Ed ViestursCritiques

It needs to be said that K2 may be the second highest mountain in the world, but it is arguably the most dangerous mountain to summit. Beyond unpredictable weather and inhospitable traverses, language barriers, varying climbing skills (and, let's be honest, knowledge), and clashing egos of the climbers make the mountain even more treacherous. Viesturs and Roberts cover six different campaigns to climb K2. At times these campaigns are confusing to read about because they include details from other mountain climbs (like Everest) and the timelines jump around.
The most enjoyable passages were when Viesturs and Roberts outlined the changed in technology and climbing gear. It makes earlier successes of summitting K2 even more impressive.

Not the start-to-finish adventure I was expecting; more of a history of the important moments on Everest and a reflectionon the auhor's considerable experience there. Worth the investment.½

Ed Viesturs' memoir illustrates the dedication, training, and danger of climbing the world's tallest mountains. The book spends many more pages on the tangible struggles of altitude, oxygen, and avalanches than the internal motivations that drove Ed to this near-obsession and the toll on his family. Still it's a very readable portrayal of Ed's life on and off the mountain. As a Seattle resident I appreciated the local history and references too.

Ed Viesturs is an accomplished high-altitude mountaineer who has summited all fourteen of the world’s peaks over 8000 meters. K2, the world’s second highest peak at 8,611 meters (28,251 feet), is located in the Korakoram Range of northern Pakistan. It is considered one of the most difficult and dangerous peaks to climb. This book not only tells of Viesturs’ ascent of K2 in 1992, but also recounts the history of six other K2 expeditions up to 2009, including an assessment of successes, catastrophes, and controversies. It gives the reader a good idea of what it would have been like to be part of such an expedition. It provides an interesting look at the improvements in climbing materials and the evolution of climbing strategies over the years. A couple of the more riveting sections include an account of the avalanche that sent Viesturs and climbing partner Scott Fisher plummeting down the mountain, and the analysis of the 2008 tragedy that resulted in the deaths of eleven climbers.

Viesturs expresses pointed opinions about his philosophy of climbing as well as what may have gone wrong in expeditions that resulted in tragedy. He concentrates on lessons that can be applied to high altitude climbing, with an emphasis on getting back safely. He illustrates the value of weighing risks, relying on instincts, showing loyalty to the team, leading from the front, and taking prompt action to save others in distress. He takes exception to some of the analyses provided by the press and other “armchair adventurers” and backs up his opinions drawing on a mix of logic, common sense, and experience. The narrative moves between materials written by others and Viesturs’ own experiences, weaving them together to make his points.

It assumes the reader already possesses at least a rudimentary knowledge of climbing terminology. Recommended to those interested in the history of mountaineering, active climbers who want to learn from the experiences of others, or fans of extreme adventures.

If you enjoy true story adventure books you will like this book. You journey with Ed throughout his life but the main focus is on his challenge of climbing all 14 peaks that are over 8,000 meters.

He was on Everest during the infamous 1996 disaster, so he also recounts the events from his groups experience during that time.

There was more than one emotional moment; excitement, fear, sadness, awe, and joy are all present during this book. There's a nifty glossary in the back for those unfamiliar with mountaineering terms as well as a photo section towards the middle.

Read 3/11/22

Beautiful book. beautiful photos. Just confirms that these people climbing mountains are NUTS!½

After Krakuer's account of the failed Everest expedition, this K2 chronicle is a great further reading. Well researched and even better analyzed from his unique vantage point of being one of the most accomplished mountaineers of all time, the reader really takes away a keen sense of what's right and wrong on the mountain, and what the conditions/dynamics are really like up there. I didn't realize this book would be essentially the complete history of K2 mountaineering, but I'm glad he was so thorough in his retelling.

