Willi Unsoeld, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Willi Unsoeld

American mountaineer

Date of Birth: 05-Oct-1926

Place of Birth: Arcata, California, United States

Date of Death: 04-Mar-1979

Profession: mountaineer

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Libra

Willi Unsoeld (October 5, 1926 – March 4, 1979) was an American mountaineer who was a member of the first American expedition to summit Mount Everest.
The American Mount Everest Expedition was led by Norman Dyhrenfurth, and included Unsoeld, Jim Whittaker, Lute Jerstad, Barry Bishop and Tom Hornbein.
Whittaker, with Sherpa Nawang Gombu, reached the summit on May 1, 1963.
Unsoeld, Hornbein, Bishop and Jerstad reached the top on May 22.
Unsoeld and Hornbein's climb was the first ascent from the peak's west ridge, and the first major traverse of a Himalayan peak.
His subsequent activities included working as a U.S.
Forest Service Smokejumper, Peace Corps director in Nepal, speaker for Outward Bound, faculty member at Oregon State University and The Evergreen State College and mountaineering guide.
An avalanche during a winter climb of Mount Rainier took his life.