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  • 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
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (357 ratings)
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No Shortcuts to the Top cover art

No Shortcuts to the Top

By: Ed Viesturs, David Roberts
Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
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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

What listeners say about No Shortcuts to the Top

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

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.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

A good listen but a bit “me, me, me”

Having read & really enjoyed a number of books on mountaineering I found this to be an enjoyable & incite-full listen for the most part. My only dislike were what felt like “self ego inflating” pockets from the author (who has undoubtedly achieved what many could not) but perhaps this could be put down to the delivery of the reader rather than content? Despite this I found myself taken on a journey that I have huge amounts of respect for and would recommend it to anyone interested in climbing.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • JB
  • 13-01-17

Gripping

Knowing Viesturs by reputation led me to the book and it doesn't disappoint, truly fascinating and gripping...gives you a r

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it

I couldnt stop listening, what a great account of endurance, and wonderfully narrated. Absolutely fascinating, I was hooked!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Inspirational story from a great guy

This is a fantastic blend of detailed accounts of incredible expeditions in the high peaks, together with the back story to Ed Viesturs' upbringing and home life. One of the best climbing memoirs I have encountered.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent insight into the world of 8000ers

Fantastic look into the mentality of one of the most accomplished mountaineers of all time.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Listen

Really enjoyed this book. Certainly one you have to listen to if you are interested in the 1996 disaster on Everest. Not because it covers what happened in detail, but because it gives you an insight in to just how small and unique the high altitude climbing scene truly was back then.

This story will leave get you motivated.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An inspiration

After unknowingly passing Ed Viestures on Rainier as he was guiding a team up the mountain I decided to listen to his book.

He's a truly motivational character. A great book and a fascinating read (listen)!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Well worth a read!

Good read, well presented, interesting even if your not into climbing. I would highly recommend it!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A must buy!

What made the experience of listening to No Shortcuts to the Top the most enjoyable?

A relaxing but yet gripping story line.

What did you like best about this story?

Human endeavour, belief and the will to keep going at tough times

What does Stephen Hoye bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Stephen Hoye complimented the book with his excellent style of narrating the story.

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