Product Description

This gripping and triumphant memoir follows a living legend of extreme mountaineering as he makes his assault on history, one 8,000-meter summit at a time. For eighteen years Ed Viesturs pursued climbing's holy grail: to stand atop the world's fourteen 8,000-meter peaks, without the aid of bottled oxygen. But" No Shortcuts to the Top" is as much about the man who would become the first American to achieve that goal as it is about his stunning quest. As Viesturs recounts the stories of his most harrowing climbs, he reveals a man torn between the flat, safe world he and his loved ones share and the majestic and deadly places where only he can go. A preternaturally cautious climber who once turned back 300 feet from the top of Everest but who would not shrink from a peak (Annapurna) known to claim the life of one climber for every two who reached its summit, Viesturs lives by an unyielding motto, "Reaching the summit is optional. Getting down is mandatory." It is with this philosophy that he vividly describes fatal errors in judgment made by his fellow climbers as well as a few of his own close calls and gallant rescues. And, for the first time, he details his own pivotal and heroic role in the 1996 Everest disaster made famous in Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air. "In addition to the raw excitement of Viesturs's odyssey, "No Shortcuts to the Top "is leavened with many funny moments revealing the camaraderie between climbers. It is more than the first full account of one of the staggering accomplishments of our time; it is a portrait of a brave and devoted family man and his beliefs that shaped this most perilous and magnificent pursuit.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3286 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Customer Reviews

Mr Nice Guy
A thoroughly enjoyable read. It does not concentrate solely on the Ed Viesturs attempt to climb all the world's 8,000 metre peaks, but also includes some insights into his personal life and feelings, and the drive which enabled him to achieve his dream. There is just enough technical information for the reader to understand how the climbs are achieved. What does show throughout the book is Ed Viesturs total respect for other climbers and his willingness to recognise their achievements. He appears not to like being called a "nice guy" which is a pity, because that is clearly what he is.

How to climb Safely!
This book is really different from the usual climbing fare. Ed Viesturs is a climber who was able to turn back at critical points, an attribute that few share. I'd throughly recommend this as an alternative to the derring do of most climbing books. He seems to be a very determinded as well as displayhing a rare type of courage -- the courage to say no. A very refreshing read.

It is basically his biography starting with his early years and then on to the stories behind his ascents of the world's 14 8000m peaks. The first American to achieve this feat

Far-out stuff indeed
Anyone who needs some kind of inspiration for whatever in life ought to read this. Ed Viesturs is a hard charger, there's no two ways about it. His extreme motivation, which led him to summit the top 14 peaks in the world, is clearly visible in his writing. But it's not just his desire and drive that have an impact on the reader, it's also a downright good story.
It takes a certain kind of human to walk to the top of Everest, I believe, let alone all 14 highest peaks. It is an epic adventure story that must be told, and Ed tells it just fine.