My Old Man and the Mountain by Leif Whittaker

My Old Man and the Mountain by Leif Whittaker

- A fresh perspective on a famous father and a legacy forged on the icy slopes of Mount Everest, the world's highest peak

In 1963, the world followed the first American Mount Everest Expedition, and watched as Big Jim Whittaker became the first American to stand on top of the world. He returned home a hero.

My Old Man and the Mountain is Leif Whittaker's engaging and humorous story of what it was like to grow up Whittaker--the youngest son of Jim Whittaker and Dianne Roberts, in an extended family of accomplished climbers. He shares glimpses of his upbringing and how the pressure to climb started early on. Readers learn of his first adventures with family in the Olympic Mountains and on Mount Rainier; his close yet at times competitive relationship with his brother Joss; his battle with a serious back injury; and his efforts to stand apart from his father's legacy. With wry honesty he depicts being a recent college grad, still living in his parents' home and trying to find a purpose in life--digging ditches, building houses, selling t-shirts to tourists--until a chance encounter leads to the opportunity to climb Everest, just like his father did.

Leif heads to Nepal with all the excitement, irony, boredom, and trepidation that are part of high-altitude climbing. Well-known guides Dave Hahn and Melissa Arnot figure prominently in his story, as does Big Jim. But Leif's story is not his father's story. It's a unique coming of age tale on the steep slopes of Everest and a climbing adventure that lights the imagination and fills an emotional human endeavor with universal meaning.

Whittaker, Leif: - Leif Whittaker has climbed many of the world's tallest peaks. His writing and photography have appeared in Powder, The Ski Journal, and Backcountry. He lives in Bellingham, Washington, and is a seasonal USFS climbing ranger on Mount Baker. Leif is the son of Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Mount Everest. Visit him at www.leifwhittaker.com and on Instagram @LeifWhittaker.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781680510683
ISBN 10	1680510681
Title	My Old Man and the Mountain
Author	Leif Whittaker
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Mountaineers Books
Year published	2016-09-20
Number of pages	288
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.