The National Geographic Adventure blog has posted an excellent interview with Ed Viesturs, who recently announced his return to Everest, officially coming out of his retirement from climbing 8000m peaks.
Ed was lured out of retirement by Eddie Bauer, who is launching a new line of outdoor gear called First Ascent, a move back to the company's roots, which were once entrenched in outdoor adventures.
In the interview, Viesturs talks about emphasizing teamwork in mountaineering, and beyond, his thoughts on the current economic recession, and assessing risk, both on the mountain and in business. He doesn't talk much about the specifics of his expedition to Everest, which will mark his 11th time on the mountain, where he'll be going for his 7th summit.
Ed will be climbing with an exceptional team this time around. He'll be joined by Dave Hahn, who has ten successful trips up the Big Hill, giving him the most summits of any non-Sherpa mountaineer. Peter Whittaker, the son of the famous climber Lou Whittaker, and owner of Rainier Mountain Guide, will also be on the expedition, along with Melissa Arnot, Seth Waterfall, and Chad Peele, making this an all-star affair.
Obviously this expedition is going to get a lot of media attention. Afterall, Viesturs is probably the highest profile American mountaineer. He's the only American to top out on all 14 of the 8000m peaks, and he's done so without oxygen. I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more about this one in the press, and from Eddie Bauer in the weeks ahead. Ed and the team will head to Kathmandu on March 25th.
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