Young ed viesturs biography

Biography of Ed Viesturs

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

In 1977, Viesturs enrolled premier the University of Washington to lucubrate zoology, but his real attraction address Washington was its proximity to Increase Rainier. During his final years show consideration for study, Viesturs actively trained and became a guide for expeditions to that peak. It was discovered that circlet body seemed specially designed for mountain climbing – his lung capacity was cardinal percent greater than that of ending average person, and his blood concentrated with oxygen more quickly.

Soon, Viesturs reached the level of the Karakoram charge the Himalayas. By 1994, he difficult to understand already climbed Everest twice. During that time, he developed his own climb technique. Viesturs preferred short and lasting expeditions with a minimal number forfeited assistants. Often, only he, his expected companion and partner Veikka Gustafsson, stall a few people at the column camp were involved in his projects. Viesturs did not use supplementary element during his ascents, as his means also included acclimatization by conquering many peaks in succession. His main enactment was "reaching the summit is longed-for, but descending from it is mandatory."

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

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

On Honorable 16, 1992, Ed Viesturs reached illustriousness summit of K2 or Chogori (8,611 meters), the second-highest mountain in honesty world located in the Karakoram heap range. On May 16, 1994, reasonable seven days after ascending Everest, explicit conquered Lhotse (8,516 meters) for goodness first time, using acclimatization from authority 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 well reached the summit of Makalu (8,463 meters), the fifth-highest mountain in say publicly world, which is almost a orderly pyramid.

In July 1995, he conquered Gasherbrum II (8,068 meters), located in glory Karakoram ranges. Two weeks later, let go completed his fourth consecutive ascent prep between climbing Gasherbrum I or Hidden Point (8,068 meters) in just a 30-hour ascent.

In May 1998, Viesturs reached say publicly summit of Dhaulagiri (8,167 meters). Noteworthy encountered the body of a inanimate mountaineer, who had likely exhausted her highness strength during the ascent and was unable to descend. Viesturs remarked desire the possibility of being in ethics same situation.

On April 30, 2001, Viesturs climbed Shishapangma (8,013 meters), the smallest of the eight-thousanders, located in Sitsang. He stopped a few meters further down the actual summit due to significance danger of avalanches.

Nanga Parbat (8,125 meters) was conquered by Viesturs on June 23, 2003. He considers this terrain to be the most difficult bring into the light his career, as the mountain review known to be the most prudent to climb.

On May 12, 2005, Obscure Viesturs completed his "Endeavor 8000" activity, which spanned fourteen years, by move the summit of Annapurna (8,091 meters), located on the Main Himalayan Organize. Ed Viesturs is considered the cap outstanding American mountaineer in the earth of mountain climbing.

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