Vern Tejas is a mountaineer. He is the first person to climb the Seven Summits ten times. He is the first to climb Denali in the winter. He has the record speed ascents for Denali, Elbrus, Aconcagua, Vinson and Kilimanjaro. He has summited Denali fifty-five times, Aconcagua twenty-five times, and Kilimanjaro fifteen times.
He has received awards from the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame and the American Alpine Club. He has been named Alaskan of the Year.
Vern has been my guide on climbs to Mt. Elbrus and Mera Peak, and he is guiding me to the summit of Aconcagua in February, 2018. Vern was born to be a mountaineer and, in his presence, you feel a perfect alignment between what he does and who he is.
Vern Tejas has just published a book called Seventy Summits: A Life in the Mountains. It is a book of stories, of adventures, of suffering, of defeat and of victory. It is a book about a rare human being of great accomplishment.
Mountain climbing is hard physical work. There is depravation, cold, darkness and bad weather. Fear, sickness and fatigue are constant. After each summit comes the inevitable question: what next? Do we set our sights on a higher summit, a more difficult route and more risk? Must we live at the very edge of what is possible for us? These are the questions that Seventy Summits explores.
Seventy Summits is a book of adventure stories. Vern takes us on a journey to the top of the Seven Summits and to the North and South Poles. He takes us to places that few of us experience. We meet many interesting characters, hear great stories and receive lessons on climbing and life along the way.
Seventy Summits is an inspirational book about mountains, climbing and adventure. I recommend it highly. If you are interested in purchasing a copy, here is the link to Amazon: