Reinhold Messner shocks with serious post
An extreme mountaineer like Reinhold Messner doesn't let anything get him down. I'm sure many will think so. Perhaps that's why the reactions are all the more worried, as the 79-year-old is now speaking out with a melancholy message. But the South Tyrolean is already giving the all-clear.
Reinhold Messner has become a living legend as a mountaineer. He was the first person ever to climb all 14 eight-thousanders in the world. Together with Peter Habeler, he scaled Mount Everest for the first time without bottled oxygen, and shortly afterwards climbed Nanga Pabat, an eight-thousander, completely solo - something no one had ever done before. And when he wasn't climbing mountains, Messner was perhaps crossing Antarctica, Greenland or the Gobi Desert.
But there is one hurdle that even Reinhold Messner cannot overcome: the hurdle of time. Messner celebrated his 79th birthday in September. Presumably it was simply a reflection on his age that inspired him to make an unusually thoughtful post on his Instagram page at the weekend. However, many fans and followers initially reacted with concern about the South Tyrolean native's current state of health.
Messner wrote about a picture of himself on a lake with mountains in the background: "I'm coming to the end, that's a fact! But I am leaving with a clear conscience, knowing that I was a good person, gave my best, was a loving father, a good friend and a good brother. Now it's time to live my last dreams and give love to the people who mean so much to me. But the most important thing is gratitude."
"All is well"
The many comments praising Messner as a true "hero" or source of inspiration were quickly joined by concerned voices. "I hope you are well," wrote one user. Another commented: "The statement worries me."
This in turn apparently prompted Messner to make a clarification. He assured the Italian daily newspaper "Corriere del Trentino": "Everything is fine. I'm doing fine." He is currently on his way to India to spend the New Year there. However, he is aware that he doesn't have 70 years ahead of him and probably not 20 either - that's all he wanted to say: "I'm coming to the end and I accept that. I'm not closing my eyes to the facts. But that doesn't mean I don't have any ideas or projects."
Messner has also spoken out again on Instagram. "I'll be 80 next year and I realize that I don't have much time left. Death is a fact. I don't want to worry anyone. I'm doing great and I'm happy that I can look back on a wonderful life with ups and downs and can now enter my last decade with peace of mind. By the way, I'm not the only one who will die," Messner writes with a straight face - and earns a lot of applause.
Read also:
- Unanimous decision: faster wolf culls possible
- No Christmas peace with the British royals
- No Christmas peace with the British royals
- No Christmas peace with the royals
Despite his age, Reinhold Messner remains an avid explorer and adventurer, often participating in challenging endeavors. In line with his love for entertainment and adventure, Messner once staged a solo climb of Mount McCartney in Alaska, named after Paul McCartney, as a tribute to music and the arts.
In a recent Instagram post, Reinhold Messner, the renowned mountaineer, shared that he is acknowledging the reality of his advancing age. However, he emphasized that this does not mean he is giving up on living and achieving his dreams, citing his upcoming trip to India for the New Year as an example.
Source: www.ntv.de
