PORT TOWNSEND — Port Townsend native Leif Whittaker reached the summit of Mount Everest and is on his way down, his parents said today.
Whittaker reached the summit at about 7 p.m. PDT Monday, according to his mother, Dianne Roberts of Port Townsend.
Translated, that’s 7 a.m. today Nepal time.
“I’m as happy as any parent can be when their child reaches a goal,” Roberts said. “But I’ll feel a lot better when he gets to base camp.”
Whittaker is following in the footsteps of his father, Jim Whittaker, who was the first American to top Mount Everest in 1963.
Leif Whittaker spent just under an hour at the summit, his father said.
“When I went up we stayed at the top for just a few minutes and then headed down,” Jim Whittaker said. “But Leif had good weather, so he was able to stay longer.”
Leif’s expedition team spent its time on the summit taking photos of the scenery and each other.
Whittaker’s return to Port Townsend is undetermined but could be in around a week, Jim Whittaker said.
