William Hackett (mountaineer)
William D. Hackett (1918–1999) was an American mountaineer.
Biography
Hackett grew up in Portland (Oregon), began climbing at age 14. In the Army in World War II, he served more than three years in the 10th Mountain Division. After World War II, he remained in regular Army for 21 years.[1]
In 1956 Hackett was the first person to reach five of the Seven Summits. He climbed Mount McKinley (1947), Aconcagua (1949), Kilimanjaro (1950), Mount Kosciuszko (1956) and Mont Blanc (1956). In that time, the Mont Blanc was considered to be the highest mountain of the European continent. Hackett made an attempt to climb Mount Vinson and obtained a permit for the Mount Everest in 1960 but due to several circumstances (frostbite, lack of funds, etc.) he never made it more than five.[2][3]
Hackett was the first person to reach the summits of both Mount McKinley and Mount Logan. He was the first American to climb Aconcagua and the first American to climb Mount Kenya.[1]
Notable ascents and expeditions
- Mount McKinley, South Summit (06.06.1947) and North Summit (06.07.1947) with Bradford Washburn
- Aconcagua, 1949 Hackett first US climber on the highest mountain of South America
- Mount McKinley, 07.10.1951 FA West Buttress route with Bradford Washburn and team
- K2, American-German Expedition 1960
- Antarctica, Canadian-American expedition to Antarctica (Mt. Vinson)
References
- 1 2 American Alpine Journal: In Memoriam - William D. Hackett, 1918-1999 AAJ 2000, Volume 42, Issue 74, Page 435.
- ↑ abc-of-mountaineering.com "History of the Quest for the Seven Summits (2004)" Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- ↑ British Mountaineering Council: "60 years of Seven Summits peak bagging (29/08/2013)" by Lindsay Griffin, thebmc.co.uk, Retrieved 2 January 2015.