Ed Viesturs

Ed Viesturs made a career is a professional mountaineer. He originally thought to work as a veterinarian, but after earning his degree in Veterinary Medicine his desire to climb full time changed the course of his life. Viesturs’ eventual goal was to climb all of all of the world’s fourteen 8000-meter peaks without supplemental oxygen. This was a project that he christened Endeavor 8000. His goal, which eventually took 18 years to completed, ended on May 12, 2005, with his ascent of Annapurna, one of the world’s most treacherous peaks. He is one of only a handful of climbers in history (and the only American) to accomplish this.

That same year Viesturs was awarded National Geographic’s Adventurer of the Year. In 2002, he was awarded the historic Lowell Thomas Award by the Explorer’s Club for outstanding achievement in the field of mountaineering. In winning the award, he joined an elite group of climbers including Sir Edmund Hillary. In 1992 he was also awarded the American Alpine Club Sowles Awards for his participation in two rescues on K-2.

During his career, Viesturs has also made seven successful ascents of 29,028’ Mt. Everest, three of these without supplemental oxygen.

Viesturs still guides clients worldwide on climbing adventures, is an Ambassador for Rolex, and works as a design consultant for Boulder Colorado based outdoor clothing manufacturer Himali. Ed also serves as a spokesman and advocate for Big City Mountaineers (BCM), an organization that instills critical life skills in under-resourced youth through wilderness mentoring experiences that help keep kids in school, reduce violence and drug use.

Viesturs resides in Ketchum Idaho with his wife Paula of 26 years, and their four children.