Yes, Viesturs is completely full of himself. He can't even praise his children's skiing skills without interjecting "I'm a pretty good skier myself." But, I suppose, at least the book comes across as authentic to that aspect of his personality. Overall, I thought this was a great history of K2 climbs, especially of the 2008 disaster. It is highly opinionated, with Viesturs trying to draw lessons and willing to place blame for mistakes. (Mistakes that he would never have made himself, of course.) It is focused and not overly long. There are some great climbing stories.

> … There's no viable analogy between Everest in 1996 and K2 in 2008. Not a single one of the eleven climbers who died that August on the world's second-highest mountain was a true client in the sense that Scott Fischer’s Mountain Madness or Rob Hall's Adventure Consultants customers were. None of them were paying big bucks to have a commercial guiding company get them up the mountain. They were almost uniformly experienced climbers in their own right.

> Yet in one respect, 2008's mountaineers allowed themselves to slip closer to the status of clients than nearly anyone had on previous K2 campaigns. This had to do with their dependence on fixed ropes. In the aftermath of the tragedy, too much focus has been put on the collapse of the serac, too little on the whole business of the fixed ropes.

> Even Jim Wickwire in 1978, though near death after his bivouac, summoned the nerve and the technique to climb down the traverse and the Bottleneck unaided by fixed ropes or partners. No one even thought of fixing ropes all the way through the Bottleneck until about two years ago. How quickly, though, the comfort of fixed ropes gets taken for granted

> The second ascent of Mount Everest came in 1956, only three years after Hillary and Tenzing, when a Swiss party climbed the highest peak in the world and made the first ascent of neighboring Lhotse, the fourth-highest. The second ascent of K2 came only in 1977, twenty-three years after Lacedelli and Compagnoni

> The 1978 team was likewise torn with dissension, but finally placed four Americans on top. Jim Wickwire, John Roskelley, Lou Reichardt, and Rick Ridgeway—superb mountaineers, all four—made the third ascent of K2 via the long and intricate northeast ridge, which had been attempted before but never completed. (For the top 2,000 feet, the Americans' route coincided with the Abruzzi route.) Three of the four reached the summit without supplementary oxygen.

> Achille Compagnoni, must go down in history as one of the indelible bad guys of mountaineering. For fear of sharing the triumph with the younger, better climber, Compagnoni was apparently willing to let Bonatti and Amir Mahdi freeze to death in an open bivouac. And the premeditated ruse Compagnoni devised to prevent that sharing—hiding Camp IX behind rocks above a dangerous traverse—turned the bravest Hunza climber of his day into a frostbite victim

> On Everest, every spring you can usually count on a stable window of clear weather, when the high jet-stream winds start to get pushed away by the approaching monsoon. But the monsoon doesn’t reach the Karakoram. Instead, you have to throw the dice with the weather.

> I believe it will be the Poles, with their legendary stamina, tolerance for pain, and tenacity, who will be the first to get up K2 in winter.

Where I found this book:
This book was lended (in very used condition) from a friend who's into this crazy adventure stuff. (I emphasis very used because it's been passed around to other friends—that's how much people have enjoyed it.)
What I thought:
Inspiration abounds in this incredible tale of adventure, struggle, determination, and integrity. What this man—a professional climber/mountaineer—accomplishes is stunning. I didn't know what to expect from this book (this genre generally isn't my cup of tea,) but I was wholly impressed and inspired. WOW.

A friend gave me this and said I would enjoy it. Not being interested in mountain climbing and especially the crazy stuff that goes on on Everest these days, I approached this book with trepidation. What a wonderful surprise it turned out to be. Viesturs has climbed to the Everest summit six times plus several other efforts on the mountain that failed or were for guiding other climbers to the top.

Interspersed with his climbs is a very complete history of attempts to conquer this mountain beginning with the English attempts in 1921,1922 and 1924. He especially focuses on George Leigh Mallory who is a legend of early mountaineering. His book is full of anecdotes of climbing foolishness, danger, amazing survival and disasters including the 1996 episode.

If you think you may be interested in mountain climbing, reading this book will give you an idea of what to be prepared for.

