BRUNSWICK

It’s been 30 years since Harpswell resident Ed Webster last stood above the clouds upon the Earth’s highest mountain.

In marking the anniversary, Webster is reflecting on one of the most unique climbs in Mount Everest’s storied history. His origins in rock climbing and mountaineering, however, could not have been more humble.

Born and raised in Lexington, Massachusetts, as a child Webster was known for climbing trees, not mountains.

“My mom noticed that I loved climbing trees, like way off the ground, when I was 11, and she went to our local library and she got me this Mount Everest book,” said Webster. “I think she had a feeling; maybe she was slightly clairvoyant.”

That book, “Everest Diary,” would “totally change my whole life,” he said. “It was sort of a fated moment.”

That book would inspire a lifelong dedication to rock climbing and eventually lead him on three separate expeditions to Mount Everest.

“My mother could certainly never have imagined that I would end up becoming friends with some of the climbers that were on (the expedition in the book),” said Webster. “And that I would end up going to Everest three times.”

At age 11, after reading the book, Webster began his rock climbing career. There was a 30-foot rock precipice near his house, and he quickly decided to conquer it. Gathering some books on rock climbing at the library, Webster wrangled his middle school friends into trying to climbing the precipice — which they did.

Those first forays into rock climbing were self taught and without any adult supervision, but that changed quickly as Webster looked to expand his skillset. He signed up for lessons with the Boston-based Appalachian Mountain Club at 13, and later in high school he joined the Explorer Scouts.

Webster’s rock climbing experience continued when he moved to Colorado to attend college, where he studied anthropology, with minors in geology and photography. Since his junior year in high school, Webster had combined his love for photography and rock climbing, even having some of his work published in a magazine.

It was ultimately that love of photography that would cost him eight fingertips on his last Everest ascent in 1988.

Webster had already tackled the legendary mountain twice in the prior three years, the first time at only 28 years old. But the third time was different. Young and with a feeling of invulnerability, Webster and three other American and British climbers decided that they were going to outdo their heroes and climb the mountain with “the best ethical style.”

While ethical style in rock climbing is a complex topic, what it meant for Webster and his partners is that they would be climbing the mountain without many of the tools most climbers take for granted. That means no oxygen bottles, no radios, and no local guides or carriers. It also meant going in a smaller group than typical for Mount Everest. With just four climbers, that expedition was one of the smallest parties to attempt climbing the mountain.

To put some of that in perspective, only seven expeditions have ever reached the top without any help from sherpas. Only about 10 people had climbed Mount Everest without oxygen before Webster’s expedition.

And on top of that, they were going to try a new route up the eastern Kangshung Face of the mountain.

“We wanted to climb Mount Everest in better style than even our heroes had,” said Webster.

Of course, not all of those decisions were based on style. Radios, explained Webster, were entirely useless on the far less traveled Kangshung Face. Even if by some miracle they were able to contact someone, help was too far away to do any good.

But despite the risks, blazing a new trail up the already deadly mountain was simply too tempting.

“The allure of doing a new ascent is simply going where nobody has ever been,” said Webster. “It’s amazing. It’s hard to describe.

“The feeling of touching a part of a mountain or a rock cliff that no human being has ever touched,” he added, “and then turning around and seeing a view of the Earth, of the landscape around you and the mountains, that no one has ever seen before, that’s an amazing feeling.”

Webster’s full account of the four-month expedition and the final harrowing ascent can be found in his book, “Snow in the Kingdom: My Storm Years on Everest.” The upshot is that the small team was able to complete the new route, though only one, Stephen Venables, was able to reach the summit.

For his part, Webster stopped just shy of the summit, succumbing to frostbite that would cost him eight fingertips and a couple toes — though not his life. He and the other climbers were able help each other back down the mountain.

Ultimately, it was his love of photography that cost him several extremities.

“I took my outer layer of gloves off for two minutes when it was 35 below, and I froze my fingertips,” said Webster. “I took eight pictures in two minutes … and the metal on the camera froze my fingertips through the liner gloves.

“It was like holding a piece of dry ice,” he added. “It was so brutally cold.”

To be fair, the photo he took is breathtaking.

“We all got injured. We nearly killed ourselves. But we sort of stuck to our principles and we climbed the mountain and my British partner reached the summit,” said Webster. “No one has climbed Everest in better style than we did in 30 years.”

Now, three decades later, the uniqueness of the climb has really come into focus, said Webster.

“In 200 years, people will look back at the history of Mount Everest and our climb will always stand out because we were such a small team and we climbed the mountain in the best possible style,” said Webster. “We really did something phenomenally unique.”

All four team members are still alive, said Webster, and still friends.

But from the simple days of climbing trees and reading about Everest expeditions in library books, Webster has reached the greatest heights — both literally and metaphorically. One of his favorite claims to fame is becoming an answer to a question on the popular game Trivial Pursuit.

But that level of notoriety, of being part of an expedition that scaled the world’s most famed mountain with “the best ethical style” and earning his place in Everest history would never have been possible without that library book at age 11.

“The idea that one book could change a whole life — it’s completely true,” said Webster. “I’m living proof of that.”

For his part, Webster has worked to share his knowledge and inspire the next generation of mountaineers.

He has written five books on the topic, ranging from a memoir of his final Everest expedition to a guide to rock climbing in the White Mountains. Knowing that folks climbing in the White Mountains have been using his knowledge and expertise for decades gives him great satisfaction.

“Literally three generations of New England climbers all grew up using my book,” said Webster.

He’s also taken his experience into the classroom, or rather, taken students out of the classroom to share his experience. Webster has worked with multiple classes at local schools over the years to recreate his Mount Everest base camp and teach students about rock climbing.

“I teach the fifth graders how to set up mountaineering tents, which are my surplus Mount Everest tents,” said Webster. “The first week of February, we go out in the soccer field — totally snowed in — and they’re all in their snowsuits … and we make a mock-Mount Everest Base Camp.”

While Webster maintains that the students are more excited by the hot chocolate and the Poptarts they make, the experience sticks with them for years. He says he’s still approached on the street by former students talking about how fun it was.

nstrout@timesrecord.com

Brunswick lectures

• TO MARK the 30th anniversary of his final expedition up Everest, Ed Webster will be giving two lectures this weekend at the Brunswick Hotel and Tavern where he’ll discuss the expedition at length. The two-night event will be Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door.

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