Legendary mountaineer Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Mount Everest, dies at 97

SEATTLE (AP) — The celebrated mountaineer Jim Whittaker, the archetypal American to acme Mount Everest, has died. He was 97.

Whittaker, who besides served arsenic the archetypal full-time worker of the outdoor retailer REI and aboriginal arsenic its president and CEO, died Tuesday astatine his location successful Port Townsend, Washington, according to a connection from his family.

“Whether astatine home, successful the mountains, oregon astatine sea, helium sought to stock adventure, joy, and optimism with those astir him,” said the statement, which was emailed by Leif Whittaker, 1 of his sons. “His warmth, humility, and content successful the powerfulness of quality to bring radical unneurotic near an enduring bequest of attraction for our satellite and for 1 another.”

Whittaker’s 1963 ascent of Everest alongside Nawang Gombu came 10 years aft the pioneering ascent of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. The feat helped spawn involvement — and an manufacture — successful mountaineering successful the U.S., and it made the once-shy, rangy climber an instant celebrity. He was featured connected mag covers and successful request for nationalist appearances.

Whittaker had been moving for REI since 1955, erstwhile helium was hired by the co-op's co-founder, Lloyd Anderson. The company's popularity surged aft Whittaker's Everest climb, and Whittaker went connected to pb the concern from 1971 to 1979. Its rank grew from astir 250,000 to much than 900,000 during his tenure, REI noted successful a connection Wednesday.

The co-op credited his legislature grounds and different efforts with helping to found North Cascades National Park and the Pasayten Wilderness successful Washington, arsenic good arsenic and Redwood National Park successful California.

“Long earlier outdoor advocacy was commonplace, Jim gave his dependable — and his enactment — to protecting the places we love, reminding america that chaotic places endure lone if we take to attraction for them,” the connection said.

Whittaker's personage besides brought him into the orbit of the Kennedy clan, and helium became a adjacent person of Robert Kennedy, with whom helium climbed a 14,000-foot (4,267 meters) Canadian peak. The highest was aboriginal named Mount Kennedy aft the statesmanlike contender's execution successful 1968.

Whittaker was astatine Kennedy's bedside erstwhile helium died and was devastated by the assassination.

Whittaker grew up successful Seattle and began climbing with his duplicate member Lou Whittaker successful the 1940s with the Boy Scouts. At 16, they summited 7,965-foot (2,428-meter) Mount Olympus, the highest highest successful the Olympic Mountains westbound of Seattle, Jim Whittaker recounted successful his memoir, “A Life connected the Edge.” When they reached the municipality of Port Angeles connected their mode home, they recovered cars honking and radical celebrating: World War II had ended.

Jim Whittaker erstwhile reflected that the quality and information of his athletics sharpened the senses: “When you unrecorded connected the edge, you tin spot a small farther,” helium erstwhile reflected.

His achievements connected the remote, snowy slopes of Mount Everest and adjacent K2, the world's second-tallest peak, assured him a niche successful the grounds books. He was shocked erstwhile Lou decided to skip the 1963 Everest expedition successful favour of opening a sporting goods store successful Tacoma.

But Lou Whittaker wrote successful his ain book, “Lou Whittaker: Memoirs of a Mountain Guide,” that helium inactive got to stock successful immoderate of his twin’s glory by filling successful erstwhile Jim got bushed of attending parades oregon different events successful his honor.

“Only our families and closest friends ever knew the difference,” helium wrote.

Lou Whittaker died successful 2024 astatine property 95.

Jim Whittaker led galore further climbs, including the 1990 Mount Everest International Peace Climb, which brought unneurotic climbers from the U.S., the Soviet Union and China “to show what could beryllium accomplished done practice and goodwill,” the household connection said.

“Jim was a lifelong advocator for bid and believed profoundly successful the quality of shared challenges successful the earthy satellite to unite radical crossed borders and ideologies,” it said.

Whittaker himself said 1 of his proudest moments came successful 1981, erstwhile helium led 10 handicapped climbers up 14,410-foot Mount Rainier. For them, helium said later, "that was Mount Everest."

Whittaker scaled Mount Rainier much than 100 times but did not instrumentality its acquainted flanks for granted. The caprices of the weather, adjacent connected a comparatively humble mountain, "can crook a bully climber into a beginner" successful a substance of hours, helium erstwhile noted.

Former Washington Gov. Jay Inslee called Whittaker’s bequest “just arsenic impressive, and conscionable arsenic lasting, arsenic Mount Rainier itself."

“He pulled galore a climber up the peak,” Inslee wrote successful a societal media station Wednesday. "He did the aforesaid for each our spirits. He inactive does.”

After years of hazard connected the world's astir dizzying pinnacles, Whittaker said successful a 1980 interrogation that helium hoped to “die successful my slumber with the tv on.”

He is survived by his woman of 52 years, Dianne Roberts; sons Bob, Joss and Leif Whittaker; 3 grandchildren; and 1 great-grandchild.

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