The Tragic First Ascent of Nanga Parbat’s Rupal Face: The 1970 Messner Expedition
Exactly on the same day, June 27, as the death of Hermann Buhl on Nanga Parbat – 17 years after his first ascent – the “first” of the Rupal Face was made. Rising 4,500 meters from base to summit, it is the tallest wall among the great peaks on Earth.
Making it happen on June 27, 1970, along the impressive and vertical Merkl Canal, were the Italian brothers Günther and Reinhold Messner – 55 years ago.
Messner’s was the third ascent of Nanga Parbat, and the expedition leader was the same Karl Maria Herrligkoffer who, in 1953, had made the first ascent thanks to Hermann Buhl’s incredible solo exploit (Buhl had set off for the summit against the leader’s wishes).
1. A Solo Decision Against Orders
Even on the Rupal Face – and always against the will of the expedition leader, who was German and, aside from communication problems, wanted German mountaineers to reach the summit – Reinhold Messner set out alone to try to see if the summit was reachable from the last camp before the weather conditions, which had been forecast, worsened.
The then 25-year-old from Val di Funes had decided to climb the last, still unknown section of the Merkl Canal, leaving it to his comrades at the last camp to equip the route to make his descent easier. Starting with nothing – no rope, no backpack – he found a way out to cut toward the summit, but soon realized he was being followed.
2. The Brothers Together
Joining him was his brother Günther, who was two years younger. He also brought nothing, intending to make a quick climb. Meanwhile, nobody was equipping the dangerous Canal anymore. Günther, perhaps climbing too fast, once he reached the summit began to show problems related to altitude.
At that point, it was essential to lose altitude. But for the two brothers, who had no rope, it was impossible to face the un-equipped Canal. All they could do was attempt a bivouac at Forcella Merkl, at the top of the Canal – a last resort, as Buhl had done on that same mountain years before.
3. The Fatal Descent
The next day, having received no help – whether due to misunderstandings or other reasons – from the second rope team that went to the summit, the two Messners had no hope left except to descend the opposite side: the Diamir Face.
It was a desperate choice. Without rope, without equipment, and with Günther suffering from altitude sickness, the descent was a race against time. Reinhold survived; Günther did not. His body was never recovered.
4. The Legacy of the 1970 Expedition
The 1970 Messner expedition remains one of the most dramatic and controversial chapters in mountaineering history. It was the first ascent of the Rupal Face – the highest wall in the world – but it came at the cost of Günther Messner’s life.
The tragedy also sparked lasting tension between Reinhold and Herrligkoffer, and raised difficult questions about leadership, communication, and the ethics of high-altitude climbing.
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