US EditionJim Whittaker, First American to Climb Everest, Dies at 97
His Everest ascent helped ignite U.S. interest in mountaineering and paved the way for a career leading REI and Rainier Mountaineering Inc.
- Mountaineer Jim Whittaker, the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest, died Tuesday at his home in Port Townsend, Washington, at age 97.
- On May 1, 1963, Whittaker and Sherpa Nawang Gombu became the first to reach the Everest summit, a historic climb that ignited widespread American interest in mountaineering.
- Beyond climbing, Whittaker served as the first full-time employee and later CEO of Recreational Equipment Inc. and co-founded Rainier Mountaineering Inc. with his twin, Lou Whittaker.
- Leading 10 handicapped climbers up 14,410-foot Mount Rainier in 1981, Whittaker demonstrated his commitment to mentorship alongside his close friendship with Senator Robert Kennedy, whom he climbed Mount Kennedy with.
- Leaving a legacy far beyond his record-breaking exploits, Whittaker once noted in 1987, 'The mountains are fair, but they really don't care,' reflecting on mountaineering's deeper meaning.
62 Articles
62 Articles
Jim Whittaker: The First American Conqueror of Everest Passes at 97
Jim Whittaker: The First American Conqueror of Everest Passes at 97 Jim Whittaker, the renowned American mountaineer and the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest, has died at the age of 97. A statement from his family confirmed he passed away peacefully at his Port Townsend, Washington, home.Whittaker's 1963 Everest ascent, alongside Nawang Gombu, catapulted him to instant fame. It ignited interest in mountaineering across the U.S…
Jim Whittaker, first American to reach summit of Mount Everest, dies at 97
James Warren Whittaker, the Seattle mountaineer who became the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest and later helped turn climbing into a bigger part of outdoor culture in the United States, has died at age 97. Whittaker died Tuesday at his home in Port Townsend, Washington, according to Cascadia Daily News in an obituary produced in collaboration with his family. His son Leif said Whittaker died in bed with a view of the Olympic …
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