Jim Whittaker, first American to Mount Everest summit, dies aged 97
The lifelong outdoors advocate and former president of retailer REI returned to Everest decades later with his son.
Coverage by Political Leaning
See how different sides of the spectrum reported this story
Notable Quotes
"his family said in an obituary."
— Leif Whittaker , Athlete
"He inspired many generations of mountaineers to explore the outdoors, including me. I'm grateful for the time I spent with him over the years."
— Bob Ferguson , Politician
"You learn, when you climb a difficult mountain, you leave your ego behind and learn that you're just a little micro-speck in this life. You learn your weaknesses and have a little broader perspective."
— Jim Whittaker , Athlete
Key People
Bob Ferguson is the Governor of Washington.
Jim Whittaker was the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest and a respected mountaineer.
Leif Whittaker is a climber and the son of Jim Whittaker.
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy has expressed support for controversial peptides and aims to ease restrictions on them.
Tags
All Coverage
The lifelong outdoors advocate and former president of retailer REI returned to Everest decades later with his son.
Similar Stories
Related coverage based on topic and tags
Father leaves 7-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji to continue hike, reports say
The man had taken his two boys on the trip but is said to have left one behind when he got tired.
August 22, 2026 at 08:40 AMRace Across the World star dies year after son
Former TV contestant, Jo Gardiner, 61, dies of cancer one year after her son's death in a crash.
August 24, 2026 at 10:13 AMDeadly disasters in the Himalayas over a dozen years - Reuters
Deadly disasters in the Himalayas over a dozen years Reuters
August 26, 2026 at 09:27 AMFrench tourist dies in Death Valley after car gets stuck in mud
The 68-year-old man was found dead in California's salt flats amid 116°F (46.6C) heat.
August 25, 2026 at 02:08 AMMother reunited with 8-year-old who climbed trees to survive Nepal floods - Reuters
Mother reunited with 8-year-old who climbed trees to survive Nepal floods Reuters
August 28, 2026 at 09:27 PMLeknessund seals first Grand Tour stage win
Norway's Andreas Leknessund takes an emotional first Grand Tour stage win as he climbs to victory on stage seven of the Vuelta a Espana.
August 28, 2026 at 05:04 PM