John R. McKinnon (born 1938) is a New Zealand mountaineer and the first volunteer doctor at Kunde Hospital. John McKinnon was educated at St Kevin's College, Oamaru and the University of Otago. In 1962 he completed the first ascent of Mount Cook's south face with James Milne, Richard Stewart, & Peter Strang. This brought him to the attention of Edmund Hillary who had a policy of inviting young climbers on his aid / climbing expeditions to Nepal. In 1964 he completed the first ascent of Thamserku with Lynn Crawford, Pete Farrell, Richard Stewart and Phu Dorje Sherpa as part of Edmund Hillary's Schoolhouse Expedition.