Courtesy of Ed Viesturs

Thursday, November 1, 7:30 p.m.
(Along with Steph Davis)
Eric Harvie Theatre

Ed Viesturs

No Shortcuts to the Top

Ed Viesturs is known for his extraordinary high-altitude ability. National Geographic considers him one of the strongest high-altitude mountaineers on the planet, and Men’s Journal calls him “the ultimate climbing machine.” He has climbed many of the world’s most challenging peaks, including Annapurna and K2, and has summitted Mount Everest five times.

Growing up in the flatlands of Rockford, Illinois, where the highest objects on the horizon were water towers, Viesturs became interested in climbing only after reading and being captivated by Annapurna, French climber Maurice Herzog’s famous account of the 1950 first ascent of an 8,000-meter peak. “What I liked was that these guys had a goal and they just wouldn’t give up. They spent months and months finding the mountain; then they climbed it. So simple, so basic. I’m a very goal-oriented person, and I like things that take a tremendous effort and time to accomplish,” explains Viesturs.

When taking on these remarkable feats, Viesturs prefers to experience the mountain without reducing it to his level — climbing without the aid of supplemental oxygen. On May 12, 2005, he realized an 18-year goal to climb all 14 of the world’s 8000-metre peaks under these conditions. He is one of only a handful of international climbers to complete this goal, and the only American in history to climb the world’s six highest peaks without supplemental oxygen.

Viesturs’s success can be directly linked to his technique. He is known for his sensible approach to dangerous undertakings, and remains true to his motto, “Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory.” With the belief that the mountain determines his success, Viesturs will turn around if the conditions do not meet his exacting standards, as he did in 1988, 180 metres from the top of Everest.

Viesturs has documented his journeys in Himalayan Quest: Ed Viesturs on the 8,000-Meter Giants, co-written with Peter Potterfield, and in his autobiography No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World’s 14 Highest Peaks, co-written with David Roberts and released in 2006.

He is also one of the dynamic and proven speakers that form the National Geographic Speakers Bureau. We look forward to welcoming Viesturs back to the Banff stage.