UPDATE: Viesturs has summited Annapurna and has become first American to climb all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks.
Ed Viesturs is on hold at 23,000 feet in the Himalayas on his current attempt at Annapurna. The worldâ??s 10th-highest peak is the last on the list for Viesturs’ attempt to become the first American to climb all 14 of the worldâ??s 8,000-meter peaks.
Viesturs, climbing with photographer Jimmy Chin, reached high camp Monday and had hoped to summit Tuesday.
They awoke at 1:30 a.m. Nepal time and, after conferring with a group of Italians they climbed with Monday, decided conditions were not safe for a summit attempt. In a posting on the Web site documenting the record attempt, firstandbest.msn.com, Viesturs said he hopes to get a shot at the summit today.
â??Weâ??ll stay here for a few days if we need to,â? he said. â??Itâ??s not easy hanging out here in these tiny little accommodations with ice covering everything, but weâ??ll stick it out if we need to.â?