In 1965, legendary climber Jim Whittaker led Senator Robert Kennedy to the first ascent of a remote mountain in the Yukon named after the late president, John Kennedy. Fifty years later, the sons of the original climbing team planned and initiated an expedition to the mountain to celebrate the special bond that connects them all.
“In 1963 I was delighted to receive the Hubbard Medal from President Kennedy,” explains Jim Whittaker. “Two years later the National Geographic Society asked me to attempt the first ascent of the highest unclimbed peak in the Canadian Yukon, Mt. Kennedy, and Senator Robert F. Kennedy was a team member. Our adventure in 1965 was the beginning of a beautiful friendship and I am so pleased and proud that Bobby’s son, Chris, and my sons, Bobby and Leif, continued that friendship as they returned 50 years later to pay tribute to the snow, ice, rock and legend of Mt. Kennedy.”
On May 25, the Telluride Mountainfilm Festival hosted the world premiere of Return to Mount Kennedy. The 80-minute documentary film features original music by Eddie Vedder, never-before-seen archival footage, as well as interviews with Sub Pop records co-founder Bruce Pavitt, mountain guide Dave Hahn, and members of the original climbing team. The movie will appear in a few more film festivals around the country before it’s released for purchase or rental online. To watch the trailer or learn more, visit Mtkennedy.com. //
