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Messner named Grand Officer for culture

(ANSA.IT)    08:52, July 02, 2014
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(ANSA) - Bolzano, June 27 - Italy's king of the 8,000-metrepeaks, climbing legend Reinhold Messner, was named a GrandOfficer of the Italian Republic for his contributions to cultureby President Giorgio Napolitano on Friday "This honor particularly pleases me, because I'm getting itfor my cultural work and not as a mountain climber," saidMessner, who turns 70 in September. The climbing legend, who was knighted for his feats byformer president Sandro Pertini, has set up five MessnerMountain Museums in such locations as Brunico and CastelFirmiano, with a sixth - designed by starchitect Zaha Hadid -set for completion in time for his birthday.

He has turned to solo exploration in recent years,including a two-month crossing of the Gobi desert in China andMongolia.

Messner, the pride of the autonomous Alto Adige (SouthTyrol) region, has a long list of adventurous achievements tohis credit.

He was the first man to scale all 14 of the world'speaks higher than 8,000m and he is a legend among climberswith the first oxygen-less conquest of Everest in 1980, a featuntil then thought impossible.

He has also made solo ascents of Nanga Parbat and Everest.

Messner lost seven toes and three fingers to frostbiteduring the climb of Nanga Parbat in 1970, and his brotherGunther died on the descent.

Messner stopped climbing 15 years ago but showed nointention of putting his feet up at his castle in the Alps.

Instead, he turned his attention to polar expeditions.

In 1990 he became the first man to cross the Antarctic onfoot and later tried the Arctic too, but without success.

The Italian, born near the Austrian border, is also one ofthe few Western people who claims to have seen the Yeti, themysterious ape-like creature dubbed the "Abominable Snowman." He says that during expeditions in the Himalayas he hasencountered the Yeti not once, but four times, once closeenough to touch it.

He is the author of at least 63 books in German, 1970-2006,many of which have been translated into other languages.

Some of these have been about his encounters with the Yeti.
      

 

(Editor:Wang Xin、Yao Chun)

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