On his first summit attempt on Mt. Everest, Ed Viesturs turned around 300 feet from the top — that’s 300 feet out of 29,029 — due to imminent dangerous weather. Though he has summited successfully seven times since then, conservative risk management and smart decisions have been at the core of his climbing career. At 56 he is considered the country’s foremost high-altitude mountaineer, and the only American climber to summit the world’s fourteen 8,000-meter peaks without supplemental oxygen, a feat that took him 18 years to accomplish.
Viesturs will be speaking in June at “No Shortcuts to the Top,” an engagement hosted by Incline Village-based adventure company Myths and Mountains. Proceeds will benefit the nonprofit READ Global and go toward earthquake rebuilding efforts in Nepal.
“You have to balance the desire for adventure with danger and temper your ambition, and ask yourself: ‘Is this worth the risk for my enjoyment?’” said Viesturs.
While the mountains of Tahoe are of a shorter and stockier breed than the world’s highest peaks, he knows that any risk in the mountains should be taken seriously. “Whether it’s an 8,000-meter peak or any mountain, you’re out there and have to consider the risks that you can’t control,” Viesturs emphasizes.
Group dynamics, similar to what is referred to as the human factor in avalanche discussions, are an issue he has a close relationship with, as both a long-term mountain guide, and someone who puts a tremendous amount of trust in his climbing partners. “There is a lot of peer pressure out there; people can get swept away in what I call ‘groupthink.’ It has the power to sway people or groups into unsafe situations,” he says. “People need to speak up and raise their hand and say ‘I’m not OK with this,’ if they are having reservations, and stop and ask themselves why they don’t feel good about something.”
A VIP option is offered, including a cocktail party before the talk, as well as a private dinner with Viesturs following the event. There will also be a silent auction and raffle with prizes such as a trip for two to Nepal, a trip to Ecuador, and much more.
