His one time partner, Reinhold Messner,
used to say of Peter Habeler: -"He's like a sky rocket,
really impressive once the fuse is lit!".
Born in Maryhofen in the Austrian Tyrol in 1942, he took
up climbing at the age of six, and the time he was 21
had become a certified mountain guide and skiing instructor.
In the mid-1960s, Habeler began a fruitful climbing partnership
with Reinhold Messner. The two gained their fist high
altitude experience in 1969 with an ascent of the east
face of Yerupaja, and first ascent on Yerupaja Chico in
South America. In 1974 they climbed the Eiger north face
in what was then a record time of ten hours. In 1975 their
Hidden Peak climb turned the tide of high altitude climbing.
The lightweight "fair means" ascent became the
stylistic ideal. The first oxygenless ascent of Everest
in 1978 was the last climb of partnership.
In spring 2000, Peter returned to Mount Everest a second
time, climbing together with the Mountain Madness team,
though he never made it to the summit due to fluid in
his lungs.
Habeler has climbed five 8,000 meter mountains: Mount
Everest, Hidden Peak, Cho Oyo, Kanchenjunga and Nanga
Parbat.
Today he runs his own alpine and ski school in Mayrhofen,
Zillertal, Austria, founded already in 1973.
"Before we set off, the few really experienced
high altitude climbers who had commented upon our proposals
had been sceptical, without exception. A lot of other
people had laughed outright."
- Reinhold
Messner
(About Hidden Peak in 1975)
SELECTED CLIMBS AND EXPEDITIONS
|
1966 |
Yerupaja
Yerupaja Chio, FA |
|
1974 |
Eiger North Face
(in 9 hours) |
|
1976 |
Gasherbrum I (Hidden
Peak) |
|
1978 |
Mount Everest |
|
1996 |
Ama Dablam
Pumori |
|
2000 |
Mount Everest (attempt) |
* FA
= First Ascent
Books by Peter Habeler
» Everest,
impossible victory
Videos
with Peter Habeler
» Everest
unmasked
More
about Peter Habeler
» Reinhold
Messner - Everest
» Reinhold
Messner & Peter Habeler - Hidden Peak in alpine style
How to contact Peter Habeler
Ski & Alpinschule Mount Everest
Haupstrasse 458
A-6290 Mayrhofen
Zillertal
Tel. +43-(0)5285-62829
Fax: +43-(0)5285-64260
e-Mail: peter@habeler.com
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