Willi Unsoeld

Willi Unsoeld ( born October 5, 1926 in Arcata, California, † March 4, 1979 at Mount Rainier ) was an American mountaineer.

Life

Unsoeld grew up in Eugene ( Oregon) and studied at Oregon State University and the University of California at Berkeley. In the 1950s, he married the later Congresswoman Jolene Bishop Rick, with whom he had two daughters and two sons.

In 1960 he was erstbesteigen the Masherbrum together with George Irving Bell. In 1963 he was a participant of the first American expedition to Mount Everest, which pursued the ambitious goal of developing a new route on the west ridge direct. Unsoeld and Tom Hornbein but then had to due to major technical difficulties on the ridge in the north wall to dodge and got into the since " Hornbein Couloir " said canyon of the north wall to the summit, where they arrived on 22 May 1963. Unsoeld so was the 14th man to reach the highest point on earth. The full west ridge was only in 1979 that addressed by a Yugoslav expedition. In July 1963 Unsoeld received by President John F. Kennedy, the Hubbard Medal, the highest award of the National Geographic Society.

1976 Unsoeld lost his daughter Nanda Devi at an ascent of the second highest mountain of India, which also served as the name of a role model for his daughter Nanda Devi. At the age of 52 years Unsoeld himself died in an avalanche on Mount Rainier, which he had previously climbed more than 200 times.

Mountaineering achievements (excerpt)

  • Numerous first ascents in North America, for example, East Buttress on El Capitan (California )
  • Nilakantha ( 6596 m, Garhwal Himalaya, India), attempt the first ascent in 1949, it reached a height of about 5490 meters, along with Laurie French and Herbert Rickert.
  • Mount Wister ( 3502 m, Teton Range), first ascent of the north face 1952 with Bea Vogel and Leigh Ortenburgers
  • Grand Teton ( 4199 m), first ascent of the direct north wall in 1956 with his wife Jolene Unsoeld
  • Makalu ( 8485 m, Himalayas ), attempt the first ascent via the southeast ridge reach Bill Long and W. Unsoeld a height of 7070 meters (California Himalayan Expedition 1954).
  • Masherbrum ( 7821m, Karakoram, Pakistan ), first ascent in 1960 together with George Irving Bell.
  • Mount Everest ( 8848 m, Himalayas ), first ascent 1963 on the west ridge and descent over the ridge, first exceeded an eight -thousand; along with Tom Hornbein.
  • Nanda Devi ( 7816 m, Garhwal Himalaya, India), ascent attempt in 1976, it comes W. Unsoelds daughter Nanda Devi Unsoeld killed.
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