High altitude mountaineering in unquestionably the most extreme sport.
“180 people have climbed it [Annapurna] and 80 people have died trying. So that’s a 33% fatality rate based on success.” – Ed
Lets all give Ed Viesturs a tip of the cap. Ed completed his mission to climb all 14 of Earth’s 8,000 meter peaks 7 years ago today on May 12th, 2005.
Ed got his start in mountaineering working for Rainier Mountaineering Inc. on Mt. Rainier in Washington state.
This video is fantastic as it shows images of Ed climbing a few of the biggest, scariest peaks on Earth (who climbs K2? how scary is that mountain?). Ed also provides commentary on a few of the toughest climbs.
It really is an anomoly to watch someone breathing sea level air, in a warm environment, after a shower talking about climbing above 8,000 meters. The climbs they speak of feel very far away. As if even the climber was never there.
Mountaineering legend and Whittaker Mountaineering Guide Team member Ed Viesturs talks about his epic journey to summit all 14 of the world’s 8000 meter peaks without the use of supplemental oxygen. Ed became the first American and 6th person in the world to do so when he reached the summit of Annapurna on May 12, 2005
