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Viesturs One Peak Away
Successful summit bid of Nanga Parbat, Annapurna next
July 8, 2003
[Ed Viesturs' Endeavor 8000]
Next: Annapurna
Photo: Eric Simonson

Ed Viesturs is very close. So close. Last Monday, he came within one summit from becoming the first American to climb all fourteen 8,000 meter peaks on earth when he topped 26,658 foot Nanga Parbat. Only Annapurna now stands in his way of completing his Endeavor 8,000 quest.

His successful bid with French climbing partner Jean Christophe LaFaille on the world's ninth highest mountain makes him the first American to set foot on the elusive peak. And they did so without the use of supplemental oxygen.

Viesturs, reputed as one of the world's strongest climbers, reported the climb as the most difficult and challenging of his career. He said to his agent, Warren Wyatt, "Climbing from camp 4 to the summit was like climbing a sand dune with loose, granular snow. For every two steps up we took, we slid back one step."

Foul weather at the start of the climb made the already notoriously difficult peak even more challenging. But, Viesturs was determined not to repeat the failure of his 2001 attempt on Nanga Parbat. Eventually, the weather cleared enough for the pair to complete their climb along the traditional Kinshofer route.

Leading up to the final assault, Viesturs and his team spent a month in Pakistan, setting up high camps at 15,800, 19,600, and 22,350 feet as well as a final summit camp at around 24,000 feet. Details of their expedition were kept quite from the media because of security concerns in the areas of Pakistan around Nanga Parbat.

After returning from Pakistan, Viesturs, a Seattle-area resident, plans to stay shape by tackling a mid-August climb of Mount Rainier.

Tentative plans have already been made for an assault on Annapurna next spring with longtime climbing partner Veikka Gustafsson of Finland. The pair will first climb neighboring Cho Oyo to acclimize, and then pursue peak #14 in an alpine-style attempt. Viesturs attempted Annapurna twice before (2000 and 2002), but bad conditions both times forced him to abandon the climb.

Asked how he felt about finally breaking the "unlucky 13th peak" barrier, Viesturs remarked by satellite phone to Wyatt that he was extremely pleased and happy at having made the summit.

Viestur's Road to fourteen 8,000 meter peaks:

  1. Kanchenjunga (28,169): 1989
  2. Everest (29,035): 1990
  3. K2 (28,250): 1992
  4. Lhotse (27,939): 1994
  5. Cho Oyo (26,750): 1994
  6. Makalu (27765): 1995
  7. Gasherbrum II (26,360): 1995
  8. Gasherbrum I (26,470): 1995
  9. Broad Peak (26,400): 1997
  10. Manaslu (26,758): 1999
  11. Dhualagiri (26,794): 1999
  12. Shishapangma (26,300): 2001
  13. Nanga Parbat (26,658): 2003
  14. Annapurna (25,545): ?

MountainZone Staff