No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks Paperback – November 27, 2007

I just got done reading and looking at the marvelous pictures in Himalayan Quest with photographs by ED Viesturs also. 5 stars....see my review.No Shortcuts To The Top by Ed Viesturs with David Roberts is the perfect companion book. No Shortcut To The Top gives vivid descriptions of the attempts and successful summits by Ed Viesturs climbing the 14 8000M tallest mountain peaks in the world. Lots of action and adventure. Ed becomes only the sixth in the world and America's first climber to climb to the top of all 14 8000m peaks without supplemental oxygen. Ed tells of the tragic deaths on the 14 peaks and the successful climbs.The 358 page book read very well with no boring parts. I read the book in 2 days and did not want to put it down. There are some great B/W pics too. Lots of action and adventure as well as some sad parts where some of his best climbing friends die and Ed gets into trouble and almost dies on K2 and Annapurna.Ed explains reaching the top is optional but getting down is mandatory. We see many of the deaths occurred in the decent stage when the climbers were exhausted, sick with altitude sicknesses and making mistakes from being tired using up their strength on the accent.We see how much planning and physical training that goes into a 8000M climb. These top rated climbers beside having genetic great lung capacity and oxygen absorbing abilities are some of the most physical fit people in the world. We also see some clients and inexperienced climbers that were actual menaces and hazards to their expeditions.Sometimes Ed and top rated members in his climb tried twofers.... climbing two 8000M mountains back to back. We see his last number 14 8000M summit on Annapurna that was Ed's nemesis and almost cost him his life like on K2 the second highest mountain in the world. We see many of Ed's best climbing friends dieing also trying to climb the 14 8000m peaks.We see him passing his Vet doctors license and giving up being a Vet to climb. He also did some carpentry for money to climb. Also he gets married to wife Paula and they have 3 kids and he still climbs. He does support his family with money from sponsors, talks etc., but INMO a hazardous occupation to be in married and supporting 3 kids that depend on you.We learn his love of climbing and why he does it. Ed has an amazing wife Paula that supports his climbing.If you are interested in mountain climbing or just want to understand the love of that adventurous lifestyle buy both books as they complement each other very well. Himalayan Quest has great color pictures and good description while No Shortcuts to The Top has much deeper description of the 8000M expeditions. Both books rated 5 stars and proudly added to our family library.

Interesting and informative.Ed Viesturs is an adventurer - and with one heck of an accomplishment. He is one of the few human who have summited (and returned - an important part of his mantra) all 14 of the Earth's 8,000 meter peaks.This book is the Ed Story and weaves his life into the telling of his accomplishment. It is well written and easy to follow. The action - mountaineering's close calls, including Viesturs famous self-arrest on K-2, is gripping and presented tightly without over dramatizing the events. It does occasionally get repetitive - after all there are 14 mountains over about 20 attempts that make up the story. While mentioning all, Viesturs focuses on a few to highlight his career.Career is an accurate description. Viestures gave everything to climb, starting with subsistence employment and basement housing to be able to afford his dream. As his fame grew, and the real chance to summit all of the 8,000ers developed, the author was able to piece together corporate sponsorships and motivational speaking opportunities in order to sustain himself - at a quite comfortable level in the end one is left to believe.This isn't just a mountain tale book. The strength is Viesters describing his approach to risk and the often dangerous and fatal activity that has defined his life. His self-discipline and ability to make the right choices in trying situations is the real story here. Viesturs turned away several times just yards away from summits when the weather or terrain didn't feel right - a discipline too many of his colleagues ignore when "summit fever" overcomes many after weeks assaulting a mountain with the top in plain sight and a short (relative term to be sure) climb away. The author would have to go back, often multiple times and over a period of years, to tag those hold-out summits - a time consuming, costly, and frustrating endeavor but one borne of an approach that kept Ed Viesturs alive.Not only does this book give the armchair mountaineer good insight into what is involved in all facets of a climb, it is an excellent example of a disciplined and consistent approach to significant undertakings.

J'ai adoré ce livre. Comme dit l'auteur, chacun a son Annapurna et Ed Viesturs nous raconte une histoire palpitante de volonté, de dépassement de soi et d'humanité. Amateurs de montagne ou pas, c'est un très beau récit.

Many think climbing the highest mountains is lunacy. This book takes you on a journey that is spellbinding and yet most importantly answers why somebody would climb 29,000 feet and come back for more. The risks are huge but Ed manages to reduce them with a unique mindset and his approach. Possibly the world’s greatest climber. This is simply a spellbinding read.

Unlike most mountain books, this is more about Ed's hurdles getting on mountains and much of the physical and mental aspects. He tells his exploits, but I found it more motivational and transferable to any of life's obstacles. I've read many of the books that tell of the expedition in great detail and they're great stories. No Shortcuts go beyond that for me. It is a more personal account of the story behind the story, not just about climbing. As I say, I actually found it motivational and inspiring. I've giving climbing books to my partner and she has a tough time getting into them. This one she enjoyed more because it was about more then "the climb" per say. To date, its my favorite "mountaineering" book.

Written in a different tone than " All fourteen eight thousandeers" written by Reinhold Messner,started with an adrenaline rush and keeping the interest and adventure thrill intact throughout. Ed Viesturs humbly written his memoirs that could transmit his respect and spirit among the readers with ease.About the book, binding is sturdy, paper quality is good and color tone that was used in printing is excellent for reading.

This overlaps the time frame of some other topseller Everest books. But, it is from Ed's perspective. There are insights for those of us that are closet climbers. Good general presentation of friends and logistics that should appeal to most readers.