In reply to TobyA:
>... although I have some of the same cynical British reserve.
Toby, I would not write off skepticism or considered dislike of this twaddle so apologetically. I thought the last quarter was OK but the rest was tired, self-indulgent, try-hard twaddle. Sounded like he looked deep inside himself and found a Mark Twight article from 1993 to read out loud. The 'climber as mystic' schtick is worn, and was rarely done well anyway. As usual, Messner is to blame.
Everything you need to know about Nietzschean uberalpinism can be found here:
http://www.rockandice.com/component/zine/article/384
and I quote: "At this point, I need you to know that I’ve had many women. I’ve also climbed many mountains, but it’s always been a choice between the two. I’ve never expected a woman to understand the fathomless depths of my tortured existence. As a child, I played with trucks and swords."