Ed Viesturs

Climber 

On May 12, 2005, Ed Viesturs summitted Annapurna and stepped into history books, becoming the 1st American, and only sixth person in the world to summit all fourteen 8000-meter peaks without supplemental oxygen. His 16 year long project, Endeavor 8000, was finally complete. Yet even before he accomplished this, Ed was considered by many to be "America's foremost high altitude mountaineer." Pretty amazing stuff for a guy who grew up in the flatlands of Illinois.

Growing up in that decidedly un-mountainous environment, Ed was bitten by the climbing bug after reading Maurice Herzog's Annapurna. That interest grew steadily, and in 1977, when Ed went to study veterinary science, he chose the University of Washington because of its proximity to Mt.Rainier. Over the next few years Ed mixed climbing with schooling, eventually becoming a guide for Rainier Mountaineering. He discovered that he loved high-altitude climbing and that he seemed to be both physiologically and temperamentally suited for it. One peak led to another and soon Ed graduated to the Himalaya and Karakoram ranges.

Over his climbing career, Ed adopted a light-and-fast approach to mountaineering, often eschewing large expeditions for smaller, more mobile parties. He keeps his support staff to a minimum. As part of his climbing ethos Ed does not use supplemental oxygen for his summit attempts. Ed is also known as a level-headed climber who says things like, "Getting to the top is optional; getting down is mandatory."