The Messner Brothers’ Nanga Parbat Tragedy: Triumph and Loss on the Rupal Face – 27 June 1970
On this day, June 27, 1970, brothers Reinhold Messner and Günther Messner stood together on the summit of Nanga Parbat (8,126 m) , completing the first ascent of the mountain’s immense Rupal Face – then regarded as one of the greatest achievements in Himalayan mountaineering.
1. A Historic First Ascent
The Rupal Face rises 4,500 meters from base to summit – the tallest wall among the great peaks on Earth. The Messner brothers’ ascent was a landmark achievement, pushing the boundaries of alpine style climbing in the Himalayas.
The expedition was led by Karl Maria Herrligkoffer, who had led the 1953 expedition that saw Hermann Buhl make the first solo ascent of Nanga Parbat.
2. Tragedy on the Descent
The success quickly turned into tragedy. Exhausted, without food or shelter, the brothers chose to descend the unknown Diamir Face in a desperate bid to survive.
During the descent, 24-year-old Günther Messner, weakened by frostbite, altitude sickness, and exhaustion, was swept away in an avalanche and disappeared. His body was never recovered at the time.
3. The Burden of Survival
Reinhold descended the mountain alone, carrying not only the trauma of survival but also the burden of decades of public accusations that he had abandoned his younger brother.
4. Resolution After 35 Years
In 2005, Günther’s remains were found on the Diamir Face, precisely where Reinhold had always maintained he had fallen, finally confirming his account after 35 years. The discovery settled one of mountaineering’s bitter controversies, but it could never erase the grief of losing a brother on the slopes of Nanga Parbat.
Primary Sources:
Expedition records – Nanga Parbat 1970
Reinhold Messner, The Naked Mountain (memoir)
Historical accounts of Nanga Parbat expeditions
Wikipedia – Nanga Parbat / Reinhold Messner / Günther Messner / Rupal Face