7/10/2012 By William Bowman
Written by By William Bowman
Ed Viesturs, the world’s premier high-altitude mountaineer, will give a presentation on February 13, at 7:00 p.m. in Foellinger Auditorium, as part of E-Week. Free of charge and open to the general public, this event is sponsored by Engineering Council and was organized by MechSE senior and EC vice president Anando Naqui.
“Along with the usual content of his speeches, Ed is going to talk about how engineering has impacted the sport of mountaineering,” Naqui said. “Many of the sport’s advances have been made by mechanical engineers.”
Viesturs is known for being the only American (and one of only five people ever) to have summited all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks without the use of supplemental oxygen, considered to be vital at such high altitudes. Viesturs’ speech will address teamwork, goal setting, perseverance, and risk management. His lectures are based on 27 years of climbing experience, and his presentation includes stunning images of some of the world’s most remote locations and the mountains in those areas.
“Ever since I was eight years old, and I dragged my parents to the Boston Science Museum to see the IMAX Everest movie, I've been fascinated with mountains and mountaineering,” Naqui said. “As I began to learn more about mountaineering, I realized that Ed Viesturs was one of the most respected mountaineers and is unique in his approach to mountaineering.”
An Illinois native, Viesturs’ interest in mountaineering was initially sparked by reading Annapurna by Maurice Herzog. He earned his college degrees in the state of Washington, where his love of mountaineering grew with increased exposure to the sport. After climbing Kanchenjunga (the world’s third-highest mountain) in 1989 and Mount Everest (the world’s highest mountain) in 1990, he became an international guide and was sponsored to climb full-time as well as lead clients up some of the world’s tallest mountains.
After being featured in the movie Everest, Viesturs climbed the rest of the 8,000-meter peaks, finishing with Annapurna in 2005. He has summited Mount Everest seven times and has climbed Mount Rainier an incredible 208 times to date. He also won the coveted American Alpine Club Sowles Award for his participation in two rescues on K-2. Viesturs has authored three books, including the national bestseller No Shortcuts to the Top.
“I e-mailed Ed over winter break, and honestly didn't expect a response from the world’s premier mountaineer,” Naqui said. “Within 12 hours, he responded, saying that he'd be more than happy to speak for E-Week.”
This E-Week event is co-sponsored by the College of Engineering and funded by SORF.