To the Top of the World: Challenges in the Himalaya and Karakoram

Few mountaneering authors can match Reinhold's ability to describe his own experience and state of mind. Part of this ability must be attributed to his native tongue German, where deep and emotional narratives must be especially long and precise due to the inherent form of the language. But for me this translates to English especially well and I understood (as best as one can understand another's world) all the different emotional states Messner experienced with a rare clarity.Some may find relating to Messner a bit of a stretch and even be dismissive of his romanticism and general intensity. Personally I can very much relate to his personality and I found insights into his inner nature an invaluable look into someone who has explored the human spirit way beyond what many of us will know. He was, after all, the first to climb Everest solo and completely unassisted from base camp. This is a feat that is becoming harder to repeat due to the increasing popularity of climbing Everest and other 8000m peaks.The book is essentially a series of excerpts from his most notable climbs (and previous writings), usually with a short abridgement to link each story together. Overall the book Reinhold seems to be using it as a vehicle to not only explain himself put also push his mountaneering philosophy (which I tend to agree with on most points). There is also the occasional excerpt from the diary of his basecamp companions that set the scene nicely (but also seem to make the object of some feminine hero worship at times!)Absolutely worthwhile read, especially if you want an overview of Messner's major achievements. If you want the detail read the original books of each climb.

In "To The Top of the World", Reinhold Messner not only solidifies his legend as a pioneering mountaineer, he also succedes in translating his innermost feelings and thoughts into words. Messner's tales of his climbing exploits are interspersed with expression of his deep-seated fears and struggles to find meaning in life and death. Messner has clearly been affected by the death of his brother Gunther, and the reader gets the sense that Messner climbs these mountains to exact revenge on the mountains, and himself for his brother's death. Messner himself is constantly drawing the reader into the depths of the human soul on the brink of death. The details of the climbs are broken by the ever-present underlying theme of the profound relationship between mountaineering and life and death. Messner's eloquence and ability to draw on the reader's emotion is sensational. The frequent photographic images, although welcome, almost detract from the spiritual nature of the book. Messner gives the reader the ability to feel the climb and experience the elation and despair that is Himalayan climbing. The one fault I find is in the slick omission of details of his relationship with Nena Holguin. We move from a married Messner, to a single, loving Messner without even a segue in the form of an explanation. Nevertheless, the book is a fabulous read, and a great accomplishment by the prolific Mr. Messner. It is painfully clear that in high altitude mountain climbing, longevity may indeed be decided by fates out of our control, and Mr. Messner is the master of his domain.Anthony M. Frasca,M.D.

Mr. Messner climbed Mt. Everest solo and without oxygen. On the way he fell into a crevasse and was doomed. Praying and promising God he would go down the mountain, he jumped to a ice shelf not knowing whether it would hold or not. It held and he continued up Everest to the summit. This is just one example of this man's extension of himself beyond all limits expected of mortal man. He was lucky this time, but as he describes in the book, luck was not all on his side. A must read for anyone interested in mountaineering or adventure. Mr. Messner is indeed the greatest mountaineer who ever lived.