Ed Viesturs, the first American mountaineer to reach the summits of the 14 highest peaks in the world, and to do so without using supplemental oxygen, will present the keynote address at Work Truck Week 2027.
Against a backdrop of striking expedition photography, Viesturs will share hard-earned insights on teamwork, leadership, risk management and overcoming obstacles drawn from more than 30 years as a professional climber. He will take the stage at NTEA Annual Meeting on March 11, 2027.
Work Truck Week, North America’s largest work truck event, runs March 9–12, 2027, at Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. The event includes NTEA Annual Meeting, The Work Truck Show (March 10–12), Future Truck Summit (March 9), Work Truck Week Ride & Drive (March 10–11), and an extensive educational program (March 9–11).
Viesturs dedicated 18 years to his goal to stand atop the “eight-thousanders,” the 14 highest mountains in the world, with summits that exceed 8,000 meters (26,247 ft.) above sea level. These summits lie in the “Death Zone,” where the atmospheric pressure is so low that the body receives one-third of the oxygen per breath as it does at sea level. Only extremely conditioned athletes can scale these heights without supplemental oxygen.
“Fewer than 100 people in recorded history have summited all 14 of the eight-thousanders, and just a handful have done so without bottled oxygen,” says TJ Blandford, 2027 NTEA Convention chairman, and executive chairman of Woodbine Manufacturing Co. (Woodbine, Iowa). “Successfully reaching these peaks demands meticulous planning, clearsighted decision-making and unwavering discipline. Ed Viesturs will inspire Work Truck Week attendees with his stories of preparation and perseverance to achieve his goals, not just to climb the mountains, but to safely get back down.”
In May 2005, Viesturs completed his quest, dubbed Endeavor 8000, by successfully ascending Annapurna, the deadliest of the 14 peaks, on his third attempt. He chronicled his 18-year odyssey in the bestselling memoir “No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World’s 14 Highest Peaks.” He has also co-authored several other books on mountaineering, such as “The Will to Climb” and national bestseller “The Mountain: My Time on Everest.”
As the highest point on Earth, Mt. Everest is widely regarded as the pinnacle of human endurance. Viesturs has summitted it seven times, including when he served as climbing team leader for the expedition chronicled in the blockbuster 1998 IMAX documentary Everest and highlighted in Jon Krakauer’s best-selling book Into Thin Air.
Recognized as America’s preeminent high-altitude mountaineer, Viesturs was named National Geographic’s inaugural Adventurer of the Year in 2005. In 2001, he received the historic Lowell Thomas Award from the Explorers Club for outstanding achievement in the field of mountaineering, placing him among the ranks of elite climbers like Sir Edmund Hillary. His unselfish commitment to safety was recognized by the American Alpine Club, which presented him with the David A. Sowles Memorial Award for his participation in two 1992 rescues on K2, the world’s second-highest peak.
