Lou Whittaker: Memoirs of a Mountain Guide [Paperback]

Lou Whittaker (Author), Andrea Gabbard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1995

"Everything I know, everything I believe in, I've learned from the mountains, " says Lou Whittaker. This comes as no surprise when you realize that he has probably spent more time on mountains than off. One of America's most respected climbers for more than four decades, Lou Whittaker began his illustrious mountaineering career as a teenager in the Pacific Northwest, climbing insatiably in the Olympic and Cascade mountains with his twin brother, Jim. He stepped naturally into coveted spots on expeditions to formidable peaks in Alaska, the Himalaya, and the Karakorum, and went on to lead the expedition that made the first American ascent of the North Col on Everest in 1984. To Northwesterners, Lou's name is synonymous with Mount Rainier, where he has guided thousands to its summit since his own first ascent of the mountain at age nineteen. In Lou Whittaker, Lou is at his storytelling best as he shares adventures and wisdom honed from the wild times of his youth to his more recent climbs with some of the country's best mountaineers. Tales of life as a young mountain rescuer, and later as mentor to others, are filled with his trademark humor, boundless energy, and compassion. He weaves his simple and practical philosophy through recollections of climbing with family, friends, and a host of fellow mountaineers, including Jim Wickwire, Pete Schoening, John Roskelley, Joe Kennedy, Jr., Peter Whittaker, and Willi Unsoeld. He recounts amazing episodes on K2, Kangchenjunga, and on Mount McKinley, where he participated in one of the most spectacular rescues on record, and replays adventures from his guiding days on his beloved Mount Rainier. Especially poignant are his memories of teammate MartyHoey, a promising and well-liked young climber who died on the 1982 expedition to Everest. Evident and inspiring throughout these stories are his love for climbing and for life - even amidst such losses. Lou finds great meaning in these words from William O. Douglas: "The struggle

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books; 1st edition (July 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898864593
• ISBN-13: 978-0898864595
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,097,523 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book to read in your tent, alone along the trail, May 28, 2000

By 

Robert P Lutz - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lou Whittaker: Memoirs of a Mountain Guide (Paperback)

I purchased the paperback version of this fine book in the Fall of 1998, and packed it along with me for several nights on a solo backpacking trip through the California Redwoods. The autumn nights in November were long and dark, and Lou Whittaker's book made for some marvelous reading out there, alone in my tent along the trail...read the entire book cover-to-cover by flashlite, and it was a thriller...accompanied by real and imagined sounds that went "thump" in the night! Must admit though, I'm a bit prejudiced, as I had the good fortune of meeting Lou Whittaker in person near the summit of Mount Rainier in 1970, and came to greatly admire the fellow. Reading his new book for the first time was like reuniting with an old friend after a long absence. Definitely a MUST READ for anyone looking for a good book to take with them, along the trail.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great life in climbing and beyond, October 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Lou Whittaker: Memoirs of a Mountain Guide (Paperback)

I enjoyed Lou Whittaker's blunt and simple approach to climbing (and life). As someone who has been an occasional climber in the Pacific NW his experiences were very vivid to me. The ease with which he accomplished climbs on the mountain compared to my own struggles climbing leave me in awe of the man. I also read Jim Wittaker's book recently (published five years after Lou's) and found it interesting, but very similar to Lou's book. I suppose that can't be avoided - their stories are so interwoven.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Memoir, June 21, 2001

By 

Tim Schmidt (Washington) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lou Whittaker: Memoirs of a Mountain Guide (Paperback)

As the title says, this is the Memoir of a Mountain Guide. Actually it is the memoir of one of America's first and greatest mountain guides. It is truly a fascinating, well-written story but it is not adventure writing. Do not expect the detail or suspense of John Krakauer, Art Davidson, Heinrich Harrer, or Maurice Herzog. It reads more like sitting down across the table with Lou and having him tell you his story over a couple of beers. This is probably because it is the result of Lou telling his story to Andrea Gabbard who in turn wrote the book.

Lou's story is much different than many of the great mountaineers. While he obviously pushed himself to the top of some of the world's tallest and most difficult peaks, since his near fall on Mount Index in Washington he remained a more conservative climber not willing to trade his life for any mountain summit. In fact, he makes the point of saying the last place he wants to die is on a mountain; he wants to die old sitting in his chair watching TV. Also, as expedition leader, he viewed success as putting team members on the summit and this often did not include himself.

In addition to his story, his climbs, and his life as a mountain climber and guide, he gives a detailed description of Mount Rainier and a historical view of how mountain climbing progressed over the years. Probably the best thing of all though, is the look at a person's life who dedicated themselves to following a passion rather than relegating it to a weekend hobby; it was a long career in the making for him, but it shows that we can make our lives what we want if only we have the courage, persistence, and dedication to try.