No Shortcuts to the Top, Ed Viesturs
No Shortcuts to the Top, Ed Viesturs
14 Rating(s)
List: $15.00 | Sale: $10.50
Club: $7.50

No Shortcuts to the Top
Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks

Author: Ed Viesturs, David Roberts

Narrator: Ed Viesturs

Abridged: 5 hr 52 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/17/2006


Synopsis

This gripping and triumphant memoir follows a living legend of extreme mountaineering as he makes his assault on history, one 8,000-meter summit at a time.

For eighteen years Ed Viesturs pursued climbing’s holy grail: to stand atop the world’s fourteen 8,000-meter peaks, without the aid of bottled oxygen. But No Shortcuts to the Top is as much about the man who would become the first American to achieve that goal as it is about his stunning quest. As Viesturs recounts the stories of his most harrowing climbs, he reveals a man torn between the flat, safe world he and his loved ones share and the majestic and deadly places where only he can go.

A preternaturally cautious climber who once turned back 300 feet from the top of Everest but who would not shrink from a peak (Annapurna) known to claim the life of one climber for every two who reached its summit, Viesturs lives by an unyielding motto, “Reaching the summit is optional. Getting down is mandatory.” It is with this philosophy that he vividly describes fatal errors in judgment made by his fellow climbers as well as a few of his own close calls and gallant rescues. And, for the first time, he details his own pivotal and heroic role in the 1996 Everest disaster made famous in Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air.

In addition to the raw excitement of Viesturs’s odyssey, No Shortcuts to the Top is leavened with many funny moments revealing the camaraderie between climbers. It is more than the first full account of one of the staggering accomplishments of our time; it is a portrait of a brave and devoted family man and his beliefs that shaped this most perilous and magnificent pursuit.

About The Author

ED VIESTURS still climbs and seeks out new adventures. He lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington, with his wife and three children. DAVID ROBERTS is a veteran author of mountaineering books, including On the Ridge Between Life and Death.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Judd on February 23, 2012

I got the opportunity to climb with Ed Viesturs on Rainier in July 2010. It was by accident and only for half an hour. I didn't know who he was at the time, but as he welcomed me onto his rope halfway up Cathedral Gap, I was struck by his charisma and positivity as I struggled with the thin air and......more

Goodreads review by Maria on December 26, 2017

I am an armchair adventurer - I love reading these stories about hardship, freezing cold temperatures, dangerous conditions and general misery while I'm wrapped up in a blanket, cozy warm and with a steaming cup of tea nearby (The Deadliest Catch was one of my favorite TV shows). I'm also so very im......more

Goodreads review by Vyla on February 03, 2022

2.5 stars I really do wish I could say I liked this book more. Ed saved my dad's life on Everest in the '90s (this story chronicled starting on page 185 of the book) so technically speaking I would literally not be alive if not for Ed and him giving my dad the Heimlich maneuver for hours on end. Ok fi......more

Goodreads review by Ints on October 13, 2024

Man grāmatas par alpīnismu patīk, kādreiz bērnībā, kad viņas tikko sāka latviski izdot, lasīju kā traks. Tagad šī interese parādās epizodiski, bet pāris grāmatas gadā sanāk izlasīt. Ed Viesturs ir amerikāņu alpinists ar latviešu saknēm, kurš savulaik ir uzkāpis pasaules 14 augstākajās virsotnēs bez......more

Goodreads review by Cory on June 27, 2012

It's impossible not to respect Ed Viesturs accomplishments. That does not mean you need to love his writing. I found the book interesting, primarily because I am passionate about climbing mountains myself. There is a lot of back story here that, although interesting and possibly even necessary for a......more


Quotes

"Ed Viesturs is not merely one of our strongest mountaineers; he’s also one of the most remarkable. He’s demonstrated that it’s possible to climb the world’s highest peaks without taking reckless chances, and without sacrificing one’s honor or integrity. He has never hesitated to help other climbers in need, even when it meant putting himself in danger or sacrificing his own opportunity to achieve a summit. Ed, simply put, is a genuine American hero.” —Jon Krakauer

"From the drama of the peaks, to the struggle of making a living as a professional climber, to the basic how-tos of life at 26,000 feet, No Shortcuts to the Top is fascinating reading."
—Aron Ralston, author of Between a Rock and a Hard Place

"Ed Viesturs—the first American to climb all fourteen 8,000 meter peaks without bottled oxygen—is an animal. A human animal blessed with enormous strength balanced by intelligence, honesty, and a heart of gold. And besides, HE IS A NICE GUY.
This is a great read for those of us who climb, those who want to learn to climb and live to tell about it, and those who like great adventures." —Jim Whittaker, first American to climb Mount Everest

“Ed Viesturs was an inspiration to me personally and to the Seahawks team in 2005. I highly recommend reading this account of one of America’s heroes.” —Mike Holmgren, coach of the Seattle Seahawks


Awards

  • New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age