Listen to the mountain | Ed Viesturs | TEDxRainier

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. World class climber Ed Viesturs shares his extraordinary stories of climbing the tallest mountains without supplementary oxygen. Ed Viesturs is a professional mountaineer who successfully reached the summits of all of the world’s fourteen 8000-meter peaks without supplemental oxygen, an 18-year project he christened Endeavor 8000. His goal was completed with his ascent of Annapurna, one of the world’s most treacherous peaks. He is one of only a handful of climbers in history (and the only American) to accomplish this. He has also made seven successful ascents of Mt. Everest and more than two hundred ascents of Mount Rainier. He also works as a design consultant and serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Big City Mountaineers (BCM), an organization that instills critical life skills in under-resourced youth through wilderness mentoring experiences. About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)