Former extreme mountaineer Reinhold Messner (79) does not find it objectionable to make snow on ski slopes with flakes from snow cannons. “It is bitter that snow has to be made there, but as long as no chemicals are mixed in the water that is sprayed, it is not a major crime,” the South Tyrolean told media group Bavaria.
“I clearly see that almost all ski areas in Germany will probably have to give up. But the high ski areas will continue to exist for decades to come.” Ski tourism is declining, partly due to high prices.
“Ski touring, which is still relatively close to alpinism, is fortunately increasing. This shows that people are not so stupid that they recognize for themselves what is going wrong and what could perhaps be improved.” Against the backdrop of the climate and energy crisis, conservationists have long criticized the use of snowmaking as no longer socially acceptable.
Messner keeps world records
In addition to the climate and energy crisis, Messner has been a major topic of conversation for weeks recently. At the end of September he lost his two world records for the first time (the first person to climb all 14 eight-thousanders – and without oxygen bottles).
According to “mountain chronicler” Eberhard Jurgalski, Messner was 65 meters and five meters from the real summit on his ascent of Annapurna. So he lost both world records in the latest edition of the Guinness Book of Records. After the real eight-thousanders were reclassified, Messner was no longer on all 14, but “only” on 13 eight-thousanders.
After a fierce shitstorm, Jurgalski relented and Messner is now listed in a “historical recognition table” on Jurgalski’s website as the first alpinist to climb all 14 eight-thousanders – and therefore remains the king of mountaineers. The records will now also be reviewed on the Guinness website. Meanwhile, Messner got off to a great start: “An unparalleled shame, for the Guinness Book of Records, but also for the Journaille.”
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
