Everest—South—North—Solo Summary and Analysis

The Crystal Horizon: Everest—The First Solo Ascent, is a chronicle of Italian mountaineer Reinhold Messner's solo climb of Mount Everest in 1980. He is the first person to accomplish such a feat. The book is also a rumination on why people climb mountains, a look at Messner's fractious relationship with his girlfriend and companion, Nena Holquin, during the expedition, and a presentation of the author's research and impressions concerning previous attempts to scale Everest, the past and present cultural and political life of Tibet and China, and the impact of Buddhism on Tibetans. The book's first section, "Everest—South—North—Solo," opens with a signed preface by Messner that begins with a1921 quote from British mountain climber Sir Francis Younghusband, which indicates that standing on...