The Naked Mountain

Rating:
Summary: Messner's best effort
Review: A superior book. I know it's a bit a stretch to hear "Messner" and "Classic book" in the same sentence but this one could be destined to rank among the all-time great mountaineering books. Over the years, Messner has written many books on some not-so-interesting topics but until now had shyed away from recounting the most fascinating and tragic event of his legendary mountaineering career - namely the 1970 first (and still only) ascent of the massive Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat and the subsequent death of his brother Gunther during the descent of the Diamar Face. This book is at times reminiscent of Maurice Herzog's "Annapurna" and Joe Simpson's "Touching the Void" at others. The writing style is pure Messner so if you've found his work difficult to digest in the past, you may find yourself disappointed. But if you appreciate a great mountain tale that has triumph, tragedy, anger, controversy and an outstanding historical perspective, you could find yourself spellbound by this one.

The first part of the book is dedicated to the early attempts on Nanga Parbat and Hermann Buhl's solo first ascent of "The Naked Mountain" in 1953. This all ties in nicely with Messner's expedition chronicle as the Buhl and Messner expeditions were both led by Dr. Karl Herrligkoffer, who just so happens to have been the half brother of Willy Merkl after whom many of the features of Nanga Parbat are named. Unlike say "The Second Death of George Mallory," there is nothing contrived about this book. The recollection of events in June 1970 is interlaced with quotes from Felix Kuhn and Karl Herrligkoffer as well as letters and journal entries from Gunther Messner. Mountaineering writing at its best.

Rating:
Summary: Finally The Truth
Review: I've been impatiently waiting for this book to be written for decades and have a million thanks to offer Reinhold, for finally seeing this project through to completion. In order to understand my perspective, you should realize that once upon a time, I was an armchair mountaineer, raised on classics such as Annapurna and Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage. The latter was my introduction to the bizarre and confusing Dr. Herlingkoffer, organizer of many Himalayan expeditions, some of them among the most controversial in the history of high altitude mountaineering. Reinhold Messner became a force to be reckoned with in the world of climbing in the '60s. When I read of the disaster on Nanga Parbat, it was like deja vu all over again, with claims and counter-claims, lawsuits and feeling spoonfed with the official expedition account that obviously left out key facts.

As time passed, I didn't feel that the press treated Reinhold fairly. I wanted to know all the facts and to hear his side of the story. One could find snippets here and there, but his economical writing style has always been a bit cold and detached to say the least. But I recognized the man for what he was, followed his career and read everything he wrote. As those years passed, I kept wondering if he'd ever back up and write about the expedition that changed his life forever - with the kind of detail and insight it deserved.

Karl Herlingkoffer passed on a few years ago and maybe this book's appearance is linked to his death. Regardless, it's long overdue but in a way, it was worth the wait. Time is often required to gain insightful perspective, to dull the rough edges and to heal wounds. The loss of his brother and the resulting lies that condemned Reinhold to a life of controversy also gave him an incredible focus. Clearly, he had something to prove to the mountaineering community and he proved his points well. It's easy to point out climbers that have upped the ante after Reinhold passed his prime, but any realistic overview of the history of big, bold climbs would point to Reinhold as being a prime force in shaping the standards of today in the Himalaya and the other major ranges. It's great to now be able to read the facts, the feelings and the aftermath as he sees it. Absolute classic.

Rating:
Summary: moving and a bit bizarre
Review: The early parts of the book are horribly overwritten, as Messner seems to be trying too hard to be deep. But soon this sensation melts away for the reader, and the book actually does become deep. Messner clearly lacks the usual polished talents of a professional writer, but this ends up working to his advantage, as the final product is a hauntingly strange book that feels like it comes from another century or another planet. His odd shifts between straight narrative and italicized paragraphs of reminiscence don't come off as hotshot literary modernism, but as someone reenacting the weird sort of schizophrenia he lived through on Nanga Parbat. This is a fabulous piece of mountaineering literature, and the sort of book that lingers on in your mind for hours after each reading session.