When I decided to compile my own list of greatest adventurers in response to Tarquin Cooper’s selection in The Telegraph I pondered briefly about criteria, categories etc. Then I decided instead to merely rattle off some of my heroes, in no order and with no justification.
Disagree with my choices? Have your say in the comments.
Ranulph Fiennes
Benedict Allen
Bill Tilman
TE Lawrence
Scott, his team, and an honorary mention for Cherry for showing what level expedition writing could achieve
Roald Amundsen
Wilfred Thesiger
Ibn Battuta
Fitzroy Maclean
Marco Polo
Freya Stark
Miles and Beryl Smeeton
Thor Heyerdahl
Ferdinand Magellan
Wally Herbert
Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins
Mallory and Irvine
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15 Comments
this is a fascinating text, it’s absolutely an article to check out again
I’dd have to add Shackleton to my personal list, a real expedition leader who always put his mens lives ahead of his own goals, something which unfortunately cannot be said about many other adventurers.
Yes – he should be on the list for sure.
Great list! If we are talking about personal heroes then Mike Horn with his 27 month circumnavigation of the Arctic Circle among one of his great feats is high on my list.
Great list! Personally i’d include Col. John Blashford Snell and Karl Bushby
I became the first person in history known to have followed the 13,000 mile (20,000 Km) journey of Marco Polo from Venice, Italy to Israel, across Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and all of China to Beijing. My new book “The Marco Polo Odyssey” tells the story.
emailed suggestions from Tom Lloyd-Smith:
“Reinhold Messner
Robert O’Hara Burke & William John Wills”
Interesting list. Nice to see a few lesser known names in there. Alongside Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins I would add all the Russian cosmonauts and US astronauts that flew in space prior to the end of the Apollo program, with a special mention of Yuri Gagarin.
Paul just emailed me to ask if I’d change “Russian” to “Soviet” on his comment. A good point – I’m not sure the Uzbek Uri Gagarin would take to kindly to being called a “Russian” these days…
A great list, but it needs to have Fridtjof Nansen on it (first crossing of Greenland – got close to the north pole in the Fram – did some great science and became a diplomat). All round top bloke!
Hi Alastair,
Surprised not to see Heinz Stücke on your list http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinz_St%C3%BCcke
Well he is my hero anyway
)
All the best
good afternoon,
I wonder if you could give me some advice. I am working on a project to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee and would like to include information on great British Adventurers during the Queen’s reign. Having read the Telegtraph’s top 20 and your blog, I realise that this is an area that needs careful consideration. I would hate to leave out anyone who has achieved so much. Would you be happy to give me guidance? I would really appreciate it.
Many thanks Jan
Happy to help if I can. Drop me an email with your selection…
Many thanks. I am putting it together now, so will be back to you shortly. Kind Regards Jan
What about Joshua Slocum or Captain Cook?
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