Who is the Greatest Climber Ever?

Just wondering who everyone thinks is the best climber in the world..can be past, or present...alive or dead...Alpine or Rock. Let me hear what you have to say, and you may just see a post about it in the future!

Alex Lowe for sure

Jerzy Kukuczka from Poland

rienhold messner the best of the best

Walter Bonatti. Who, as gracious as ever, rated Jerzy Kukuczka...

Dan Osman, no dubt.

Best non-sherpa is Reinhold Messner

Without doubt Jerzy Kukuczka is the best ever.

Quantify 'greatest'

stefanie pichler for sure is the best climber EVER

Sebastian wrote:

Best non-sherpa is Reinhold Messner

I agree, he has done stuff yet matched..

Historically, a dozen climber make my list.
1. John Harlin
2. Dougal Hastin
3. Reinhold Messner
4. Jim Whitaker and the boys...Willy Unsold (sp), etc.
5. Fred Becky
6. Sir Edmund Hillary
7. Royal Robbins

...you can't be serious! Osman..Lowe!! as great as they were, their body of work wasn't that great c'mon...don't get me wrong I loved Osman (even have my hair long like his) and Alex ,(wished I could 400 pull ups a day)but Messner, Jerzy Kukuczka, Viesters come to mind...Whittaker..eh..maybe..t ake away the '63 climb and what do you have. Of course you can't forget the early pioneers of climbing...in their own right, they too, were the greatest...(and no, I would never forget Sir Edmund)you might have to catogorize between Alpine, rock climbers, etc.... and yes, most certainly have to include great climbers of the Sherpa community. Do your homework people. There is no "Michael Jordan" of climbing, if so, I think you have say its Messner even if he is an ego-asshole.

Tomaž Humar.

Tomaž Humar is among the best.
Only one beyond limits.

Jerzy Kukuczka The Best of The Best, look about his resalts, no body do what hi das, no body are better, the second climber is reinhold Messner, but Jurek allways be the NUMBER ONE!!!!

Walter bonnati and reinhold messner

the Italian Reinhold Messner by far is the greatest of all time, since he pioneered what others can only repeat using better technology and known ways to go up...

Tie:
1. Reinhold Messner
1. Jerzy Kukuczka
1. Walter Bonnati

There have been a lot of rivalries surrounding Everest over the years, some so subtle they went unnoticed, some so blatant they erupted into a full-fledged battle-of-wills at base camp. Few however endured as long or seemed as heroic as the battle between Jerzy "Jurek" Kukuczka and Reinhold Messner during the early 80s. Both men were attempting to be the first climber to summit all 14 peaks in the world over 8,000 meters.

While Messner would finish a year ahead of Kukuczka, it would take Messner 16 years to complete this feat compared to only 8 for Kukuczka.

Kukuczka was born in Katowice (Poland) in 1948, and died attempting the South Face of Lhotse on October 24, 1989 at an altitude of about 8200 meters. A second-hand rope he had picked up in a market in Katmandu snapped during the climb plunging him to his death. During his quest for the 14 summits Kukuczka would establish nine new routes and would perform one solo summit, four in alpine style, and four during the winter. In fact given that Kukuczka established so many new routes and made many of his ascents during the winter combined with operating from an impoverished communist country (Kukuczka's equipment was often hand-made and clothes second-hand) many consider his achievement to be greater that Messner's.

On May 19, 1980 Kukuczka and Andrzej Czok (on the Polish National Expedition led by Andrezej Zswada) established a new Everest route by following the South Pillar on the right-hand edge of the Southwest Face.

It is one of 15 established routes.

His 8000-meter climbs included:

1979 - Lhotse

1980 - Mount Everest

1981 - Makalu (solo)

1982 - Broad Peak

1983 - Gasherbrum II

1983 - Gasherbrum I

1984 - Broad Peak

1985 - Dhaulagiri

1985 - Cho Oyu

1985 - Nanga Parbat

1986 - Kangchenjunga

1986 - K2

1986 - Manaslu

1987 - Annapurna I

1987 - Shishapangma

1989 - Lhotse Unclimbed South Face in winter (died)