Rob Gauntlett
Encyclopedia
Rob Gauntlett was an English
adventurer, explorer and motivational speaker
. In 2006 he became the youngest British climber to summit Everest.
, West Sussex
and was educated at Christ’s Hospital. After graduating he cycled from Bilbao
to Istanbul
with Richard Lebon.
, James Hooper
, decided that they wanted to climb Mount Everest
. After training in Scotland
, the French Alps
, on Spantik
in Pakistan
and Ama Dablam
in Nepal
, on 17 May 2006 they reached the summit of Everest, Gauntlett becoming the youngest British climber to do so, a week after his 19th birthday.
to South Magnetic Pole
s, using only human and natural power, to help raise awareness of climate change
. They travelled by ski
, dog sled
and sail boat to New York City
, by bicycle on to Panama City
and then sailed to Guayaquil
in Ecuador
before resuming their bicycles for the journey to Punta Arenas
, Chile
for the final sea voyage. Having completed the 22,000 mile (35 200 km) trip, the pair sailed 1,800 nautical miles on to Australia
.
The expedition helped to raise money for The Prince's Trust
, and in November 2008 Gauntlett and Hooper were named as the National Geographic Society
’s Adventurers of the Year at the Society's headquarters in Washington, D.C.
at Chamonix
in the Alps
. They had been on holiday in France with Hooper and Richard Lebon, another friend.
The friends split into two groups with Gauntlett and Hooper helping the less experienced other two. Because of the weather Hooper decided not to climb. At around 6:30 local time Gauntlett and Atkinson fell from the ice. The cause of death is still unknown. Both were aged 21.
On 21 March 2009, a memorial service was held in Christ's Hospital Chapel to commemorate the two.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
adventurer, explorer and motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
. In 2006 he became the youngest British climber to summit Everest.
Early life
Gauntlett grew up in England at PetworthPetworth
Petworth is a small town and civil parish in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England. It is located at the junction of the A272 east-west road from Heathfield to Winchester and the A283 Milford to Shoreham-by-Sea road. Some twelve miles to the south west of Petworth along the A285 road...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
and was educated at Christ’s Hospital. After graduating he cycled from Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
with Richard Lebon.
Everest
In 2003, with no climbing experience, Gauntlett and a school friend from SomersetSomerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, James Hooper
James Hooper
James Hooper, in 2006, became one of the youngest Britons to climb Mount Everest, along with his school friend Rob Gauntlett. In November 2008 James and Rob were awarded with the National Geographic Adventurers of the Year prize for their expedition from the North Geomagnetic Pole to the South...
, decided that they wanted to climb Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
. After training in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the French Alps
French Alps
The French Alps are those portions of the Alps mountain range which stand within France, located in the Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions....
, on Spantik
Spantik
Spantik or Golden Peak is a mountain in Spantik-Sosbun Mountains subrange of Karakoram. Its northwest face features an exceptionally hard climbing route known as the "Golden Pillar". It lies east of Diran and northeast of Malubiting.-Climbing:...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and Ama Dablam
Ama Dablam
Ama Dablam is a mountain in the Himalaya range of eastern Nepal. The main peak is , the lower western peak is . Ama Dablam means "Mother's necklace"; the long ridges on each side like the arms of a mother protecting her child, and the hanging glacier thought of as the dablam, the traditional...
in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, on 17 May 2006 they reached the summit of Everest, Gauntlett becoming the youngest British climber to do so, a week after his 19th birthday.
Pole to Pole
Between 8 April 2007 and 9 October 2008 Gauntlett and Hooper made a 180º expedition from NorthNorth Magnetic Pole
The Earth's North Magnetic Pole is the point on the surface of the Northern Hemisphere at which the Earth's magnetic field points vertically downwards . Though geographically in the north, it is, by the direction of the magnetic field lines, physically the south pole of the Earth's magnetic field...
to South Magnetic Pole
South Magnetic Pole
The Earth's South Magnetic Pole is the wandering point on the Earth's surface where the geomagnetic field lines are directed vertically upwards...
s, using only human and natural power, to help raise awareness of climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
. They travelled by ski
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
, dog sled
Dog sled
A dog sled is a sled pulled by one or more sled dogs used to travel over ice and through snow. Numerous types of sleds are used, depending on their function. They can be used for dog sled racing.-History:...
and sail boat to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, by bicycle on to Panama City
Panama City
Panama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...
and then sailed to Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
in Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
before resuming their bicycles for the journey to Punta Arenas
Punta Arenas, Chile
Punta Arenas is a commune and the capital city of Chile's southernmost region, Magallanes and Antartica Chilena. The city was officially renamed Magallanes in 1927, but in 1938 it was changed back to Punta Arenas...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
for the final sea voyage. Having completed the 22,000 mile (35 200 km) trip, the pair sailed 1,800 nautical miles on to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The expedition helped to raise money for The Prince's Trust
The Prince's Trust
The Prince's Trust is a charity in the United Kingdom founded in 1976 by Charles, Prince of Wales to help young people. They run a range of training programmes, provide mentoring support and offer financial grants to build the confidence and motivation of disadvantaged young people...
, and in November 2008 Gauntlett and Hooper were named as the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
’s Adventurers of the Year at the Society's headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Death
On the morning of 10 January 2009 a mountain rescue team found the bodies of Gauntlett and a companion, James Atkinson, who had been killed, when they accidentally fell whilst ice climbingIce climbing
Ice climbing, as the term indicates, is the activity of ascending inclined ice formations. Usually, ice climbing refers to roped and protected climbing of features such as icefalls, frozen waterfalls, and cliffs and rock slabs covered with ice refrozen from flows of water. For the purposes of...
at Chamonix
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics...
in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
. They had been on holiday in France with Hooper and Richard Lebon, another friend.
The friends split into two groups with Gauntlett and Hooper helping the less experienced other two. Because of the weather Hooper decided not to climb. At around 6:30 local time Gauntlett and Atkinson fell from the ice. The cause of death is still unknown. Both were aged 21.
On 21 March 2009, a memorial service was held in Christ's Hospital Chapel to commemorate the two.