About Us
| The Whittaker Mountaineering staff is lead by Peter and Erika Whittaker who truly have grown up in the mountains. Their love for the mountains has been passed on to all of us at Whittaker Mountaineering. Having Mount Rainier in our backyard, gives us countless opportunities to wear and test the gear we sell on a daily basis. Our staff has spent many nights on the mountain and would love the opportunity to share our experiences with those who are looking to climb Mount Rainier or other mountains around the world. | OUR EMPLOYEES: Advisory Board | |
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Peter Whittaker Erika Whittaker Jeremy Foust Nick Poggiali Chad Katie |
Laura Elayna Karissa Jeff Anna Kelsey |
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 Clients find Peter Whittaker's passion for the outdoors contagious. But what else would you expect from someone who climbed Mount Rainier when he was only twelve years old? As a mountain guide for over twenty-five years, Peter has organized and led trips all over the world. In 1995, Peter organized Expedition Inspiration, in which he led a group of breast cancer survivors to the summit of Aconcagua. The climb raised over 2 million dollars for breast cancer research. Peter also served as the guide for both the oldest man and the oldest woman to reach the summit of Mt. Vinson in Antarctica: the top of the bottom of the world. Peter co-owns Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. the largest guide service in the United States. Peter also has been the host of "Trailside: Make Your Own Adventure", an Emmy-nominated outdoor adventure series on National Public Television. Born into a mountaineering family, Peter's uncle Jim Whittaker became the first American to climb Mt. Everest in 1963. Peter's father, Lou Whittaker has led numerous expeditions to the Himalayas, including the world's three highest peaks. Peter's Top Gear Picks |
CLIMBING RESUME
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 Erika grew up in Austria, where skiing is a way of life. She grew up in a large family where hiking, skiing, and many other sports were part of a happy childhood. At the age of 13 she was accepted into a ski academy, where for the next 6 years she spent her time training, skiing, studying, and ski racing. From 17 - 19 years old, she was Austria's #1 ranked giant slalom racer, winning the overall EuropaCup on her 18th Birthday, and was Junior world champion in Giant Slalom and Combined. For the next few years she skied on the World Cup circuit, and while racing all over Europe, North America, New Zealand and Australia, she found out how much she likes traveling. While vacationing on the coast of Kenya in 1986, Erika met Peter Whittaker. It didn't take long for them to realize how much they had in common, and a great friendship quickly developed into a business partnership and marriage. Together they have run Summits Adventure Travel for 12 years; organizing and leading hiking, skiing, climbing, and trekking trips all over the world. Erika enjoys every aspect of the company, but her favorite part is the traveling, meeting her guests in all parts of the world and helping them achieve their goals and having a good, safe time in the mountains. Erika's Top Gear Picks |
SKIING/CLIMBING RESUME
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For the past 25 years, Jeremy has called the Mount Rainier area his home. Jeremy has worked for Whittaker Mountaineering for the past 8 years and currently manages our daily operations. Jeremy enjoys hiking, camping and fishing in and around the Cascade Mountain Range. Jeremy's Top Gear Picks |
CLIMBING RESUME
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 Growing up hiking and camping throughout the Midwest, Nick gained a love for outdoor recreation that would eventually lead him to the Evergreen State. He spent his college years at The Ohio State University, where his interests in climbing resulted in many adventures with the OSU Mountaineers. Forced to escape the flatlands of Ohio in order to get his fix, Nick spent many days on the road seeking out more mountainous terrain to climb, bike, and ski. In 2005, Nick moved to Ashford, Washington for the summer to work and play, and after just a few seasons decided to call the Mount Rainier area home. Nick devotes his free time to exploring the endless opportunities found in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Nick's Top Gear Picks |
CLIMBING RESUME
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 Having grown up on the Georgia and Florida coast, Chad is an avid kayaker, backpacker and occasional surfer. Moving out to the Pacific Northwest last May was a big step. Learning to climb with some of the best guides in the world has been a memorable experience for Chad. Fly fishing, climbing and backpacking are now Chad's top priorities. Chad's Top Gear Picks |
