Some neat video from Mt Everest

Dozens and dozens of people have summited Mt. Everest in the last few days, including the First Ascent/Eddie Bauer team of professional climbers. Eddie Bauer is trying to regain their reputation for serious, technical outdoor clothing, so they underwrote an effort that included Peter Whittaker and Ed Viesturs.

Whittaker comes from a well-known mountain climbing family Everest, Return to Everest: Bio, Peter Whittaker — National Geographic and I wrote a couple of times about Ed Viesturs, the first American to climb all 14 8,000 meter mountains without the help of oxygen.

Here’s a review of Viesturs book Tom Faranda’s Folly: Latest Read: No Shortcuts to the Top

Anyway, they summited Everest together a couple of days ago and here are two short videos –

Whittaker from the summit

And Viesturs talking about his decision regarding using supplemental oxygen to reach the summit –

Viesturs does his best to climb safely; in his book he gives his motto as “Getting to the top is optional, getting back down is mandatory.”