57K views · 225 reactions |  As a five-year-old, Reinhold Messner from South Tyrol was already climbing his first 3,000-meter mountain with his father. He went on to become one of the most famous mountaineers in the world. In 1980, he was the first to reach the top of Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world, alone and without bottled oxygen. He also explored Antarctica, Greenland and the Gobi Desert. Today this trailblazer, explorer and author turns 77. | DW Euromaxx | Facebook

*Reinhold Messner* is one of the most legendary and influential mountaineers in history. Born on *September 17, 1944* in Brixen, South Tyrol (Italy), he is known for redefining the boundaries of high-altitude climbing. Key Achievements: - *First person to climb all 14 eight-thousanders* (peaks over 8,000 meters) without supplemental oxygen — completed in 1986. - *First solo ascent of Mount Everest* in 1980, also *without oxygen*, which was groundbreaking at the time. - Made the *first ascent of