Messner Accusations - New Twist...

Reinhold Messner's determination to disprove allegations that he left his brother, Gunther, to die on Nanga Parbat in 1970 has led to another bizarre twist in the story.

In an exclusive interview with today's Guardian newspaper, Messner claims that DNA tests show that a large bone found in a glacier on the mountain is his brother's and proves - as he has always claimed - that he was following him down the peak when he died.

Books by former German climbing partners Max von Kienlin and Hans Saler have claimed that after climbing the mountain by the desperately hard Rupal Face in 1970, Messner himself descended the easier Diamar Face, while leaving his brother to retreat down the Rupal Face alone.

Messner has always bitterly denied the accusations and the whole thing has degenerated into a messy personal feud with the Italian yesterday being quoted as saying: 'I'm too successful for the Germans. They don't like brave people.' He has also, says the Guardian, sued Von Kienlin and his publisher for damages.

In a Hello-esque twist, it seems that the German may be motivated by personal bitterness after his wife left him for Messner in 1971... The legendary mountaineer meanwhile, intends to return to the mountain later this year to resume his hunt for his lost brother.

Mad story, for the full details, see this article on the Guardian web site.