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The Seventh Grade: Most Extreme Climbing
English (translation)
Paperback
First published January 1, 1973
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About the author
Reinhold Messner
202 books243 followersReinhold Messner (born September 17, 1944) is an Italian mountaineer and explorer from South Tyrol, often cited as the greatest mountain climber of all time. He is renowned for making the first solo ascents of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen and for being the first climber to ascend all fourteen "eight-thousanders" (peaks over 8,000 metres above sea level). He is the author of at least 63 books (in German, 1970–2006), many of which have been translated into other languages.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 16, 2020
Il giovane Messner racconta le sue prime salite, molte in solitaria.
Interessanti osservazioni sul suo allenamento.
Interessanti osservazioni sul suo allenamento.
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November 17, 2025Difficile de noter ce genre de livre. C'est dingue ce que la montagne a changé en 50 ans!
June 5, 2012
This is the first of Messner's books translated into English. This is why the reading is so clunky. But it has to be rated 5-stars because of its historic significance to climbing. Messner is in a class by himself. He did Everest solo and no oxygen (causing a friend on K2 to try it without supplemental O2 which he regrets a little). Maybe Messner is a Superman? The English language ascent accounts of Everest overshadow Messner's Rupal Flank of Nanga Parbat.
Most English-only speaking readers/non-climbers have no real concept who Messner is and how really prominent he and his action have been. Two of the finest climbers in the US (George Lowe III and Chris Jones) had to eat crow and re-review this book in the American Alpine Journal. You don't get many climbers in the USA better than George Lowe (mistaken by armchair mountaineers by a similarly named climber (the American Lowe not only summited Everest about 3 decades after the Kiwi Lowe, he did it by a new hard route). And Lowe was put to shame when Messner briefly came to the USA on a short climbing trip (I've missed a chance to have dinner with Messner with a friend who was a Rock & Ice editor).
I will also skip all of Messner's other polar (Antarctic, Arctic, Greenland) and non-polar adventures. Actually, Messner manages to avoid too many adventures but does his homework and has keen powers of observation which manages to keep himself out of real trouble.
The climbing book collector Michael Chessler fortunately primed me before my 3rd trip to Europe that only about 25% of Messner's books have been translated from German into English. I've noticed in Ed V.'s new book that he made the mistake I've managed to avoid when he walked up to Messner and said that he read all his books, not realizing that he had only read all Messner's English books. I admit to having read only a few of Messners book (I am more interested in climbing than reading about climbing).
Most of the ascents in Seventh Grade are obscure in the English European climbing literature. Most are/were in the Dolomites of Messner's native Tyrol (a complicated piece of geography which swapped ownership between Austria and Italy (and mixed parents). These are no pieces of cake.
You have to wade through this book of comparatively obscure locations to even hint things to come (Messner being the first man to ascend all 14 8KM high peaks and a slew of other expeditions and adventures.) Maybe Messner is a Superman? Remember to always do your own homework first.
Most English-only speaking readers/non-climbers have no real concept who Messner is and how really prominent he and his action have been. Two of the finest climbers in the US (George Lowe III and Chris Jones) had to eat crow and re-review this book in the American Alpine Journal. You don't get many climbers in the USA better than George Lowe (mistaken by armchair mountaineers by a similarly named climber (the American Lowe not only summited Everest about 3 decades after the Kiwi Lowe, he did it by a new hard route). And Lowe was put to shame when Messner briefly came to the USA on a short climbing trip (I've missed a chance to have dinner with Messner with a friend who was a Rock & Ice editor).
I will also skip all of Messner's other polar (Antarctic, Arctic, Greenland) and non-polar adventures. Actually, Messner manages to avoid too many adventures but does his homework and has keen powers of observation which manages to keep himself out of real trouble.
The climbing book collector Michael Chessler fortunately primed me before my 3rd trip to Europe that only about 25% of Messner's books have been translated from German into English. I've noticed in Ed V.'s new book that he made the mistake I've managed to avoid when he walked up to Messner and said that he read all his books, not realizing that he had only read all Messner's English books. I admit to having read only a few of Messners book (I am more interested in climbing than reading about climbing).
Most of the ascents in Seventh Grade are obscure in the English European climbing literature. Most are/were in the Dolomites of Messner's native Tyrol (a complicated piece of geography which swapped ownership between Austria and Italy (and mixed parents). These are no pieces of cake.
You have to wade through this book of comparatively obscure locations to even hint things to come (Messner being the first man to ascend all 14 8KM high peaks and a slew of other expeditions and adventures.) Maybe Messner is a Superman? Remember to always do your own homework first.
February 13, 2013
Reinhold Messner est une légende vivante, car comme on le sait, un alpiniste est quelqu'un qui redescend dans la vallée (Gaston Rebuffat), ce que Messner a toujours réussi à faire.
Ce livre publié en 1973 parle de la période avant l'accident de son frère Günther au Nanga Parbat en 1970. Il ne s'agit donc pas de Reinhold l'alpiniste qui a conquis les quatorze huit-mille sans oxygène, mais de Reinhold du temps où il avait encore tous ses orteils. Il définissait les règles du jeu en escalade libre et en repoussait les limites, allant jusqu'à théoriser les enjeux et les opportunités. Messner raconte sa formation et comment il a « inventé » le septième degré technique en escalade. Avant cette percée, le sixième degré était le maximum humainement réalisable, tandis que vingt ans plus tard, tout grimpeur correct franchira le sixième degré en tête et en bon style, et qu'aujourd'hui les bons grimpeurs en salle sont à l'aise dans le septième degré.