CLIMBING/KAYAKING RESUME
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 Katie grew up in St. Paul, MN, learning to canoe at a young age in Northern Minnesota's Boundary Waters. She began backpacking through trips with YMCA Camp Widjiwagan, where she developed an addiction to ridiculously long wilderness treks in various western mountain ranges. Finishing off her years at camp Widjiwagan with a 40-day backpacking trip in Gates of the Arctic National Park, she relocated to the Pacific Northwest to begin college at the University of Portland in Oregon. She fell immediately in love with the culture of the region and continues to feed her wilderness addiction leading trips around the Portland area with the UP Outdoor Pursuits Program. This is her first summer working with Whittaker Mountaineering, and she is eager to gain new perspectives on wilderness travel as well as expand her outdoor skills and gear knowledge. Katie's Top Gear Picks |
OUTDOOR RESUME
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 Laura grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and earned her B.S. in Finance from Miami University of Ohio. In college, her love of climbing began with some outdoor climbing experiences down in Kentucky and West Virginia. Through leading outdoor trips for school and a series of serendipitous events, she landed in Washington for a couple summers during and after college. Most recently arriving from Aspen, Colorado, she is excited to continue experiencing the Pacific Northwest. Laura's Top Gear Picks |
CLIMBING RESUME
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 As a small child in Northern California Elayna's appreciation for nature grew from hikes through the Redwoods and family camping trips. After moving across the country to Tennessee, Elayna discovered the wonders of her new home from more family camping trips, then later on backpacking trips and eventually, rock climbing. Elayna has enjoyed her neighboring state, Kentucky, for the endless rock climbing it has to offer. Rock climbing in Tennessee and Kentucky has made her love and appreciate the approach as much as the climb. Elayna has learned to love what nature has to offer and is always excited to see and experience more of it. Elayna's Top Gear Picks |
CLIMBING RESUME
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 Hey! I'm Karissa, and I love being outdoors! Hiking, running, biking, kayaking, mountaineeering, camping...you name it and I'll do it! I grew up on the shores of Lake Michigan and did my fair share of swimming and beach running as well. Currently I am training to run The North Face Endurance Challenge half-marathon, as well as the Portland Marathon in October. I'm hoping to summit Mt. Rainier for the first time this summer, so if you see me up there, give me a holler! Karissa's Top Gear Picks |
CLIMBING RESUME
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 Jeff grew up in the forests of Western Michigan. He competed in football and power lifting while in high school. He has ridden most of the mountain bike trails in the mitten. He's also been skydiving one time, and found it to be an absolute rush. He has one 25k race under his belt and plans on a few more long distance runs this year. Jeff completed the courses for EMT-Basic and EMT-Specialist at Baker College. Last summer he reached the summit of Rainier without prior climbing experience and had to come back for more. Jeff's Top Gear Picks |
CLIMBING RESUME
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 Anna was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She currently attends UW-Madison, majoring in journalism and environmental studies. No matter the weather, Anna loves to be outside. Her parents have been taking her camping since she was born! She began backpacking out west when she was thirteen and hasn't stopped since. After her six week backpacking stint in Alaska last summer, she's addicted to the thrill and wont stop plotting and planning her next backpacking adventure. Next in her sights: hiking the pacific crest trail. Anna's Top Gear Picks |
CLIMBING RESUME
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 Growing up in Idaho, Kelsey was constantly surrounded by the opportunity of the outdoors. Whether it was hiking, backpacking, or rafting, she always appreciated the wanderlust of remote Idaho wilderness. After a stint in the south where she taught herself how to surf and picked up white water kayaking, she moved back to the west with a new admiration for the mountains. While spending the summer in Ashford, she plans to summit Mt. Rainier, explore Mt. Rainier National Park, the cascades, and train for a 30k trail run. In Boise, Kelsey is currently scheduled to graduate from Boise State University in December 2009 and plans to continue her education in environmental law. Kelsey's Top Gear Picks |
CLIMBING RESUME
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