Ed Viesturs The most outstanding American climber in the history of mountain climbing Date of Birth: 22.06.1959 Country: USA

Biography of Ed Viesturs

Ed Viesturs, born on June 22, 1959, is the most remarkable American mountaineer in the history of mountain climbing. He is the first American and the sixth person on the planet to have ascended all fourteen eight-thousanders in the world. Viesturs was born into a Latvian-German family and grew up in the flat state of Illinois. His passion for mountaineering was ignited after reading Maurice Herzog's book "Annapurna" during his childhood. Viesturs grew up with a dream of conquering mountain peaks.

In 1977, Viesturs enrolled at the University of Washington to study zoology, but his real attraction to Washington was its proximity to Mount Rainier. During his final years of study, Viesturs actively trained and became a guide for expeditions to this peak. It was discovered that his body seemed specially designed for mountaineering – his lung capacity was thirty percent greater than that of an average person, and his blood saturated with oxygen more quickly.

Soon, Viesturs reached the level of the Karakoram and the Himalayas. By 1994, he had already climbed Everest twice. During this time, he developed his own mountaineering technique. Viesturs preferred short and fast expeditions with a minimal number of assistants. Often, only he, his constant companion and partner Veikka Gustafsson, and a few people at the base camp were involved in his projects. Viesturs did not use supplementary oxygen during his ascents, as his method also included acclimatization by conquering multiple peaks in succession. His main principle was "reaching the summit is desirable, but descending from it is mandatory."

The idea of climbing all the eight-thousanders came to him in the early 1990s. By that time, he had already conquered Everest, Kanchenjunga, and K2 (Chogori). His ongoing sponsor, Mountain Hardwear, helped him finance these costly operations. The project of conquering the world's highest mountains was called "Endeavor 8000."

On May 18, 1989, Viesturs conquered his first eight-thousander, Kanchenjunga (8,586 meters), the third-highest peak in the world located in the Himalayas. He also successfully climbed Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth, in 1991, 1994, 1996 (during the filming of the Everest IMAX movie), 1997, and 2004.

On August 16, 1992, Ed Viesturs reached the summit of K2 or Chogori (8,611 meters), the second-highest mountain in the world located in the Karakoram mountain range. On May 16, 1994, just seven days after ascending Everest, he conquered Lhotse (8,516 meters) for the first time, using acclimatization from his previous ascent.

In 1994 and 1996, Viesturs climbed Cho Oyu (8,201 meters), which is part of the Everest massif. On May 18, 1995, he successfully reached the summit of Makalu (8,463 meters), the fifth-highest mountain in the world, which is almost a symmetrical pyramid.

In July 1995, he conquered Gasherbrum II (8,068 meters), located in the Karakoram ranges. Two weeks later, he completed his fourth consecutive ascent by climbing Gasherbrum I or Hidden Peak (8,068 meters) in just a 30-hour ascent.

In May 1998, Viesturs reached the summit of Dhaulagiri (8,167 meters). He encountered the body of a deceased mountaineer, who had likely exhausted his strength during the ascent and was unable to descend. Viesturs remarked on the possibility of being in the same situation.

On April 30, 2001, Viesturs climbed Shishapangma (8,013 meters), the lowest of the eight-thousanders, located in Tibet. He stopped a few meters below the actual summit due to the danger of avalanches.

Nanga Parbat (8,125 meters) was conquered by Viesturs on June 23, 2003. He considers this ascent to be the most difficult of his career, as the mountain is known to be the most dangerous to climb.

On May 12, 2005, Ed Viesturs completed his "Endeavor 8000" project, which spanned fourteen years, by reaching the summit of Annapurna (8,091 meters), located on the Main Himalayan Range. Ed Viesturs is considered the most outstanding American mountaineer in the history of mountain climbing.

On May 19, 2009, Viesturs reached the summit of Mount Everest for the seventh time, the highest point on Earth. It is unlikely that he will stop there.