Name/Title
Print, PhotographicEntry/Object ID
2004.48.09Description
Mountaineering gear has come a long way over the years. In this image donated by Susan Jerstad, wife of accomplished Gig Harbor mountaineer Lute Jerstad, members of the 1963 American expedition to Mount Everest are shown climbing with tools of the past: external-frame packs, ice axes with wooden shafts and a rope tied to their waist. Modern climbers typically use internal-frame packs and lighter ice axes with aluminum shafts. Climbers also now attach their safety lines to harnesses worn over their clothes to improve safety and comfort. The bulkier gear didn't keep this group from putting the first Americans on top of the world's tallest peak. Jerstad became the second American to reach the top of Everest.Lexicon
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Mountaineering, Mountain Climbing, Professional/Semi-ProRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Jerstad, LuteRelated Events
Event
First American party to summit Mount Everest