On The Mountain Life , Pete and Lynn welcome Vanessa O’Brien. O'Brien is the first American woman to summit K2 and the author of the new book, To the Greatest Heights: Facing Danger, Finding Humility, and Climbing a Mountain of Truth. Armed with a MBA and a wry sense of humor, O’Brien climbed the corporate ladder to great success, but after the 2009 economic meltdown, her career went into a tailspin. She searched for a new purpose and settled on an unlikely goal: climbing the tallest peaks in the world.