David Breashears

David Breashears (born December 20, 1955) is an American mountaineer and filmmaker. In 1985, he became the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest twice. He is perhaps most famous for guiding Richard Bass to the summit of Everest, thus completing Bass's ascent of the Seven Summits.

He has worked on feature films including Seven Years in Tibet and Cliffhanger, as well as on the award-winning documentary Red Flag over Tibet. In 1983 he transmitted the first live pictures from the summit of Mount Everest and in 1985 became the first American to twice reach its summit. He is the recipient of four Emmy awards for achievement in cinematography.

Breashears has made eight expeditions to Everest, five successful. He has climbed to the summit of 24,494' Ama Dablam in the Himalayas, and is known in climbing circles for free climbing some of the most technically challenging rock walls in Colorado as a young man.

In 1996 he co-directed, photographed, and co-produced the acclaimed IMAX film Everest and contributed still photos to the best selling book Everest: Mountain Without Mercy. In 1998 he was a director and producer for a Nova television program, Everest: The Death Zone, in which he and fellow mountaineer Ed Viesturs climbed Everest while undergoing physical and mental tests to record the effects of altitude on humans.

He is the author of several books, including an autobiography, High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places.

Breashears's 2008...
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