KATMANDU, Nepal -- Climber Ed Viesturs reached the summit of Nepal's towering Mount Annapurna on Thursday, becoming the first American to scale all the world's tallest peaks, reports from the mountain said. Viesturs, 44, of Bainbridge Island, Wash., reached the 26,540-foot summit in the afternoon, which was the last of the world's 14 peaks that are higher than 26,240 feet in height. He has become the 12th mountaineer to achieve the feat. The first was Italian Reinhold Messner. According to the Web site www.firstandbest.msn.com, which sponsored and followed his trip, Viesturs reached the summit with Finnish climber Veikka Gustafsson. The...
