Jim Whittaker, WA mountaineer and first American to summit Everest, dies at 97

SEATTLE - Seattle mountaineering legend Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Mount Everest, died at the age of 97 in Port Townsend.

Growing up in West Seattle, Whittaker and his twin brother Lou, developed a love of climbing in their teens with the Boy Scouts, and would go on to lead expeditions around the world.

But when he became the first American to summit Mount Everest in 1963, Jim Whittaker became a global celebrity. 

On the 50th anniversary of that climb in 2013, Whittaker recalled the grueling conditions in an interview with FOX 13’s C.R. Douglas.

"It was 35 below zero, and it was a ground blizzard," Whittaker said. "You couldn’t see your footprints. All that new snow was going in front of you."

Whittaker and his Sherpa climbing partner, Nawang Gombu, made their final push to the summit without water – a mistake he later attributed to the effects of extreme altitude. 

"You get dumb at high altitudes," he said. "We melted ice, filled our bottles, and stuck them in the outside pockets of our packs. We went to take a drink, and it was ice. We hadn’t even thought of that."

The pair pressed on, enduring freezing temperatures and thin air.

"You are taking five breaths to a step," Whittaker said. "No water for 12 hours, and you’re just dry."

As they neared the summit, Whittaker insisted Gombu go first. Gombu refused.

"Side by side we walked up to the highest point of Earth," Whittaker said. 

At the top, there was little time for reflection. 

"We were in the death zone," he said. "If you’ve got any brains at all, you know you’ve got to get out."

The other side:

After returning home, Whittaker was thrust into the national spotlight, receiving a hero’s welcome that included a ticker-tape parade and a visit to the White House, where President John F. Kennedy awarded him the Hubbard Medal.

Decades later, Whittaker noted how much climbing Everest had changed.

"We were the only people on the mountain," he said. "Now it’s very crowded."

Beyond mountaineering, Whittaker played a key role in the early growth of Recreational Equipment Inc., better known as REI. He was the company’s first full-time employee and served as chief operating officer when he summited Everest. 

The achievement brought widespread attention to the Seattle-based co-op. By 1964, REI’s gross income surpassed $1 million for the first time. 

Whittaker often encouraged young people to explore the outdoors.

"Get outside," he said. "It’s a magical planet. Explore, learn – nature’s a great teacher."

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