Ed Viesturs' Key Accomplishments Include . . .
Ed Viesturs is America's leading high altitude mountaineer, having climbed many of the world's most challenging summits, including ascending Mount Everest six times. He completed an 18-year quest to climb all 14 of the world's highest mountains (above 8,000 meters) without the use of supplemental oxygen. In doing so, he became the first American and only the 5th individual in the world to accomplish this.
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---Merrill Lynch
Widely regarded as one of the all-time "greats" in the world of mountaineering, Ed Viesturs is familiar to many from the 1996 IMAX Everest Expedition documentary. Ed Viesturs was awarded the historic Lowell Thomas Award by the Explorer's Club in 2002, for "outstanding achievement in the field of mountaineering", along with such notables as Sir Edmund Hillary.
Seeking The Highest Places is the inspirational account of Ed Viesturs' eighteen year pursuit of all the world's peaks above 8000 meters. In a presentation tailored to fit the particular concerns of his many and varied corporate audiences, Ed Viesturs uses spectacular photographs from his years of expedition climbing as breath-taking illustration for his compelling story.
Ed Viesturs' story is about risk management as well as being patient enough for conditions to allow an ascent. Ultimately, in his words, "The mountain decides whether you climb or not. The art of mountaineering is knowing when to go, when to stay, and when to retreat."
More About Ed Viesturs . . .
Ed Viesturs makes a clear and dramatic connection for his audiences between commitment to integrity and superlative achievement. Totally committed to the integrity of his approach to his goals, Ed Viesturs elected to forgo using supplemental oxygen on his climbs, making an already extremely difficult endeavor almost beyond human possibility. He does this not to prove anything "macho" or vainglorious, but just the opposite: to climb without oxygen is a direct, often humbling encounter with the true reality of these mountains. "I want to climb the mountain under its own terms," he states. "How I climb a mountain is more important to me than getting to the summit at all costs."
Ed Viesturs' motto has always been that climbing has to be a round trip. All of his planning and focus during his climbs maintains this ethic and he is not shy about turning back from a climb if conditions are too severe. In spite of his conservative attitude Ed Viesturs has been one of the most successful Himalayan climbers in American history.
In addition, Ed Viesturs quest has encompassed many astounding successes within it, each of which would be the pinnacle of life-time accomplishment for most adventurers. But Ed shares a broader, bigger view of life and of success, with uncommon messages of focus, passion, desire, and patience. These messages, together with Ed Viesturs' friendly, gently humorous style, make Seeking the Highest Places a deeply inspiring, unforgettable presentation for everyone lucky enough to experience it.
Ed Viesturs is a professional mountaineer and also works as a design consultant for several prominent outdoor equipment manufacturers such as Mountain Hardwear, Timberland, and Grandoe Gloves. He also represents companies such as Rolex and Cisco Systems.
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