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George Whitmore Yosemite Peaches
On November 12, 2018, exactly sixty years to this day, George Whitmore topped out on El Capitan as the third member to complete that historic climb. He joined Warren Harding and Wayne Merry as the climbing party to make the first ascent on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. They celebrated with champagne and canned peaches. Join George as he recounts his memories of that epic climb and what originally attracted him to the sport of rock climbing.
So many things had to fall into place for the group to achieve this amazing feat, and George was instrumental. From designing pitons that enabled the original group to ascend the Stove Legs to heading down for a resupply for the final bolts as Harding and Merry literally ran out on the final push, George is proud of being described as the party’s Sherpa. George’s military service in the Air Force added an interesting twist to the plot.
As big of an accomplishment climbing El Capitan was, George relishes his work in conservation even more. He is an unsung activist who learned from his experience on the rock to never take no for an answer. His lobbying success was attributed to that perseverance. George successfully helped protect the Ansel Adams Wilderness and parts of Sequoia National Park. The George Whitmore Yosemite Peaches show is the longest we have produced, and I believe it to be very meaningful. I hope you can tune in to hear the story of this amazing man.
George Whitmore Yosemite Peaches
Please visit this link for previous podcast episodes.
The George Whitmore Yosemite Peaches show was originally broadcast on air & streaming at KAAD-LP 103.5 FM Sonora, California.
Here are some bonus photos from that climb that I found on the internet. One is of George holding a Can O Peaches on the summit of El Capitan. The connection was very significant.
Thank you for supporting the Yosemite Peaches Project. The concept for the Yosemite Can O Peaches Radio Podcast was developed over the past several years with an idea to archive contemporary voices from Yosemite personalities. Each show will be recorded live from the trails of Yosemite National Park. Host John P. DeGrazio will share stories of how Yosemite influenced the lives of local artists, musicians, photographers, explorers, and a variety of other Yosemite experts with a tale to tell. The peaches represent the sweet reward of every exploration in nature. Special thanks to Thomas Wilmer for his kind generosity and mentorship. Tom also recorded the Outro for this show.