ML139361
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Subject: (Interview). Subtitle: Audrey Salkeld. Timecode In: 00:00:17. Timecode out: 00:20:40. Notes: Reinhold Messner; Mountaineering. Equipment Notes: Stereo=1; Dual-Channel Mono. NPR/NGS RADIO EXPEDITIONS Show: Geographic Century Log of DAT #: Audrey Salkeld Date: 7/8/99 ng = not good ok = okay g = good vg = very good PB Characterize for me what Reinhold Messner has accomplished. AS Well, Reinhold Messner has probably been the most prolific mountaineer we¿ve seen in generations. The biggest thing about him is he anted to climb mountains fairly, no gimmicks or assistance. Over the years, he¿s been refining this, dispensing with the trimmings. Just a single man and a mountain. Prophet on the spirit of mountaineering. Straight and narrow, PB is that important? AS I think it is if its to have any validity and if its standards are to go on meaning anything at all. You don¿t need the technology. If there is a climb that you cant do, then you should leave it for someone who can. He can climb as well or better than anyone who is using the technology. Style is the key word really, you do everything in the best style you can. PB Has his example- has that taken hold AS I think it certainly has. Among his generation, following was slow, but he strikes a chord with the young. Young rock climbers probably haven read his books, but he was a showstopper. Told them the way mountaineering ought to be. He was applauded one of the most inspirational talks they¿d ever heard. PB In the pantheon, do we put him in that stature AS Certainly. Reinhold Messner, for Reinhold, that wasn¿t enough. He came in 1978 and with one other friend, climbed Everest for the first time without oxygen. and in fact, its so marginal that it isn¿t humanly possible to do. He proved that is was possible to get to the top of Everest. A couple of years later he came back and did it solo. He put his lightweight tent on his back, started from base camp and in about 3 days was down again. PB How much of a leap was this? AS It¿s possible its a mistake to talk about leaps. Reinhold took the next logical step from that. Already people had decided that it was only Everest that you needed oxygen for. It was just those extra feet that Everest surpassed the other mountains. PB In the course of your research, have you talked with climbers who have been on the mountains with him? AS The essential thing about Reinhold is that he is self-contained. AS Well, I don¿t think there¿s anything I could add to that. He is regarded very highly be his fellow mountaineers. PB He seems to be as interested in the inner journey and what you find out about yourself as he is in the summit. AS The inner journey has always been important to Reinhold. There is an essence that he has to prove to himself and the world various tenets that he holds. He¿s had to give up a lot for his mountaineering. There would have been a lot of times when he doubted himself whether mountaineering was worth it. The books he writes are very much stream of consciousness books. He gives you all the detail. So that he doesn¿t feel totally alone, he¿ll tell you that. PB Any commonality of traits that are common among those with great achievements AS I think it¿s less that than that the degree to which they put themselves. Physically able, but in the end, its your mental powers that get you up. To lesser mortals, this sort of commitment borders on obsession. Although Reinhold appears obsessional, he has come down from mountains without getting to the top as many times as he¿s got to the top. PB When we talked, he talked about coming back to the real world. AS I¿m sure that must be true. Because if you are alone 5 miles into the sky, you¿re two days or more by your own effort, every step down is reducing your remoteness, it mus... (Notes truncated)
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- Cataloged
- 23 Jun 2005 - Ben Brotman
- Digitized
- 23 Jun 2005 - Ben Brotman
- Edited
- 23 Jun 2005 - Ben Brotman