Tschiamintal (Val de Ciamin) Hiking with Reinhold Messner 6/24/2015

"Mein ganzes Leben ist ein einzigen Urlaub gewesen." 

-Reinhold Messner

This was Messner's answer to someone in the group who asked him "where is your favorite place to vacation?"  "My entire life has been a single long vacation."

For those of you who are thinking huh, who the heck is this guy? click HERE first, and then HERE to find out about this legend.

I was searching online for group hikes in the Dolomites so that Julian would feel "safe" hiking with his crazy mom, who would surely get him stuck in a lightening storm on top of a desolate peak.  I found a group hike with Messner which took us up the Tschamintal/Val Ciamin to a gorgeous "alm" (meadow) called Rechter Leger.

The requisite cross.  Here you can sit under it on a bench.

There we sat with Messner, perched on a rock, and listened to four hours of stories and question/answer sessions.

He spoke of the border wars - soldiers camped out in the mountains during winter- and of the first ascent of the Matterhorn.  Then it was on to politics. Messner can only be catagorized as a visionary progressive, with his roots in a deeply soulful connection to the mountains.

He is clearly a man apart - having accomplished things that are even physically impossible for most humans, not to mentions psychologically.  I couldn't figure out if he was incredibly above it all, or just full of himself.....

Many in Süd Tyrol, where he was raised, do not appreciate his opinions of a unified Europe (beyond the EU!!) since they are deeply proud and protective of their region, to the point where they do not truly consider themselves part of Italy (even though that is the country that issues their passports). He did not mince his words concerning his disdain for the Süd Tyrolean pride.

The hike itself was nothing particular, easy to moderate 10 km round trip with only a 650 m elevation change, through pine forests along the Tschaminfluß (river).
Julian asked, "why are there so many old people and boring adults on this hike?  No kids like you promised!"  It was totally true.

But the hike offered some stunning views of the limestone peaks of the Dolomites, and this was our first day hiking here, so it was visually a good start, and great for getting a feeling for what Süd Tyrol living is all about.

We had amazing Goldilocks weather, not too hot, not too cold, but just right.

Julian, cruising with the oldsters.

You can drink the stream water straight up!  No giardia here, I guess.

After about two hours, we burst out onto the Rechter Leger, which I thought was a high up view point, but it was this valley with views of the Grasleiten Peaks and Ciamin Peaks of the Dolomites and a fine place to while away the afternoon, listening to Messner talk. And we got to shake his hand and see eye to eye with him.

Julian about to shake hands with the legend. (Look closely at the center of the pic).

Chatting.

Messner looked at Julian and his La Colina "Walk Through the Middle Ages" t-shirt and asked, "Was? Du bist Heute nicht auf der Schule??" (What?? You are not in school today?)

Everyone was pretty much enthralled as he talked story.  Some of the men his age, who had apparently once been dapper and vital outdoor enthusiasts in their time, really got into it with Messner about the politic of mountaineering.  The discussion was intense.

He told of the first successful summit of the Matterhorn by Jean-Antione Carrel in August of 1890 as if he were there, choking up and shedding a few tears at the tragic end of the tale. 

No, really! He did!

(No! Of course there is not a photo of that!)

Captive audience of fans.

FOUR HOURS talking story!! Sitting in the warm sun on the vast meadow (alm in Tyrolean) was not anything I could have even thought of happening. Julian learned a lot more German listening to Messner for so long......

We were not sure if this helicopter was performing a real rescue or if it was a practice run for the DolimitiBergSchützung.

Included with this fabulous experience was a down-home for reals Bergler picnic (bergler = mountaineer).

Tiersher Brot (bread), various meats, Dolomitenkäse (Dolomite cheese), Radishes, apples and Johannisbeersaft (red current juice).
Even the red picnic blanket was in the box!

Julian set our table :)

This will be THE ONLY TIME IN MY LIFE that I will ever willingly eat SPECK.  Ewww!

Also included was farm fresh Kaminwurtz, a type of Süd Tyrolean salami.

Prost!

My question for Messner was: "What has been your greatest challenge?"
His answer was, " Well of course my two ascents of Everest, especially the solo one without oxygen, but surely above this, even, is the conceptualization and realization of my six mountain museums."

Check them out here, especially their unique locations, which include two castles now owned and lived in by Messner and his family:

Messner Mountain Museum

These "museums" are really much more than that.  They are journeys through the mind of the bergler,    with mountaineering art, history, accouterments (the actual clothing, tools, tents, helmets, shoes, bivouacs, etc. of many famous mountaineers - you can actually touch the down jacket/pants, pick up the helmet that was on this or that peak!)
BTW, Messner has written 52 books on various topics, including, of course, mountaineering.

Pics of the MMM Fermian in Bozen coming shortly.

You gotta love this one!

Messner got not one, but TWO beers, and we didn't get any!!

Messner's autograph.  I had to beg for a piece of paper and a pen from someone (an Italian).

Our new friend Manu's autograph on her backpack (Rucksack in German) looks so much better!
Is it because Messner figured out we are Americans (in hiding)?

Manu (Emmanuela) and Dirk, from München area.

Cool green alpine spider on Steph's sleeve.

The outhouse at Rechter Leger.

The loo looks all neat and tidy, but take off this cover and there it is, a "pile" just right there out in the open, a few meters away from the creek.  You could see the trees on the opposite side of the creek through the hole!!
This outhouse was NOT about keeping nature sanitary, it was just for privacy!!

On the way back, we visited  an all-water-powered sawmill with fantastic physics and engineering for science nerds like us.

The ten minute hike back to the parking lot offered these views:

When we arrived at the parking lot, we caught Messner climbing into a very shi-shi new shiny gold Mercedes.

I could have snapped a picture from the front with Messner in the driver's seat,
but I felt that would have been stalker-fan-RUDE.

My favorite question from the audience was to the effect of: "you have a lot of $$, don't you?" (!?)
Well, there you go.

EXTRA EXTRA!
For you German speakers, or if you just want to hear his voice :D, here is a bit of Süd Tyrolean history, as told by Messner:

Video to be posted as soon as I can upload to YouTube, which means as soon as I get somewhere with an adequate band width wireless network!