Ed Viesturs is one of the world’s premier high-altitude mountaineers. He is the first American, and 12th person overall, to summit all fourteen mountains over 8000m (collectively known as the eight-thousanders), and the sixth climber to do it without bottled oxygen.
Born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, Viesturs moved to Seattle, Washington in 1977 to attend the University of Washington. It was here that he began his mountaineering career on the slopes of Mount Rainier. He eventually became a guide for Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. and later obtained a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Washington State University.
Viesturs was in the IMAX team during the 1996 Everest Disaster. Viesturs was the star of the Everest IMAX movie. Filming was delayed as the blizzard struck and the IMAX team postponed shooting to aid the stranded climbers; however, the IMAX team continued on, and they summited on May 23, 1996.
He continued climbing in the Himalaya, with his most recent climbs being Broad Peak and Nanga Parbat in 2003 and Mount Everest (sixth time) in 2004. He guides expeditions for New Zealand-based Adventure Consultants and currently resides in Bainbridge Island, Washington, just across Puget Sound from Seattle, Washington.
Source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Viesturs
