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Ed Viesturs stands amongst mountaineering's elite as one of only a handful of climbers to summit all fourteen of the world's 8,000-metre peaks without supplemental oxygen. This is his remarkable account of those expeditions, spanning eighteen years of triumphs, setbacks, and life-or-death decisions in the planet's most unforgiving environments.
More than simply a chronicle of achievement, this is an honest exploration of what drives someone to repeatedly venture into the death zone. Viesturs shares hard-won wisdom about risk assessment, the importance of turning back when conditions dictate, and the fine line between ambition and recklessness that has claimed so many lives in high-altitude climbing.
Gripping, humble, and deeply reflective, this is essential reading for anyone fascinated by extreme mountaineering and the psychology of those who pursue it.
