DAVID
HEMPLEMAN-ADAMS
David Hempleman-Adams
was born in
October 1956
in Swindon
and later
moved with
his mother
to Bath. At
the age of
13, the Duke
of Edinburgh
Award Scheme
gave him a
first taste
of the lifestyle
that he would
soon adopt.
By the age
of 16 he had
won the gold
award and
had already
conquered
a succession
of Welsh mountains.
On leaving
school he
took business
studies at
college in
Manchester
but spent
his spare
time learning
whatever he
could about
mountaineering
- either through
actually climbing
or studying
the sport.
In 1998,
he became
the first
man in history
to reach the
Geographic
and Magnetic
North and
South Poles
as well as
climb the
highest peaks
in all seven
continents.
This incredible
'grand slam',
which many
believed was
almost impossible,
was completed
when, along
with Norwegian
companion
Rune Gjeldnes,
David arrived
at the North
Pole on foot.
While undertaking
his postgraduate
studies at
Bristol Polytechnic,
David was
off again,
climbing to
the summit
of Mount McKinley,
Alaska, the
highest point
in North America.
A year later
he had climbed
Kilimanjaro,
Africa's highest
mountain,
but the challenge
of scaling
the heights
of all seven
continents
was not, at
that time,
on the agenda.
In fact, David
found that
climbing was
no longer
enough, and
turned to
polar trekking
as a new challenge.
His Geographic
North Pole
trip of 1983
was masterminded
from Robnor,
his father's
epoxy resins
company. David
had decided
to try to
be the first
man to do
it the unconventional
way - by walking
alone and
unsupported.
A fall more
than 200 miles
from his target
was to leave
David with
two cracked
ribs and the
Geographic
North Pole,
for now, remained
unconquered,
but he returned
almost exactly
a year later
to attempt
to reach the
Magnetic North
Pole instead.
This time
an attack
by a polar
bear and a
fall through
the ice into
freezing waters
failed to
prevent him
reaching his
goal.
David then
took an eight-year
break from
major expeditions
and joined
the board
of directors
of his father’s
company, married
his wife Claire
and for the
first time
became a father,
to Alicia.
He returned
to the world
of intrepid
explorers
by leading
the first
ever team
to another
landmark,
the Geomagnetic
North Pole,
in 1992.
On 9 October
1993, David
reached the
top of Mount
Everest and
stood there,
on the summit
of the world,
in disbelief.
He also climbed
Mount Elbrus
in Russia,
Europe's highest
mountain,
the fourth
time he had
stood on top
of a continent,
but making
it to the
other three
had still
not entered
his mind.
"I suppose
once you have
made it to
the very top
of the world,
there does
not seem much
else to do
in mountaineering,"
he said.
The idea
of making
it to the
'magnificent
seven' was
suggested
during a chance
meeting with
Rebecca Stephens,
the first
British woman
to climb Everest.
It was just
the challenge
that David
needed and
in 1994 he
made it to
the top of
Mount Vinson
in Antarctica.
Two months
later he had
also reached
the summit
of Mount Aconcagua,
the Argentinian
mountain that
is South America's
tallest.
David undertook
the ascent
of the seventh
peak in April,
1995. Carstensz
Pyramid in
Irian Java
is Australasia's
highest point
and a tough
rock climb.
Having scaled
it, David
became the
third Briton
to complete
all seven
peaks.
It was 1996
and before
January was
over he had
completed
an epic 680-mile
solo walk
to the Geographic
South Pole.
Within a month
he had also
reached the
Magnetic South
Pole, this
time by boat,
completing
the trip in
the only time
of the year
that it isn't
frozen over.
The hat-trick
was completed
in May when
he led the
Ultimate Challenge
team to the
Magnetic North
Pole. The
only remaining
goal in the
grand slam
still to be
reached was
the Geographic
North Pole
and preparations
began for
the 496-mile
walk.
Setting off
in March 1997,
David and
companion
Rune Gjeldnes
were held
up when they
saved the
life of fellow
explorer Alan
Bywater who
had fallen
through the
ice. But it
was a damaged
sled that
finally put
paid to the
attempt, the
pair refusing
to allow another
sled to be
airlifted
out as the
trip was meant
to be unsupported.
The job would
have to wait
for 1998 before
it would be
completed.
On 11 December
1998 David
Hempleman-Adams
carved is
name in history
yet again
when he became
the first
person to
balloon over
the Andes.
To date he
has done 31
major expeditions
around the
world and
received the
Gold Star
Award in 1984,
the RADAR
Person of
the Year in
1992, in 1994
he was awarded
the M.B.E.
in the Queen’s
Honours List
for Services
to Polar Exploration.
In 1996 he
was voted
‘Pertex’
Outdoor Person
of the Year
and in June
1998 in the
Queen’s
Honours List
he was awarded
an O.B.E.
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