To the Greatest Peaks. How I Faced Danger on K2, Found Humility, and Ascended the Mountain of Truth

Long before Vanessa O'Brien became the first American woman to reach the summit of K2 and the first British woman to return from that summit alive, she—a headstrong teenager from the suburbs of Detroit—was forced to rebuild her life after a terrible loss that shattered her family. Paving her own way in this world, Vanessa sought to fulfill her lofty ambitions. Soon, armed with an MBA and an unconventional sense of humor, she climbed the corporate ladder and achieved significant success, but after the economic crisis of 2009, her career went off track. Vanessa began to think about what to do next and set herself an incredible goal: to climb Everest. When her first attempt ended in failure, she turned back, feeling humiliated but wiser. Two years later, Vanessa reached the top of the world. And moved on. Vanessa's adventures from the suburbs of Detroit to the Death Zone on Everest, to the summit of K2 and beyond, which she narrates truthfully and humorously, form a transformative story of resilience, commitment to a noble goal, and the willingness to bravely overcome any obstacle. Vanessa O'Brien is an American-British mountaineer, explorer, public speaker, and former businesswoman. In 2019, the Royal Geographical Society named Vanessa Explorer of the Year. She is one of only eight women to have won the prize in the Explorers Grand Slam competition, as she ascended to the highest peaks of all seven continents and skied to the North and South Poles within eleven months. Vanessa became the first woman to set a speed record for climbing the Seven Summits in 295 days, entering the Guinness Book of Records. Curiosity, determination, and a passion for excellence have helped her become the first American and the first British woman to successfully ascend to the summit of K2 in 2017. Vanessa is a member of the Royal Geographical Society and a member of the Research Society.