In the year of the student revolution 1968, Reinhold Messner achieves his most difficult first ascent on the Heiligkreuzkofel in the Dolomites. In Yosemite, Royal Robbins proclaims "Clean Climbing." With his essay "Murder on the Impossible," the 24-year-old Messner launches a passionate appeal for the abandonment of technical aids in climbing, inspiring others to follow him. Thus begins a movement that, after the opening of the difficulty scale, experiences an unstoppable increase. Fifty years after its publication and the ensuing debate, the world's best climbers weigh in on the development and status quo. They question Messner's theses, narrate the art of climbing the most challenging rock faces, and showcase the timeless dimension of Messner's plea.