Adventurer Pursues
World Polar Record

Bath Chronicle
Posted April 4, 2003

EXPLORER'S DRAMATIC ICE ESCAPE

Explorer David Hempleman-Adams is pressing on with his daring assault on a world polar record - despite plunging 20 feet down a glacier. The adventurer from Box is well past the halfway stage in an attempt to be the first person to reach the Geomagnetic North Pole - solo and unsupported.

The 46-year-old started the 300-mile journey from Eureka, Ellsmere Island, on March 17 and has been pulling his sledge across the island, climbing and abseiling up and down glaciers.

Yesterday he reached Copes Bay - 50 miles short of his destination.

He has told expedition organisers he expects to be able to cover ten miles a day, despite a dramatic 20-foot fall from a glacier, in which he thought he had broken his leg.

After taking painkillers he has been able to continue.

He faces a 100-foot cliff of ice and also has frostbite on his nose, but is said to be in good spirits.

Alexandra Foley, a spokeswoman for the expedition, said that he was lucky no bones were broken.

She added: "It is a dangerous place to be.

"He was worried he might have broken his leg but he seems to be okay.

"If he had broken his leg, clearly he would not have been able to continue and he would have had to call to be rescued.

"David is a very determined person and if he sets out to do something, he is usually pretty good at achieving it."

Mr Hempleman-Adams, who has scaled the highest peak on each continent and reached each of the poles before, has dedicated his latest trek to TV journalist Terry Lloyd, who had covered his previous adventures and who was killed while working in Iraq.

The trek to the pole marks the 20th anniversary of the beginning of Mr HemplemanAdams's exploration career - and it will be his last solo expedition.

He attempted the solo and unsupported expedition to the Geomagnetic North Pole back in 1999 but failed.

On that expedition he found to his gradual alarm that his map of Ellesmere Island did not show the 500-feet hills that abounded.

Negotiating them slowed his progress to such an extent that it became clear he would run out of food before the end of the expedition.

This latest trip involves some daunting hazards, including thin ice, minus 40 degree temperatures, polar bears and glaciers - not to mention being totally alone.

In 1998 he became the first person to complete the Explorers' Grand Slam, a challenge that had seen him conquer the North and South Geographical and Magnetic Poles and scale the highest mountain in each of the seven continents, including Everest.

In 2000 he became the first man to fly a balloon over the North Pole.

The Geomagnetic North Pole is located south east of the Darling Peninsular, north of Qaanaaq (Thule) in Greenland.

Bath Chronicle

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