Its first ascent was in 1965 by
Robert F. Kennedy, with a party of experienced
mountaineers sponsored by the
National Geographic Society and led by
Jim Whittaker. Upon reaching the peak of the summit, Kennedy left some of his brother's
PT-boat tie clips, a copy of his brother's 1961
inaugural address, and a John F. Kennedy medallion. This route from the Cathedral Glacier to the south is now considered a routine climb for experienced glacier travelers, having little technical difficulties other than navigation of extensive crevasse fields and avoidance of avalanches. Since then, other routes have been completed, including the highly technical North Buttress, first climbed in 1968 using siege tactics (placing fixed ropes and returning to a base camp), and finally in 2001 in purely alpine style (continuous ascent from bottom to summit with no fixed ropes). Climbers in the first ascent party included: •
Jim Whittaker (1929–2026) •
Robert F. Kennedy (1925–1968) • George R. Senner (1922–2003) •
Dee Molenaar (1918–2020) • Bill Prater (1926–2010) • Barry Prather (1940–1987) • James Adam Craig (1924–2011) (only Canadian on the trip) • William Allard, National Geographic Photographer ==Gallery==