Messner était considéré avant cette expédition au Nanga Parbat comme le premier grimpeur européen avec de nombreux exploits à son crédit, et une énorme expérience en rocher acquise dans les Dolomites. C'est ce qui lui valut une invitation à faire partie d'une expédition autrichienne visant une face vierge du Nanga Parbat, la plus difficile : le versant Rupal. Son frère se rajouta en dernière minute à l'équipe et parvint avec Reinhold au sommet. Au cours de la descente, il fut victime d'un accident et son corps restera quelque part dans les glaces dans des circonstances qui donnèrent lieu à de furieuses controverses y compris en cour de justice. Reinhold parvint à redescendre en rampant, mais en y perdant quelques orteils et il fut accusé de manque d'assistance à un camarade en montagne.
J'ai aimé ce livre il y vingt ans. Aujourd'hui, si je lui enlève une étoile par rapport aux quatre qu'il mériterait, c'est parce que je me souviens toujours du mauvais effet qu'avait produit sur moi la scène où le Sud-Tyrolien Messner casse la tête de son marteau à pitons en escalade artificielle. Il relève alors que sur le manche qui lui reste dans les mains il est gravé "Made in Italy". C'est très peu élégant et aussi très peu crédible. Reinhold Messner a été élu au Parlement européen en 1995 sur la liste des Verts.
Ce livre publié en 1973 parle de la période avant l'accident de son frère Günther au Nanga Parbat en 1970. Il ne s'agit donc pas de Reinhold l'alpiniste qui a conquis les quatorze huit-mille sans oxygène, mais de Reinhold du temps où il avait encore tous ses orteils. Il définissait les règles du jeu en escalade libre et en repoussait les limites, allant jusqu'à théoriser les enjeux et les opportunités. Messner raconte sa formation et comment il a « inventé » le septième degré technique en escalade. Avant cette percée, le sixième degré était le maximum humainement réalisable, tandis que vingt ans plus tard, tout grimpeur correct franchira le sixième degré en tête et en bon style, et qu'aujourd'hui les bons grimpeurs en salle sont à l'aise dans le septième degré.
Messner était considéré avant cette expédition au Nanga Parbat comme le premier grimpeur européen avec de nombreux exploits à son crédit, et une énorme expérience en rocher acquise dans les Dolomites. C'est ce qui lui valut une invitation à faire partie d'une expédition autrichienne visant une face vierge du Nanga Parbat, la plus difficile : le versant Rupal. Son frère se rajouta en dernière minute à l'équipe et parvint avec Reinhold au sommet. Au cours de la descente, il fut victime d'un accident et son corps restera quelque part dans les glaces dans des circonstances qui donnèrent lieu à de furieuses controverses y compris en cour de justice. Reinhold parvint à redescendre en rampant, mais en y perdant quelques orteils et il fut accusé de manque d'assistance à un camarade en montagne.
J'ai aimé ce livre il y vingt ans. Aujourd'hui, si je lui enlève une étoile par rapport aux quatre qu'il mériterait, c'est parce que je me souviens toujours du mauvais effet qu'avait produit sur moi la scène où le Sud-Tyrolien Messner casse la tête de son marteau à pitons en escalade artificielle. Il relève alors que sur le manche qui lui reste dans les mains il est gravé "Made in Italy". C'est très peu élégant et aussi très peu crédible. Reinhold Messner a été élu au Parlement européen en 1995 sur la liste des Verts.
September 28, 2009
They simply do NOT get any heavier than Messner. You think you like climbing? You will find it harder to like but also find it far more compelling after reading The Seventh Grade. At 57, I have no business even fantisizing about climbing high and off the grid. But Messner gets under your skin with the heartbreak of it all. The light, the air, the contrast, the exhiliration, the lonliness. Even his stilted German diction doesn't distract. This book includes the account of Reinhold's brother's death during their ascent of Nanga Parbat. It's all in one sentence. At moments like this, you forget completely that you are reading the words of the greatest climber the world has even known, or probably even will know. Everest solo withoug oxygen in 24 hours. All that pales befor this simple narrative,
January 18, 2009
In a genre full of self-important writing, I felt Messner's book was right at home.
For a book that is considered to be "classic" in mountaineering literature, I found The Seventh Grade to be on par with something that I would have written in the 7th grade....
"We climbed through a few difficulties and then were finished" seemed to be the theme.
I did like the quote:
"The mountains are just. They take no account of class or difficulty, size or fluency of speech. They give back to everyone as much as he himself has contributed."
For a book that is considered to be "classic" in mountaineering literature, I found The Seventh Grade to be on par with something that I would have written in the 7th grade....
"We climbed through a few difficulties and then were finished" seemed to be the theme.
I did like the quote:
"The mountains are just. They take no account of class or difficulty, size or fluency of speech. They give back to everyone as much as he himself has contributed."
March 9, 2011
Reinhold Messner is one of the elite alpine climbers in the world who played a huge role in the foundation of alpine climbing. He took great risks and pushed himself physically to the limit, claiming numerous ascents and solo ascents of some of the greatest mountains in the world. Even as a climber, I often read a passage and thought that this guy was nuts! ....though I'm quite jealous of his athleticism, drive, and confidence when climbing.
May 8, 2020
You really need to be a climbing enthusiast to enjoy this book. But then it is a worthwhile read. It's comprised about short (a few pages) texts on climbs Messner did and by which he argues that the back then 6th grade in alpine climbing which was long considered the absolute limit of what was doable had to be revised. He argues that the scale should be opened as he and others had already done climbs which could be considered a 7th grade climb.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews