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No Shortcuts to the Top
- Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Categories: Sports & Outdoors, Outdoors & Nature
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Publisher's Summary
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.
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What listeners say about No Shortcuts to the Top
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- AJOY KUMAR BEHERA
- 26-01-21
The Ultimate climbing adventure
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
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- Vishi Bansal
- 28-06-19
Live listening to the great ascents
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..
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- Anatoliy
- 05-04-10
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.
15 people found this helpful
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- Greg
- 18-06-14
Vicarious Immersion into this Rare World!
Any additional comments?
This book, unabridged, is the primer and introduction for one who might want to lose oneself in this genre of books. High altitude mountaineering is grand drama, with killing cold, and with oxygen starvation that hobbles the brain and causes the body to consume itself. This is where storms appear out of nowhere, and simple injuries can become a death sentence, because help often is unavailable. Fiction is unnecessary because up here the true stories are incredible.
Yes, Dr. Viesturs’ book uses the word “I” a lot: It’s an autobiography as well as an overview. Arguably the world’s best, the guy practices great safety discipline, and deals in facts. He also is a superb historian of the mountaineering culture, and he describes that community in a way that lets you decide whether or not to immerse further. I went for it. I listened to ALL the Viesturs books, plus several others. Exception: The superb *Himalyan Quest* book of full-page photographs. It puts things into perspective, and must be enjoyed in paper form.
Look, we can’t all climb these mountains, but we can read, and watch movies and videos. This book is the primer. It fascinates while it gives you a taste. Then, if you choose to immerse as I did, you can enjoy scores of hours of wonderful entertainment, as you climb the world’s highest mountains in your armchair.
11 people found this helpful
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- Cassi
- 25-07-09
Big Ego conquers Big Mountains
I have read many climbing books, including nearly everything in print written about Everest '96. Although the tragic Everest season of '96 is just a portion of this book about Viesturs' 'Endeavor 8000' (or whatever goofy name he gave it), the book seems to be less a narrative of the climbs and more of self-praise book about the man.
I found it especially odd how Viesturs continually inserts direct quotes and snippets from other climbers that gush praise over his climbing prowess. A lot of "Here's what so-and-so had to say about my superior guiding skills and incredible preparation... yadda, yadda". I especially had to laugh when Viesturs comments about leaving his pregnant wife for one of his Himalayan adventures, promising to check on her frequently by sat-phone. As his focus shifts to climbing, and he indicates his wife's displeasure over lack of communication via sat-phone, he writes it off saying, "Some people might have found (her) to be unreasonable, but I knew I had to focus on the mountain...".
He's generous in offering critique and criticism of others - from climbers to sponsors to family & friends, to the point of being obnoxious. Anyone who dares to question his decision-making or his tactics, he immediately trashes. I found it very hard to listen to at points.
I also found the narration to add to the tone of condescension - I don't think Stephen Hoye was the best choice for this one, as he seemed to add a note of whine to mix.
Bottom line: other climbing authors - from Krakauer to Boukreev, to virtually anybody else, frankly - offer better and more humble and respectful accounts of man vs. mountain. This was a turn-off. Even though I once was a Viesturs admirer,
I am no longer.
22 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 31-07-12
Some good, some bad
Now, Ed has an amazing physical condition along with unique genes that allows him to climb without bottle oxygen. At the same time, he makes a series of good decisions that curtail several climbs when it didn't seem right. He lived to tell the tale and climb again next season. So why didn't I like the book?
Ed tells his story in which he is the only person that can sense good climbing conditions when all around him, make bad decisions in continuing to climb. He talks about his instincts, a lot. Perhaps it was the manner in which it was written that makes Ed look like he has a big ego. Perhaps better editing would have have softened some of these disagreeable moments. I would like to think that Ed is more humble in person then this books suggest. I would just liked something more definitive then instincts as a reason to perform an action. In the end, better editing would have forced him to be more precise as to his motives and reasons to act as he did on the mountains. Still, Ed is around to write his story when so many died along the way.
7 people found this helpful
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- Ziggy Books
- 23-08-19
Extraordinary lessons for life!
Loved every word of it. Great lessons for lige through a theme close to me. Narration extremely good as well.
2 people found this helpful
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- Scott
- 24-09-15
Great story.. Narrated by the most boring person
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
Story is great sadly the narrator kills it for me
How did the narrator detract from the book?
SOOO boring, emphasis on things was strange. odd inflections.. something just bugged me about the way he read it.
2 people found this helpful
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- John
- 24-06-07
Self-serving
My wife listened to this book with me for a while, but said she had to stop listening because she was bored with the author droning on about how great he is. I humored her and listened to the rest of it on my own. I have to admit that she's right. Mr. Visteurs does think more highly of himself than the average person and I too became disenchanted when he cites passage after passage of all the great things that other people wrote about him. I did enjoy the climbing stories, however, and he did accomplish something I would only dream of, so I guess he's entitled to a certain amount of self-congratulations. Overall, there are better mountain-climbing books out there and I would recommend skipping this one.
13 people found this helpful
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- Susan
- 01-05-08
A Slice of Humble Pie
Only 5 minutes into this book I was convinced that Ed. V is the most arrogant author I've ever encountered. I continued with this book only because I was curious whether his comments could get any worse. The good news is they do not. The bad news is they also don't get any better, or more humble.
Frankly, I'm surprised this man has summitted anything - his ego is so big it must be difficult to drag along.
10 people found this helpful
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- Sally Thompson
- 26-09-19
inspiring
I finished listening to this book in 2 days. The story is amazing. The narrator is engaging. You do not need to know anything about mountain climbing, or even be interested in it to enjoy this book. Absolutely awe inspiring.
