In August 1975, Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler made Himalayan history: they climbed Gasherbrum I (8,068 m) in alpine style, as a pair, without oxygen, fixed ropes, or pre-installed camps. In contrast to the gigantism of traditional expeditions, their lightning-fast ascent opened up new horizons for mountaineers around the world: that of a lighter, more committed, and freer form of Himalayan mountaineering.
Fifty years ago, in 1975, an ascent revolutionized mountaineering: the first time an 8,000-meter peak had been climbed in alpine style. The climbers were Peter Habeler and Reinhold Messner. The height: 8,068 meters, on Gasherbrum I.
Reinhold was discovered in France in 1969. During an international gathering of mountaineers in Chamonix, he made the first solo ascent of the north face of Les Droites. It was the fourth ascent of this route, which had been opened by Philippe Cornuau and Maurice Davaille in 1955 at the cost