1996 mt everest disaster ed viesturs biography
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Among the victims were both leaders, Andy Harris, Rob’s fellow guide, along with his client Yasuko Namba, and, devastatingly, Rob’s client and close friend Doug Hansen. These triumphs earned him international recognition, and he received sponsorship to pursue mountaineering as a full-time pursuit.
During the 1995 Everest expedition, Viesturs assumed the role of guide for Rob Hall’s esteemed Adventure Consultants, contributing his expertise to the endeavor.
Another tenet Viesturs stresses is the importance of perseverance, or going step by step and not getting discouraged by setbacks when working toward your goal. Realizing that Rob’s best chance of assistance was from the Sherpas, the team sprang into action. His main principle was "reaching the summit is desirable, but descending from it is mandatory."
The idea of climbing all the eight-thousanders came to him in the early 1990s.
During his final years of study, Viesturs actively trained and became a guide for expeditions to this peak. Knowing the grim reality, Jan, who had also summited Everest, exchanged final words of love and reassurance with Rob. Soon after, Rob’s communication ceased, and his fate remained uncertain.
Meanwhile, the team was increasingly concerned about Scott.
In collaboration with David Breashears, Viesturs undertook the ascent of Everest, subjecting himself to physical and mental tests to study the effects of altitude on the human body.
Throughout his career, Edmund Viesturs has consistently demonstrated extraordinary skill, compassion, and a commitment to exploring the limits of human endurance in the world’s most challenging mountain environments.
Ed’s Personal Account of the 1996 Mount Everest Disaster
That spring, the south side of Mount Everest saw a notable increase in climbers compared to previous years.
He climbs without bottled oxygen, which he feels is unwieldy and potentially troublesome. Later accounts revealed that he lingered on the summit for a short time, expressing distress about his condition. He was part of the IMAX climbing team at that time. It is unlikely that he will stop there.
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Viesturs recalls once being just 300 feet away from the top pf Mount Everest when he had to turn back.His passion for mountaineering was ignited after reading Maurice Herzog's book "Annapurna" during his childhood.
The Day of The Disaster:
On May 8, instead of ascending towards the South Col, the group decided to descend along the fixed ropes. With an ever-growing list of accomplishments, Viesturs continues to inspire and guide others in their mountaineering aspirations.
He is spokesperson for BCM's Summit For Someone benefit climb series, which places individuals on iconic peaks to raise support for BCM youth and programs.
Viesturs capped his climbing career by reaching the summits of all fourteen of the world’s 8000-meter peaks without supplemental oxygen, an 18 year project he christened Endeavor 8000.
Risk management is a key theme throughout.Viesturs's third book - "The Will to Climb: Obsession and Commitment and the Quest to Climb Annapurna - the World's Deadliest Peak" was released on October 4, 2011.
Viesturs was born in 1959 and now lives in Ketchum, Idaho with his wife of 24 years, Paula, and their four children. During this time, he developed his own mountaineering technique.
Anatoli, determined to save Scott, made a final attempt but arrived too late. He is also a brand ambassador for Rolex and continues his long involvement as a design consultant for several prominent outdoor equipment manufacturers. Two weeks later, he completed his fourth consecutive ascent by climbing Gasherbrum I or Hidden Peak (8,068 meters) in just a 30-hour ascent.
In May 1998, Viesturs reached the summit of Dhaulagiri (8,167 meters).
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.
Around 2 p.m., climbers could be seen as tiny red and yellow specks scattered along the high ridge through the telescope. The dreaded traffic jam on the mountain had begun to cause delays and complications.
Caught in the Storm:
As the storm rolled in, the summit disappeared, visibility diminished rapidly, and even below the South Col, climbers were cut off from the outside world.