• Renowned climber Messner warns ‘white mountains’ may not survive another decade; calls for urgent action
• Celebrates 82nd birthday in Islamabad • Reflects on his lifelong bond with Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Renowned Italian mountaineer Reinhold Messner warned that rapid glacial melting threatens the survival of Pakistan’s peaks, declaring the high mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan “more valuable than oil reservoirs in Arab countries”.

Expressing deep concern for the changing environment, the alpinist said some “white mountains” in the region may only survive another 10 to 15 years without better environmental management, pledging that he and his team remain determined to help save the remaining ice.

The 82-year-old issued the warning while celebrating his birthday during a 12-day visit to the mountain areas of GB with his wife, Diane.

The trip, which ran from Sept 6 to Sept 16, culminated in a birthday celebration organised by Nanga Parbat Adventure Pakistan at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad.

Italian Ambassador to Pak­istan Ugo Ciarlatani, German Ambassador Ina Lepel and prominent Pakistani mountaineers, including Nazir Sabir and Liver Khan, attended the ceremony to honour Messner’s historic achievements.

Beyond his climbing legacy, Mr Messner continues to give back to the region. Mr Khan, a long-time friend, highlighted Messner’s ongoing connection to the local communities that aided him during his perilous descent of Nanga Parbat over 50 years ago.

Over the decades, Mr Messner has helped establish several schools in the Diamer valleys, including one named in memory of his younger brother, Mr Gunther. “I look forward to … the schools, places where the future is written, where hope grows stronger than loss,” Mr Messner noted.

The return to Pakistan brought profound sentimental reflections for the man widely regarded as one of history’s greatest high-altitude climbers.

Days before his birthday, Mr Messner stopped at a rock situated along the Karakoram Highway near Thalichy, which offers a clear view of Nanga Parbat. He climbed the rock again, just as he did in 1970 when he and Mr Gunther first saw the mountain rising in the distance.

For Mr Messner, the region holds both triumph and deep personal tragedy. He and Mr Gunther reached the summit of Nanga Parbat in 1970 via the Rupal Face, but disaster struck during their descent on the Diamir side.

Mr Gunther was swept away by an avalanche and died. Mr Messner survived but lost seven toes to severe frostbite. His cla­ims about his brother’s death were vindicated in 2005 when Mr Gunther’s remains were fin­ally discovered on the Diamir Face.

Mr Messner was accused by his teammates, including Herrl­igko­ffer, of abandoning his bro­ther solely to gain the bragging rights of traversing Nanga Parbat.

In 1978, Mr Messner returned to summit Nanga Parbat completely alone. Climbing without supplementary oxygen or support from teammates, he opened a new route on the right side of the Diamir Face, completing the first solo ascent of an 8,000-metre mountain.

“To return to Pakistan is to return to the roots of my own becoming,” Mr Messner wrote in a social media post before his arrival. “Here, at Nanga Parbat, I crossed the mountain and lost my brother Gunther, a wound that has never closed but became part of who I am.”

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2026