In Free Spirit Reinhold Messner describes the forces and events that have shaped him as a climber as famous for his discipline as for his innovative spirit. Messner evolved his philosophy of the single free-climbing line with its uncompromising purity of style in the Dolomites and, as equipment and technique developed, he was in the forefront of the transference of fast lightweight alpine methods to the great ranges. Here, he takes us from the days of his first climb (at the age of five) with his father to his brother's tragic death on Nanga Parbat in 1970 to his later move away from the overcrowded Alps and 8000-meter peaks. He sought fulfillment, instead, in new challenges in lesser known parts of the world, such as crossing the expanse of Antarctica. Free Spirit is an exciting account of the career of a mountain pioneer.