No Shortcuts to the Top

Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks

By: Ed Viesturs, David Roberts

Narrated by: Stephen Hoye

Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

This gripping and triumphant memoir follows a living legend of extreme mountaineering as he makes his assault on history, one 8,000-meter summit at a time.

For 18 years, Ed Viesturs pursued climbing's holy grail: to stand atop the world's 14 8,000-meter peaks, without the aid of bottled oxygen. But No Shortcuts to the Top is as much about the man who would become the first American to achieve that goal as it is about his stunning quest. As Viesturs recounts the stories of his most harrowing climbs, he reveals a man torn between the flat, safe world he and his loved ones share and the majestic and deadly places where only he can go.

A preternaturally cautious climber who once turned back 300 feet from the top of Everest but who would not shrink from a peak (Annapurna) known to claim the life of one climber for every two who reached its summit, Viesturs lives by an unyielding motto: "Reaching the summit is optional. Getting down is mandatory." It is with this philosophy that he vividly describes fatal errors in judgment made by his fellow climbers, as well as a few of his own close calls and gallant rescues. And, for the first time, he details his own pivotal and heroic role in the 1996 Everest disaster made famous in Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air.

No Shortcuts to the Top is more than the first full account of one of the staggering accomplishments of our time; it is a portrait of a brave and devoted family man and the beliefs that shaped this most perilous and magnificent pursuit.

©2006 Ed Viesturs and David Roberts (P)2006 Books on Tape

NO SHORTCUTS

I read allot of mountaineering books. Ed Viesturs story is one of my favorites. Not only has time proved him to be one of the world’s premier mountaineers, but the narrative this book shows that it is not by luck that he lives to tell the tale. Viesturs is proven to be a man of resolve, character, and discernment. I was apprehensive of reading this book because of many reviews that told of a boastful man who is full of himself. Nobody wants to read a 350 page work of hubris and self adulation. As I read this book and gained respect for the man, I realized that some have mistaken his realistic evaluation of situations as self congratulation. This is an error. Viesturs is an extra-ordinary (not ordinary) man. So when he recalls things that are just recollections of his reality, some may interpret this as a huge ego. However, it is his ability to make clear and unemotional judgments about situations that has gotten him not only up, but down the mountains he has climbed. This is unlike the self flagellation of some who profess humility, while clearly seething with pride at their own meekness. Viesturs makes no such claims.
Buy this book, learn from Ed Viesturs, enjoy.

Fantastic ....

This book will appeal to a broad audience; the climber that's interested in FACTUAL material about their sport, the athlete that's looking for motivation, the historian that wants insight into the legacy of mountaineering in the high peaks of the world, and the "average Joe" that wonders why any individual would ever want to put themselves at risk for such a seemingly selfish undertaking.

Ed touches on these topics along with many others in the book. The individuals of the text are introduced with such detail that you will laugh (and sometimes cry) as their lives (and some deaths) are related. As I listened to the final chapter, I was truly sad the "ride" was over. Do note, however, that the book at times seems to turn and twist back on itself (chronologically). That said, the organization makes complete sense as the book closes ... you realize that the book was written exactly as it should have been.

An excellent talking book.

This book is excellent, both in terms of content and reading. The narrator is one of the better I have encounter, while the story its self is engrossing.

Ed Viesturs tells the story of his climbing of all 14 8000m peaks. In doing so, he displays a keen understanding of how to teach the elements of high altitude climbing, combined with a sense of humor and a knack for bring out the human element so often interwoven in his experiences. Hardly a "look at how great I am" sort of autobiography, Ed regularly discusses other great climbers, often with a sense of awe in finding himself in their company, or standing where they stood. In his discussions of his many high altitude expeditions, he bring a strongly human focus to bear, leaving readers not only with a sense of the beauty of climbing, but the painful realities as well.

Perhaps one criticism which could be leveled is one of organization. Because he regularly detours to tell the stories of others he knew and climbed with, there are points in the story where the time lines become slightly blurry. This is, of course, a danger with any book tracking a narrative from more than one character's perspective.

Excellent narrative, excellent narrator.

Amazing achievement

I really got addicted to this book. At the beginning I was afraid all the expeditions would become boring and sound redundant. However all the anecdotes kept me fascinated. This book is about the right balance between the will to climb and the acceptable risk you can take.

Amazing story

Captivated from the first chapter. Loved hearing all the details and thoughtful approach he used to climb the 8k's. These tips can be applied to many situations.

Narrator needs to learn proper pronunciation!!

If you could sum up No Shortcuts to the Top in three words, what would they be?

I am only part way into this book, and I do understand other reviewers comments about the ego-centered nature of it, however so far I am really enjoying the story. Nonetheless, I am completely shocked, appalled and distracted by the narrator's constant mispronunciation of the names of the peaks as well as the persons and basic mountaineering terminology …there is no excuse for this!!!! Please do your research Stephen Hoye!!! Is there no editorial quality control for this in audiobooks? Surprised I have not seen any comments about this, as surely there are many other listeners who must be shuddering whenever another word gets slaughtered…again...

A book everyone should take in!

As a young mountaineer myself I found that this book made a lot of sense to me. We are constantly trying to find what we want to do with our lives at such a young age while trying to still enjoy life. Ed helped give me a better idea of what it means to be a mountaineer. Getting home is the most important part.

Inspiration and awe

An incredible story. I’ve read and reread and read again. Took this book with me when I did my own climb in Nepal. It was amazing then and still amazing now that I’m home.

Good Story

I enjoyed the story and started watching a few Mt. Everest shows at the same time. The combination of the two went hand-in-hand and a good investment of my time. It was interesting to see some of Ed’s story from another perspective in the shows. I didn’t get the vibe that Ed was egotistical and his feats should be highlighted... who better to do that than himself?

Great Principles to Live By!

Nobody Does It Better than Ed Viesturs! His experiences and insights are amazing. It is great to have his adventurer and mountain climbing principles translate over so well into our own personal experiences in life, and in business. There is much to learn from him.