Mountaineer Ed Viesturs takes a look a the history of K2, the second highest mountain in the world, but the most deadly for climbers.

It was interesting to hear about the various excursions and adventures on the mountain, from the 1930s to 2008. I was listening to the audio, so my mind did wander occasionally, and for some reason, a little more in the second half, but overall, I quite enjoyed it. Because it was the audio, though, it was tricky sometimes to figure out which year's excursion I was listening to if I missed it! Some of the history was interesting, as well, as you get to hear about how some of the gear has changed over time.

If you are Ed Viesturs's mom, look away now. You may not want to read this...

I love reading travel and adventure memoirs. Reading about places that I may never get to visit, dangers I may never get to experience, and people I may never get to meet makes me feel a little more well-rounded. I have armchair traveled to Everest several times and thought I would enjoy this book, so I bought it without reading anything about it.

Ed Viesturs comes across as strangely unlikeable and a bit of an ass. He was featured in the Everest IMAX documentary and he didn't seem that way in the movie, so I have to attribute it to the weird combination of using a co-writer whose voice differed so greatly from the voice in Viestur's climbing diaries. The entire book reads as one huge humblebrag. He sprinkles stories of climbing history, his attempts on Everest and other 8000s, and adventures of other climbers he has known and worked with throughout the book. His diary entries made me think, "I'll bet this guy is insufferable at parties. He thinks he's amazing." I get it; you are brave and have successfully reached the summit several times--no small feat. I would never, ever attempt such insanity, as I hate to be cold and am a bit afraid of heights. He seemed critical of some of his peers and a bit smug about the decisions he would have made in those situations, as if his superior judgment is why he is alive today while so many others have perished. But Ed, mountain climbing is an inherently dangerous sport. If you have not had an unfortunate accident, I believe it is as much a matter of luck, not skill. Mother Nature can and will take you out at anytime, so count your blessings.

I did enjoy all of the stories about various summit attempts on Everest, and would still recommend to people who love adventure and climbing. But Viesturs's writing definitely annoyed me. I have a copy of another one of his books, "No Shortcuts to the Top," and I will give it a try. Hopefully it is less of a humblebrag and more of a collection of entertaining climbing vignettes. One more chance, Ed, one more chance. Don't let me down!

Ed Viesturs was the twelfth person to summit all 14 of the world's tallest mountains, the first American to do so, and the sixth to summit all 14 without supplemental oxygen. This is his autobiography, with a particular focus on his climbing.

As with most (all?) of the mountaineering books I've read, this one is very exciting at times. It kept me wanting to read. Ed was climbing with Scott Fisher on K2 when they not only summitted (against Ed's better judgement), but they saved the lives of two other climbers. Ed was part of David Breashears IMAX crew when disaster hit Everest in 1996. Plus there are many other climbs that he was involved in to make it to the summit of all 14; of course, he didn't make them all on his first tries, either. I was quite interested to learn that before the mountaineering took over, Ed had originally become a veterinarian.

I loved Ed's tenacity and patience in his climbs. This is something which is slowly ebbing in the mad rush for instant gratification.
Also loved the details in the 1986 incident. Good book overall.

On mountain kick after reading survival book and then rereading into thin air and Roger dreams; liked this book because of his commitment to long term goal and detailed prep and work ethic

No where is mountaineering more dangerous than K2, where for every four climbers that have reached the summit, a person has died. Ed Viesturs' "K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain" details six of K2 expeditions-- with plenty of details about the highs and lows of each one. I'm fairly familiar with most of the stories he tells (having read books about three of the six expeditions he covers) but knowing the stories didn't really matter -- he has a great ability to tell stories, with enough to detail to make it interesting but not so much that it all bogs down. Very enjoyable and quick read for me.

