Simon Messner breaks his silence: Son of climbing legend Reinhold Messner wants to forge his own path

The dispute between father and son has been simmering for months and centers, among other things, on questions of inheritance. Simon Messner explained that his father's silence affects not only him personally, but the entire former circle around the mountaineer. "Es ist schon sehr skurril, zu behaupten, man wurde entsorgt und man weigert sich, zur gleichen Zeit die Kinder zu treffen. Es ist sehr, sehr traurig," the newspaper quoted the 36-year-old as saying.

Silent lawyers instead of father-son talks

Despite the burden of the family conflict, Simon Messner emphasized that the situation between him and his father has not changed. He has tried repeatedly to repair the relationship, but has always been met with legal correspondence rather than personal dialogue.

Also at the center of the interview was his new film "Aus dem Schatten," which documents his expedition to the Karakoram in Pakistan. The film was shown, among other places, in the program of the Munich Film Festival and provides insight into the challenges of a modern high-mountain expedition.

New film about expedition in the Karakoram

Simon Messner, who like his father is active as a mountaineer, also described that he has changed the center of his life. Fatherhood, he said, had been a decisive turning point that prompted him to significantly reduce his mountaineering. "Ich möchte nicht falsch verstanden werden, aber ich möchte es einfach anders machen," he said with regard to his role as a father.

The 36-year-old also pointed in the conversation to the increased risks in high mountains. Due to climate change, rockfall has increased massively in recent years, making mountaineering more dangerous. Simon Messner reported that over the years he has lost around ten friends and partners in the mountains.

Fatherhood as a turning point

Reinhold Messner, who in the Alps and in the Himalayas is considered one of the most significant mountaineers in history and is also well known in Austria, has so far not publicly commented on his son's allegations. The Augsburger Allgemeinen reported that the newspaper's inquiries to Reinhold Messner remained unanswered.

With the film and the interview, Simon Messner is taking an unusual path to draw public attention to the rift. In it, he makes clear that he does not want to continue his father's path as an extreme athlete, but instead wants to be a more present father. At the same time, he makes no secret of how much his father's rejection burdens him.

Rockfall and lost friends

Reactions to the interview were divided on social networks and in mountaineering forums. Some users expressed solidarity with Simon Messner, while others pointed to the long history of the family and Reinhold Messner's contributions to alpinism. No official statement from the father or his circle was initially available.

The conflict between the two Messners shines a light on a dynasty that has shaped public perception of modern mountaineering for decades. While Reinhold Messner is regarded as a pioneer of high-altitude mountaineering, his son is now seeking his own emphases – away from the extreme eight-thousanders and closer to a life as a family father.