September 2011: First British team to win the America’s Challenge balloon race
May 1995. On top of the Carstensz Pyramid, last of my seven summits.
Hot as a furnace. Western Cwm on the south side of Everest, 1993.
Everest 2011. The team in Kathmandu.
Everest 2011. Our truck, having crashed into the ravine. Ironically, out of all of them, it was only Malcolm Walker’s barrel that we didn’t manage to recover.
Everest 2011. The view from our mess tent at Base Camp.
Everest 2011. Advance Base Camp with North Col and summit above on a good weather day. Actual summit mostly hidden behind ridge, with cloud blowing off.
Everest 2011. Climbing ridge towards Camp Two.
Everest 2011. Ngatemba on his holidays at the notorious second step.
Everest 2011. Me on summit, another day at the office.
Everest 2011. The four climbers who made the summit: Duffy, Justin, DH-A and Rod.
Everest 2011. Dachhiri Sherpa nearing summit, Tibetan foothills in background.
March 1983. It’s all over! Cracked ribs end my North Pole dreams.
November 1995. Before setting off individually for the South Pole, DH-A, Borge, Fyodor, Bernard and Thierry.
January 1996. I’ve made it! At the South Pole and happy, despite the obvious frostbite on my nose.
April 1998. The last week and the rubble has not abated. Still no sign of the wide open pans of flat ice we had been led to expect.
April 1998. We encounter more water as we approach the Pole and the thaw accelerates.
Mount Vinson 1994. Setting up Base Camp at the start of the season. Very, very cold.
1997. Rune being heavy handed with his equipment. The sledge didn’t float very well.
1998. Close to the North Pole. Floating on a small ice floe over an open lead of water.
2003. Geomagnetic Pole.
At the Geomagnetic North Pole in April 2003, the finish, bollocksed but happy. (© Paul Grover)
September 2002. Over Pittsburgh, first failed Rozier crossing of the Atlantic.
September 2003. Mid-Atlantic on Rozier crossing.
October 2004. Rozier altitude record, at the top and not coming down. Mummy, help me!
January 2007. On hot air balloon altitude record, I’m almost too big for the basket.
July 2007. Launch site from St John’s, Newfoundland for gas balloon Atlantic crossing.
2007 Atlantic crossing, landing in France.
First drink in a week after my 2007 Atlantic crossing.
2008 Gordon Bennett in Albuquerque. Balloons inflating at launch site.
2011 Americas Challenge. Jon and me at altitude on oxygen, floating across the Prairies.
2011 Americas Challenge in Albuquerque. The winners!
2011 Americas Challenge Albuquerque. Me, dog tired.
No Such Thing as Failure Page 25