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Viesturs One More Mountain
13:28 p.m. EDT Jul 27, 2003
He has endured the worst that Mother Nature can dole out in some of the most extreme places on earth. And while he has managed to escape severe injury and certain death, some of his closest friends have lost their lives in the very same endeavor that propels him up into the clouds.
And still he goes back.
The top four
When Ed Viesturs eventually scales the 26,545 foot Annapurna, he will become the first American to join the very small number of elite climbers -- there are now 10 -- who have stood atop the summits of all 14 8,000 meter peaks in the world. He will also join the tiny group of climbers (4) in the world to have done so without oxygen. Reinhold Messner, Erhard Loretan, Juanito Oiarzabal and Alberto Iñurrategi climbed all the 14 without bottled (or supplementary) oxygen.
Eighteen above the clouds
It’s safe to say that Viesturs finds something in those hills that keeps beckoning him back. While Annapurna remains as his only unconquered 8000er, he actually climbed to the top of the towering 8000ers 18 times (Everest five times, and Cho Oyu twice). According to adventurestats.com, Viesturs and Oiarzabal ties Messner in 18, 8000m climbs, all with one fewer ascent than record holder Ang Rita (19)!
Doing it right
It may also be safe to say that Viesturs doesn’t care much for “unfinished” business. In 1993, his attempt on Shishapangma ended at the middle summit, a mere 19 meters below the true summit but a long and nasty ridge of unstable snow in between. He returned in 2001 to finish the job.
Again In 1997, at Broad Peak, Viesturs made it to Rocky fore summit – 23 meters below but half a km away from the main summit.
Fast forward through the next five years (which include the successful ascents of Manaslu, Dhaulagiri, and Shishapangma and two summitless ascents of Annapurna) to spring 2003. Viesturs and climbing partner Jean-Christophe Lafaille achieve the summit of the difficult Nanga Parbat on June 23, 2003 and, less than a month later, scale the slopes of Broad Peak and reach the true summit on July15, 2003. It’s official. 8000 Meter Peak Number Thirteen.
Rescue on Broad
Not that the achievement didn’t come without a fight. By the time the pair descended Broad Peak to Camp 3 at 7200m, Lafaille was suffering from breathing problems, suspected to be the early stages of pulmonary edema. Viesturs rallied the help of Kazakh climber Denis Urubko and together, the three embarked on a 10-hour nighttime descent with Viesturs leading the way guided only by his headlamp and Denis securing Lafaille with a rope. (Lafaille was evacuated by helicopter from Base Camp and has recovered at home.)
In 1994, Viesturs has set a personal goal for himself to climb the 14 8000m peaks without oxygen. Success on Annapurna next spring would be a wonderful finale to a remarkable decade.
Image courtesy of RussianClimb.com. Left to right Ed Viesturs, Simone Moro and Zhunusov Baglan (2003 expedition leader).
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