Accomplishments
Viesturs is a recipient of the David A. Sowles Memorial Award from the American Alpine Club.
He is the first American, and 12th person overall, to summit all fourteen mountains over 8000 meters (collectively known as the eight-thousanders). He's the fifth climber to do it without bottled oxygen.
Viesturs also has summitted Mount Everest seven times, a feat that has been surpassed by a number of Sherpas (Apa Sherpa in the lead with 21 summits), and two western climbers: Gheorghe Dijmarescu (9), and Dave Hahn (13). and Kenton Cool (10)
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