Lou Whittaker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lou Whittaker
|
|
|---|---|
Whittaker (left) in 1996 on Mount Rainier
|
|
| Born | February 10, 1929 Seattle, Washington, U.S.
|
| Died | March 24, 2024 (aged 95) |
| Occupation | Mountaineer |
Lou Whittaker (February 10, 1929 – March 24, 2024) was a mountaineer, mountain guide, and entrepreneur. He and his twin brother, Jim Whittaker, an equally renowned mountaineer and guide, were born and raised in Seattle.
Besides his worldwide mountain climbing experience, Whittaker became the most experienced glacier-travel guide by climbing Mount Rainier with over 250 summits. He also established Rainier Mountaineering Inc (now RMI Expeditions), developed a group of successful climbing-related businesses at the Rainier Base Camp in Ashford, adjacent to Mount Rainier National Park. There he led the training of several generations of Rainier guides, many of whom continue to guide and climb elsewhere. He also led the first American ascent of the North Col of Mount Everest in 1984.
He has recorded his experiences in Lou Whittaker — Memoirs of a Mountain Guide, written with Andrea Gabbard.
Big Lou, a mountain in Chelan County, Washington is named for him.
