Reinhold Messner

In Messner we have perhaps the greatest climber in history. He was one of the earliest and strongest proponent of the alpine style of mountaineering. Alpine style refers to a self sufficient approach to mountaineering in which all the food, equipment and tents are carried by the climbers themselves as opposed to the expedition style which involves large number of porters and supporting staff for a handful of actual climbers. And Messner was the first person to do all fourteen peaks above 8,000 meters and that too without supplemental oxygen!! He was also the first person to climb Everest solo and also the first person climb it without supplemental oxygen. Hats off to this guy!!!