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak, and finally Chogolisa. Made me want to head to the Himalaya!
Hermann Buhl was arguably the greatest mountain climber of his era, leading the way in hard ascents of rock, ice, in the Alps and the Himalayas. If you are a climber, pick this one up.
January 19, 2016
A biography of Hermann Buhl, probably the greatest climber of the 1940's, by the great climber Reinhold Messner and Horst Hofler. Apparently Herman Buhl was Messner's hero, in his youth.
Messner makes a case that the earlier book on Buhl - "Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage" - was over-edited by Kurt Maix. This book concentrates on text as written by Buhl himself.
It is incredible to read of the terrain that Buhl climbed without any aids that are common today. In fact, much terrain was climbed free. In a few places, Buhl refers to how great "rubber' climbing shoes are. Presumably he is referring to the use of Vibram soles rather than the earlier nailed boots.
Being poor in his early years, he often bicycled to his climbs. The NE Face of the Badile required a 140 km cycle just to get to it (and back). His crowning achievement was the first ascent of Nanga Parbat in 1953, which involved a bivouac at 8000 m., just 150 m below the summit. Later he climbed Broad Peak, becoming the first non-Nepalese to climb two 8000 m. peaks.
Messner makes a case that the earlier book on Buhl - "Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage" - was over-edited by Kurt Maix. This book concentrates on text as written by Buhl himself.
It is incredible to read of the terrain that Buhl climbed without any aids that are common today. In fact, much terrain was climbed free. In a few places, Buhl refers to how great "rubber' climbing shoes are. Presumably he is referring to the use of Vibram soles rather than the earlier nailed boots.
Being poor in his early years, he often bicycled to his climbs. The NE Face of the Badile required a 140 km cycle just to get to it (and back). His crowning achievement was the first ascent of Nanga Parbat in 1953, which involved a bivouac at 8000 m., just 150 m below the summit. Later he climbed Broad Peak, becoming the first non-Nepalese to climb two 8000 m. peaks.
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September 27, 2010It's curious that certain mountains in the Himalayas or Karakoram regions have had held specific fascination or obsession for one european culture or another. the brits and everest have been closely connected....K2 was first climbed by italians and many of it's features are named after italians, of course i know there are local names too, but anyway.....for the germans it was nanga parbat. in the 1930's it really was a dramatic undertaking.....messner is a fairly reasonable writer with an attitude that appeals to me, and buhl was quite the man
January 5, 2012
Il libro è attualmente fuori catalogo, ho rotto le cosiddette all'editore per averlo (mi hanno trovato una copia di archivio! ha un pò di fascino extra...) e ne è davvero valsa la pena!
E' stato come vivere con Hermann Buhl ogni istante delle sue scalate, la sua narrazione è sempre pulita, precisa, netta. Mirabile l'interevento di Messner nel mettere insieme e ricostuire i pezzi mancanti.
E' stato come vivere con Hermann Buhl ogni istante delle sue scalate, la sua narrazione è sempre pulita, precisa, netta. Mirabile l'interevento di Messner nel mettere insieme e ricostuire i pezzi mancanti.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews