Given his accomplishments, I was expecting to meet a man with a hint of … well, arrogance maybe? But that could not have been farther from reality. Mr. Viesturs–humble, gracious and genuine–respects the mountains he climbs, and it’s evident when he speaks that he loves the pursuit as much as the success of reaching a summit. On his website he says, “When I first attempt a Himalayan peak … I climb without bottled oxygen, even if it keeps me from reaching the summit. My personal goal is to see how I can perform, to experience the mountain as it is without reducing it to my level. For me, how I reach the top is more important than whether I do.”

Anyhow, I’ll be seeing the Himalaya in person for the first time this coming May, when I go to Nepal for three months. I’ll definitely think of Ed when I look up at those peaks.