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. (Learn more about the history of 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: | |
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Peter Whittaker Erika Whittaker Jeremy Foust Laura Nick Allison Adam |
The Guide Team |
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 Peter Whittaker is a lifelong climber and skier who grew up at the foot of Mount Rainier, surrounded by hard core guides, with a famous mountaineering uncle and father. From that background he has gone on to lead 75 international expeditions, climbed Rainier 231 times, Kilimanjaro 13, Aconcagua 5, and Vinson twice, along with dozens of other major ascents like Elbrus, Huascaran, and the Mexican and Ecuadorian volcanoes. Peter has been on four expeditions to Everest and summited the peak in 2009. In addition to his mountaineering exploits Peter is a successful entrepreneur and gear designer. He has built Rainier Mountaineering Inc. (RMI) into one of the world's foremost guide services, launched Whittaker Mountaineering as a retail and online outlet, and been instrumental in redefining the Eddie Bauer brand by returning the company to its mountaineering roots via the First Ascent line of gear. Peter's Top Gear Picks |
CLIMBING RESUME
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 A native of southern Austria and former world-class ski racer, Erika has been an integral part of the Whittaker machine since 1986. She spent 12 years guiding and organizing worldwide trips for Summits Adventure Travel, in addition to bookkeeping and logistical duties. She's been up Kilimanjaro nine times, and Rainier 18, along with ascents of high Andean peaks like Illimani and Huayna Potosi, and hiking skiing and ski mountaineering throughout the Alps, New Zealand and North America. Erika continues to help manage Peter's busy schedule, and the Whittaker Basecamp in Ashford. She was born Erika Gfrerer in 1962, the 7th of 10 children, and one of two girls adrift in a sea of brothers. Their home was the hamlet of Villach, nestled among the northern foothills of the Julian Alps, near Austria's three-way border with Italy and Slovenia. "My childhood was all about outdoor adventure and athletics," Erika recalls. "With five older brothers there was always lots of action." Erika's Top Gear Picks |
SKIING/CLIMBING RESUME
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 Jeremy has called the Mount Rainier area home for the past 28 years. He has been working for Whittaker Mountaineering for 12 years, first helping to develop the rental program, and then expanding the retail store to what it is today. When not working in the mountains, you can find Jeremy at the beach with his two kids. Jeremy's Top Gear Picks |
CLIMBING 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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 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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 Growing up in Michigan, Allison gravitated to the outdoors, backpacking and adventuring whenever possible. Her interest in climbing and mountains peaked after her first trip to Mount Rainier as a teenager. Spending numerous summers with her family touring around the country inspired Allison to follow her passion and move to the mountains. In 2004, she came to Ashford, Washington for the summer to work as a "high altitude" cook at Camp Muir on Rainier. Since then, she's made Ashford her year-round home. She prefers to spend her days off in the mountains with skis on her feet earning turns all year or romping around, adventuring in the Cascades. Allison's Top Gear Picks |
CLIMBING RESUME
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 Adam grew up in the foothills of the Superstition Mountains in Apache Junction, AZ. With such a beautiful place to explore so close to home, Adam's interest for the outdoors was in full bloom. The following years lead him away from the Superstition Mountains but opened up a whole new world of mountains and trails. After earning a BA of Interdisciplinary Studies in Business and Communications from Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ, Adam discovered how important and passionate the outdoors was to his lifestyle and future. Taking every chance he could to hike and climb, Adam spent nearly every weekend trying to climb bigger and better mountains. Recently he traveled with RMI to Alaska and summited North America's highest peak, Denali. When he is not climbing you can find him biking, bouldering, cooking tacos or reveling in his new love for skiing. Adam's Top Gear Picks |
CLIMBING RESUME
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