Biography of Ed Viesturs

Ed Viesturs is America’s most active and accomplished world-class high-altitude mountain climber. Dubbed “the ultimate climbing machine,” has set a goal to become the first American to reach the summit of all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks without supplemental oxygen. His quest, which he calls “Endeavor 8000,” began in 1989 with his successful ascent of the world’s third highest peak Kangchenjunga, located in remote eastern Nepal. He has now sumitted 12 of these 14 mountains. Viesturs was featured as himself in the 2000 feature film Vertical Limit, starring Chris O’Donnell and Bill Paxton.

Viesturs has been a climber most of his adult life. Known for his technical skill and shrewd judgment, he became a recognized mountaineer when he won the 1992 American Alpine Club/Sowles Memorial Award. This award is “conferred from time to time on mountaineers for their unselfish devotion at personal risk to themselves, or at sacrifice of a major objective, in going to the assistance of fellow climbers imperiled in the mountains.” It was given to him for his involvement in two separate rescues in 1992 on K-2, the second highest mountain in the world.

Viesturs became world renowned as America's best high-altitude climber as a result of David Breashears' seminal IMAX film, Everest, and the PBS NOVA film project, Into the Death Zone. During both film projects, in 1996 and 1997 respectively, Viesturs climbed Everest on cue. As the climbing leader of the 1996 Everest IMAX Filming Expedition, which entailed the first-ever filmed ascent to the summit of Everest with a large-format IMAX camera, Viesturs put his successful Everest summits count at five, (three without supplemental oxygen) a figure still unmatched by any other non-Sherpa climber.

In the spring of 1999, Viesturs completed the ascent of Manaslu and Dhaulagiri. The expedition, which was sponsored by National Geographic, was featured as a part of the “Quest for Adventure” spring 2000 lecture series. “Pushing the Limits”, recounting the story of Viesturs’ demanding expedition and shared secrets of climbing and surviving at high altitudes. The three-week ascent of Manaslu, which allowed acclimatization to high-altitude conditions, was followed promptly by a rapid ascent of Dhaulagiri, taking care of number 11 and 12 on Viesturs’ hit list.

Adding to his long list of accomplishments, Viesturs appeared in the Sony Pictures film The Vertical Limit. Directed by Martin Campbell, the movie is about a fictional climb of K-2, and stars Bill Paxton, Chris O'Donnell, and Scott Glenn. Viesturs plays himself in the film, which was a major blockbuster for the summer 2000. In addition, he has been honored with the “Lowell Thomas Award” by the Explorers Club, a multidisciplinary, not for profit organization dedicated to the advancement of field research, scientific research, and the ideal that it is vital to preserve the instinct to explore.