I love reading accounts of people accomplishing amazing things. Ed Viesturs is was the 6th person in the world to climb all fourteen 8,000 meter peaks...and he did it all without the use of bottled oxygen. I agree with others that his writing is not nearly as good as Jon Krakauer, but his accomplishments, and the struggle to achieve them, more than made up for it. My favorite part was the account of his early days in Seattle/on Mt. Rainier. I'll never go anywhere near an 8,000 meter peak, but his descriptions of Mt. Rainier have cemented my desire to stand on top of it someday.

It is a good book but it jumps all over the place and is a bit hard to follow.

Ed Viesturs is one of the 18 people ever (and the only American) to have climbed all fourteen eight thousanders. It's a very rare feat- no woman has achieved it as yet. Yet, he is surprisingly level headed and devoid of ego. He ascribes his success to hard work, common sense and lack of bravura. He doesn't put it that way and it's not that blunt but this is what can be read between the lines. This cannot be said about all climbers though, and it's is especially visible when climbing the world's most treacherous mountain- K2. Many lose their lives in 'getting to the top fever', by being ill prepared, overconfident or blindly ambitious.
K2 is the world's second tallest mountain and four times as deadly as Everest. One in four climbers dies there. Viesturs almost lost his life there in 1992 when he and his partner Scott Fisher (he later lost his life on the infamous Everest climb described by Krakauer in Into Thin Air) were swept away by an avalanche, and it was Viesturs who managed to save them both. Viesturs explores the remarkable history of the mountain by examining eight different expeditions to the top, and of those who wanted to conquer it.
Viesturs has a remarkably high opinion of Polish climbers, which I, being Polish, duly note.

I really enjoyed the breadth of different stories that were included in this collection. It includes detailed accounts of expeditions across an entire century. It seems as though it is mostly about the defeats, but there are certainly plenty of people that make it to the summit in each of the tellings. More interesting in a way is the insight into Ed Viesturs' career and his climbing philosophy. He critiques each of the expeditions and supplies his own ideas about why each ended as it did. He tries to stay above gossip and bickering, while repeatedly saying that he thinks it is a bad thing to air the dirty laundry of an expedition in a book, but he seems to do just that. I think I'd like him, and I personally agree with his philosophy that getting to the top is no good if you don't get down.. safely. Plenty of adventure and a well told set of stories.

Ed Viesturs is an amazing mountaineer. Unfortunately, he's not a very good writer. His account of his attempt and eventual success in climbing the world's 14 highest peaks reads a lot like a very, very long resume.

In K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain, Ed Viestures tells the stories of six different summit attempts on the world's second tallest mountain. The material is probably nothing new for those who have read a lot about mountaineering and K2, but everything was new to me! It was helpful to have Viestures explain what happened through his own opinions and through the words of the cimbers themselves (summarizing events from previously published books, quotations, diaries, etc). Viestures also adds any updated information learned about these expeditions in the years since other books were published. Overall, I enjoyed the stories and reading the history of this dangerous mountain.

What was difficult about this book, though, was the narration. I felt like Viestures jumped all over the place. He'd be writing about an expedition and there would be references back to climbs he had made, climbs he hadn't yet written about in the book, and climbs previously mentioned. The book needed some editing to make the story more clear. I found myself confused and (sometimes) bored with some of the passages because of all the sidetracking in the writing. Overall, though, Viestures is an impressive man (a climber first, not a writer!) and I enjoyed reading this book.

In this book, Viesturs chronicles the different expeditions that have attempted the summit of K2. This mountain, the second highest, is infamous as one of the more difficult to climb. For example, in 2008 290 people reached the summit of Everest with one death. On K2 the same year, 18 people reached the summit and 11 people died. The moniker most attached to this peak is "savage". Viesturs is a local climber and has been interviewed frequently on the local NPR station. He is a great motivational speaker. This book, however, fell somewhat flat for me as it was more of storytelling and did not have an edge that made me want to keep turning the pages.½

Viesteurs reviews six different climbs or attempts on K2. Having already read most of his source material I still enjoyed this book as he colours events with his own experiences and provides some new and different insights.