Reinhold Messner, a legendary Italian mountain climber, is celebrated for his remarkable achievements in high-altitude climbing, notably being the first to summit the world's 14 highest peaks without supplemental oxygen. Despite Guinness World Records revoking his official title in 2023, his legacy endures. The story recounts a pivotal moment during his 1970 ascent of Nanga Parbat with his brother Gunther, who suffered from altitude sickness. As they struggled to descend, Messner experienced a surreal encounter with an intangible 'third climber,' whose presence provided him much-needed strength amid life-threatening challenges, highlighting the power of perception in extreme conditions.
As Messner recounts in his book, The Naked Mountain, during their perilous descent, he felt an inexplicable presence, a ‘third climber’ that inexplicably aided his survival.
This sense of companionship, he describes, was not frightening but oddly reassuring, providing him with the strength to continue despite his growing exhaustion.
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