Lou Whittaker, a legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, has died at age 95.
Legendary Seattle mountain climbers twin brothers Jim, left, and Lou Whittaker celebrate their 80th birthday with a party at the Space Needle in Seattle, Tuesday Feb. 10, 2009. SEATTLE — Lou Whittaker, a legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, and who taught generations of climbers during his more than 250 trips up Mount Rainier, the tallest peak in Washington state, has died at age 95.
Whittaker and his twin brother Jim Whittaker — who in 1963 became the the first American to summit Everest — grew up in Seattle and began climbing in the 1940s with the Boy Scouts. At 16, they summited 7,965-foot Mount Olympus, the highest peak in the Olympic Mountains west of Seattle, Jim Whittaker recounted in his memoir, “A Life on the Edge.” When they reached the town of Port Angeles on their way home, they found cars honking and people celebrating: World War II had ended.
When they returned from service, Jim Whittaker became the manager of the gear coop REI’s first store; he would go on to become its chief executive. Lou Whittaker began guiding people on climbs of Rainier, Denali and other peaks. Lou Whittaker survived avalanches, severe storms and other harrowing episodes, and he lost several friends or clients on expeditions. He was not on an RMI expedition on Mount Rainier in 1981 when a massive ice fall claimed 11 climbers — 10 novices and a guide — in what remains the deadliest mountaineering disaster in the U.S. His son Peter survived it.
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Lou Whittaker, among the most famous American mountaineers, has died at age 95The legendary American mountaineer Lou Whittaker has died at age 95. Whittaker is known for helping lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, and teaching generations of climbers during his more than 250 trips up Mount Rainier. Whittaker's guide company RMI Expeditions says he died peacefully at home Sunday.
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Lou Whittaker, among the most famous American mountaineers, has died at age 95The legendary American mountaineer Lou Whittaker has died at age 95
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