Selfie Scandal: Italian Alpinist Marco Confortola Accused of Fabricating Himalayan Summit Photo

Marco Confortola, one of Italy’s best-known high-altitude climbers, is under fire after fellow mountaineers alleged that he falsified evidence of reaching the summits of several of the world’s highest peaks.

The 54-year-old alpinist made headlines in July when he announced he had successfully climbed all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter mountains, including Everest. The feat would place him in an elite worldwide club of only about 50 people. Even more impressive, Confortola lost all of his toes to frostbite after narrowly surviving a deadly storm on K2 in 2008. He is also the author of five books and makes a living delivering motivational speeches to corporate audiences.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, critics allege that Confortola reused photos from other climbers, altered images, and passed them off as his own summit proof. A photo originally taken by Spanish alpinist Jorge Egocheaga, for example, has been linked to Confortola’s claimed evidence on one peak.

Skepticism has also surfaced around his climbs of Kangchenjunga, Lhotse, Annapurna, and Nanga Parbat, with some expedition partners and guides suggesting he may have turned back short of the true summits.

Confortola has denied all allegations, dismissing them as jealousy and reiterating that his record is genuine.

Famed Italian alpinist Reinhold Messner had some choice words on the scandal. He told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, "I follow traditional mountaineering, where an elegant style and a certain way of moving are important. Confortola belongs to the era of eight-thousanders on slopes: the era of tourists, not mountaineers."

For Confortola, the controversy is unresolved. However, what's clear is that this scandal isn't going anywhere.

One Daily Mail commenter offered their perspective: "Unless Marco was in the exact same place no more than a few seconds after Jorge, his ski pants are clearly on fire."