1 person found this helpful
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- man9
- 08-09-19
Excellent Bio about Ed’s endeavor of the 8000ers
Everything is great about this book, starting from the stories, clear content and outstanding narrative
1 person found this helpful
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- Emma
- 04-02-07
Are you an 8000 m mountain nerd?
Breathtaking achievement. If like me you are obsessed about anything to do with mountain climbing you will love this. If you're not a 'mountain nerd' you will probably find this too long and too dry. Alot about this book is repetative, after all its a collection of stories about climbing 8000 m climbs, in essence its the same story over and over. Not for everyone but i loved it.
8 people found this helpful
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- Haydn
- 11-09-12
Insight into an elite world
This book lets you see into the elite world of extreme mountaineering and the challenges faced by its top people. Not just the challenges of reaching the peaks time after time but seeing and hearing their loved friends chewed up or killed, as well as considering their spouses and children. There is a new perspective on the Everest disaster which is worth hearing if you have read books about it. The only negative
was that the narrators tone and phrasing took a little while to get used to but stick with it as you adjust after the first chapters.
1 person found this helpful
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- S. Oliver
- 07-12-09
Inspiring book
Great book, especially for a keen climber that want to do more mountain climbing.
1 person found this helpful
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- TheMayQueen
- 10-04-21
Can recommend!
I love this book. I've listened to it several times now and it just takes me right to the mountain. Ed comes across as a little self-indulgent at times (it really doesn't distract from the narrative at all), but there is no doubt that he's one of the most experienced, responsible, and knowledgeable mountaineers out there today. It's a massively engaging listen/read.
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- George Walker
- 21-03-21
Excellent and inspiring.
Probably the best mountain audio book I've listened to. Very compelling listening. Narration was exceptional as well!
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- Simon Alexander
- 01-03-21
Brutal and honest
So inspiring and honest about some of the incredibly dark events up high. Loved it.
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- Anonymous User
- 15-02-21
Awesome!!
I wouldn’t usually review an audiobook, but this story of an absolute legend is incredible!
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- Chris Jowett
- 30-04-20
Awe inspiring
A truly inspiring recollection of a life’s dream lived out. It leaves me wanting to be in the Himalaya
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- Sarah Moorby
- 01-07-19
a bit dull in places
it was a little dull in places and the timeline jumped all over the place. however ed is a phenomenal mountaineer and the story kept my interested but I wasn't riveted.
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- Anonymous User
- 29-06-19
Inspirational and humbling
Really loved this book. It was both exciting to follow events of different climbs (including 1996 events on Everest) and to learn from psychological knowledge Ed Viesturs gained in mountains. Truly inspirational because of his humbling attitude towards mountains and life in general.
Made me more proud to be Latvian (his father comes from Latvia)
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- Peter Bondy
- 11-04-16
Disappointing
Unfortunately this book does not live up to its potential. Some heavy editing and rewriting was required before publication.
Far too much time is spent discussing sponsorship, love life, and generally fluffing around between climbs with virtually no climbing descriptions and anecdotes except pretty much in passing. Just when you think you are in for some climbing stories he moves on to post climb waffle.
I have no interest in him buying a house, getting more sponsors or hooking up with some looker. It seems to me he doesn't even enjoy climbing. There is no reason to suspect he does other than that he keeps doing it.
I suppose if you enjoy learning what a climbers general life is like you will enjoy the book. If you are interested in sharing in the thrill that climbing must be, you will be disappointed I suggest.
The readers performance is adequate though uninspired. I can't blame him given the material he had to read.
1 person found this helpful
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- DavidE
- 04-10-20
Viesturs v. Krakauer
Viesturs is no Krakauer unfortunately. He seems to enjoy talking about himself rather than mountaineering. Try Eiger Dreams by Krakauer. Enough said.
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- Anonymous User
- 10-09-20
His greatest love is himself.
Given his experiences, this should have been a wonderful read. However Viesturs’ interest in promoting his omniscience and perfection is grating. According to him he sees every error before it happens. No one else is as wise as he. And as for his comments on the late Chantal Mauduit - she summits, but the focus is her ‘tits’ and him being the one she chose to sleep with - intimate information she may have wished to stay private.
Unfortunately the very ‘corny’ narration style does not help at all.
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- Anonymous User
- 07-12-18
Addictive!
The preview hooked me and the book didn't disappoint! Mountain adventure from start to finish. Well done Ed.
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- Anonymous User
- 23-10-18
Must Read (listen)
This book had me hooked from the first page! What a story and want an achievement.
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- Lloyd
- 24-04-18
Loved it
I've been reading mountaineering books for a couple years and this was right up there the best I've read. I love Eds point of view and insights into his own climbs and that of others and also loved that it wasn't just about one mountain but a variety of the 8000m peaks. Some good history on first ascents, etc as well. I spent a couple hours trying to find a book I wanted and am definitely glad I picked this one. I will definitely be reading/listening to some of his other books!
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- Paul
- 06-01-17
A great story
Would you consider the audio edition of No Shortcuts to the Top to be better than the print version?
Never read the printed version
Who was your favorite character and why?
Ed Viesturs is the hero , his triumph over all the adversities makes the book a great story about human endeavour
Which scene did you most enjoy?
Annapoura summit he finally get to the top YAYYY!
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I am training for Everest and go on very long walks so i completed the book it in 2 walks
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- warick
- 30-08-16
Entertaining, inspiring and a raw account of an amazing achievement.
Everyone should listen to this. Ed proves that you don't need to be reckless to be incredible.
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- Aaron
- 20-08-16
professional mountaineer. professional book
story of exceptional mountaineering. both on the mountains and big picture. quite polished writing however.
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- Graham
- 14-04-16
i really enjoyed it!
A great book for climbers or anyone wanting some inspiration. A great book about a really amazing sounding guy.