No Shortcuts to the Top cover art

No Shortcuts to the Top

Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks

 Preview
Free with 30-day trial
Prime logo New to Audible Prime Member exclusive:
2 credits with free trial
1 credit a month to use on any title to download and keep
Listen to anything from the Plus Catalogue—thousands of Audible Originals, podcasts and audiobooks
Download titles to your library and listen offline
₹199 per month after 30-day trial. Cancel anytime.

No Shortcuts to the Top

Written by: Ed Viesturs, David Roberts
Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
Free with 30-day trial

₹199 per month after 30-day trial. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for ₹1,005.00

Buy Now for ₹1,005.00

About this listen

 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 eighteen years Ed Viesturs pursued climbing’s holy grail: to stand atop the world’s fourteen 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.

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 his beliefs that shaped this most perilous and magnificent pursuit.©2006 Ed Viesturs and David Roberts; (P)2006 Books on Tape Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Climbing & Mountaineering Outdoors & Nature Sports Travel Writing & Commentary

Critic Reviews

"Ed Viesturs is not merely one of our strongest mountaineers; he’s also one of the most remarkable. He’s demonstrated that it’s possible to climb the world’s highest peaks without taking reckless chances, and without sacrificing one’s honor or integrity. He has never hesitated to help other climbers in need, even when it meant putting himself in danger or sacrificing his own opportunity to achieve a summit. Ed, simply put, is a genuine American hero.” —Jon Krakauer

"From the drama of the peaks, to the struggle of making a living as a professional climber, to the basic how-tos of life at 26,000 feet, No Shortcuts to the Top is fascinating reading."
—Aron Ralston, author of Between a Rock and a Hard Place

"Ed Viesturs—the first American to climb all fourteen 8,000 meter peaks without bottled oxygen—is an animal. A human animal blessed with enormous strength balanced by intelligence, honesty, and a heart of gold. And besides, HE IS A NICE GUY.
This is a great read for those of us who climb, those who want to learn to climb and live to tell about it, and those who like great adventures." —Jim Whittaker, first American to climb Mount Everest

“Ed Viesturs was an inspiration to me personally and to the Seahawks team in 2005. I highly recommend reading this account of one of America’s heroes.” —Mike Holmgren, coach of the Seattle Seahawks
All stars
Most relevant
What a Fantastic book and life experience shared by ed viesturs👍. He is not only a great climber but an also humble human being.

Do believe in dreams!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A read to relish in the glory of living the dream. Very few ever could!

Getting down is mandatory!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This was my first time of an audio book. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to the narrative. Felt like listening to the author himself. What a great story of conquest of 14 8 thousanders..

Live listening to the great ascents

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Ed Viesturs according to me is the greatest ever climber. To have done all 14 eight thousand meters peaks without supplemental oxygen may not have been pioneering as the maestro and messiah of mountaineering Reinhold Messner but to have climbed them 30 times overall is probably something no body has ever achieved. Listening his adventures through this audible version was like taking you through all those journeys

The Ultimate climbing adventure

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.