{"product_id":"no-shortcuts-to-the-top-climbing-the-worlds-14-highest-peaks-9780767924719","title":"No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks","description":"\u003ch2\u003eNational Bestseller: Ed Viesturs' Triumphant Mountaineering Memoir\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eNo Shortcuts to the Top\u003c\/i\u003e chronicles Ed Viesturs' eighteen-year pursuit to become the first American to summit all fourteen of the world's 8,000-meter peaks without bottled oxygen. This gripping memoir delivers both raw excitement and intimate insight into one of mountaineering's most significant achievements.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Climber Behind the Achievement\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEd Viesturs reveals himself as a preternaturally cautious climber who once turned back just 300 feet from Everest's summit, yet would not shrink from Annapurna—a peak that claims one climber for every two who reach its summit. His unyielding motto guides every ascent: \"Reaching the summit is optional. Getting down is mandatory.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eInside the 1996 Everest Disaster\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor the first time, Viesturs details his pivotal and heroic role in the 1996 Everest disaster made famous in Jon Krakauer's \u003ci\u003eInto Thin Air\u003c\/i\u003e. He vividly describes fatal errors in judgment made by fellow climbers, his own close calls, and gallant rescues that tested his philosophy and skill at 26,000 feet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat Makes This Memoir Stand Out\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis book balances the drama of extreme altitude climbing with the reality of making a living as a professional mountaineer. Viesturs portrays a man torn between the flat, safe world he shares with loved ones and the majestic, deadly places where only he can go. The narrative includes humorous moments revealing camaraderie between climbers, making it more than just a climbing account—it's a portrait of a devoted family man pursuing one of the most perilous accomplishments of our time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCo-Authored by David Roberts\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWritten with David Roberts, acclaimed author of more than twenty books on mountaineering and adventure who contributed to publications including \u003ci\u003eNational Geographic\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eSmithsonian\u003c\/i\u003e, this memoir combines Viesturs' firsthand experience with expert storytelling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn May 2005, Ed Viesturs completed his quest, standing atop all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks. This paperback edition from Crown Publishing Group captures the complete story of his stunning achievement and the philosophy that made it possible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003eNATIONAL BESTSELLER - This gripping and triumphant memoir from the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Mountain\u003c\/i\u003e follows a living legend of extreme mountaineering as he makes his assault on history, one 8,000-meter summit at a time. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"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, \u003ci\u003eNo Shortcuts to the Top\u003c\/i\u003e is fascinating reading.\"--Aron Ralston, author of \u003ci\u003eBetween a Rock and a Hard Place\u003c\/i\u003e and subject of the film \u003ci\u003e127 Hours\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFor 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\u003ci\u003e No Shortcuts to the Top\u003c\/i\u003e 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA 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 \u003ci\u003eInto Thin Air. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn addition to the raw excitement of Viesturs's odyssey, \u003ci\u003eNo Shortcuts to the Top \u003c\/i\u003eis 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn May 2005 \u003cb\u003eEd Viesturs\u003c\/b\u003e became the first American to ascend all fourteen of the world's 8,000-meter peaks. He lives in Bainbridge Island, Washington, with his wife and three children. He still climbs and seeks out new adventures. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eDavid Roberts\u003c\/b\u003e was the author of more than twenty books on mountaineering, adventure, and history, including \u003ci\u003eNo Shortcuts to the Top, K2\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Will to Climb, \u003c\/i\u003e which he co-wrote with Ed Viesturs and a memoir \u003ci\u003eOn The Ridge Between Life and Death\u003c\/i\u003e. He has written for \u003ci\u003eNational Geographic\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNational Geographic Adventure\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eSmithsonian\u003c\/i\u003e. David Roberts passed away in 2021.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Crown Publishing Group (NY)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50680740315410,"sku":"9780767924719","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_f9a02f90-a110-4de5-b105-50d9037ce4ca.jpg?v=1734924643","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/no-shortcuts-to-the-top-climbing-the-worlds-14-highest-peaks-9780767924719","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}