by Bear Grylls
Collins, Alastair (of DLE), sponsors climb 265
convent school, meeting girl at 88–9
cool, failing to look 49–50
Copeland Islands, County Down 7
Costa Rica, boulder-fall 3
County Down, Portavo Point 7, 12, 14, 16, 24–5
Cranham, Rob 374
crevasse, fall into and rescue 286–90
Crosthwaite, Mick 82, 94, 98–9, 371
and Everest expedition 276, 277–9, 284–9, 294, 296, 302, 303, 306–7, 308–10, 353, 357, 360
Cyprus visit with MG 54–6
Darjeeling 112
Dartmoor, with MG 47–8
Darwin, Charles, Origin of Species 7
Davis Langdon and Everest (DLE), sponsors climb 265–6, 344
Death Zone, Everest 282, 319–20, 323–47
electric storm 331
Del Shoopman (LA support team) 398
despair 241–4, 246–8, 301–3
despair, overcoming 249–50, 252–7, 326–8
Dipendra, Crown Prince 76
Discovery Channel, spotted by 383
Disraeli, Benjamin 237
Dobrudja 11
Dolly (old black cab) 363
Donaghadee lifeboat 15–17
Donaghadee, Portavo Point 7, 12, 14, 16, 24–5
Down, Michael 281, 302, 313, 319, 324, 329–31, 332, 346–7
Dray, Ian 390
Emmy nomination 385
Enoeda, Sensei 73
Escape to the Legion 235
Etheridge, Dan 386, 391
Eton College, BG at 64–70, 75–94
Eton mountaineering club 82
Everest 1
and risk-taking 113, 258, 268–9, 280, 295, 310–11, 313–17, 346–7, 348–9, 356, 358–60
climbers and 260–2
climbing, Everest 282
dream 45, 247, 248, 252, 256–7
first view 113
lecturing on 366–9
Nepalese people and 262
recovery from 358–9
seen from Ama Dablam 269
‘shuffle’ 282
south-east face 276–9
Everest expedition
preparation 257–8, 267
planning 276–7
sponsorship seeking 263–7
training for 270–2, 277–9
acclimatizing 280–3
acclimatization climbs 284–99
altitude problems 282, 294–6, 326–8
frostbite 1, 253, 331, 333
oxygen issues 308–9, 317–18, 326, 330–1, 332–3
Sherpa climbing team 281–2, 284–5, 296, 329, 330–1, 332, 333, 359–60
sickness 301–4
tent survival 297–8
weather and forecasts 299–301, 303, 310–11, 312
summit attempts
first summit party 302–10
BG waits at camp 2 310–12
second summit party (BG and Stanford) 304–10
third summit party 313–20, 323–54
camps
base camp 278, 280–1, 282, 289–90, 292, 349–54
camp 1 285, 291
camp 2 292, 294, 299, 304, 305–7, 310–13, 347–8
camp 3 295–6, 297–9, 315–16, 346–7
camp 4 305, 323–5, 329, 345
climbs
balcony ledge 306, 309, 330
Death Zone 282, 319–20, 323–47
electric storm 331
Geneva Spur 305–6, 318–19
Hillary Step 307, 336, 339–40
Khumbu Icefall 278, 279, 284–91
Lhotse Face 278, 305, 347
South Col 278, 306, 319–20, 323–4, 346
1996 casualties 319–20
South Summit 307, 334–9
Valley of Silence 278
Western Cwm 278, 291–2, 294–9, 318, 349
Yellow Band 318
summit 343–4
downward journey 344–54
Nuptse Face, collapse 348–9
exam results 101–2, 116
failure, fearing/risk-taking 101–2, 136–7, 144, 153, 181–2, 241, 257, 301–3, 391, 398–9
fame abroad 385–6
fear
and being left 58, 60, 63
and bullying 58, 60–1, 67–9
and panic 241, 272
and school 58–9, 60–1, 64–5
of failure 101–2, 136–7, 144, 153, 181–2, 241, 257, 301–3, 391, 398–9
overcoming 57–9, 398–9
recognizing 45
Fiennes, Sir Ranulph, at Eton 78–9
Fisher, Nigel 21–2, 34
Fisher, Patricia, née Smiles (Patsie, BG’s grandmother) 12, 20–3, 24, 25, 28, 33–4, 377, 384
flying, Walter Smiles and 10, 16
Ford, Mary-Rose 21–2, 41
Ford, Neville 20–1, 22–3, 33
Foster, Michael 398
frostbite 1, 253, 331, 333
game farm, Transvaal 239
games launched 394
Gaudin, Duncan 390–1
Geneva Spur, Everest 305–6, 318–19
George Le Beau (LA support team) 398
German language problems 119–20, 125
girlfriends, early 85, 88–91, 99–100, 252
Grylls, Bear
childhood
adventures with MG 44–9, 52, 54–6
early 24–31, 37–40, 41–3
Isle of Wight 32–6, 44–6
nose injured 38
Portavo Point 24–5
sailing 48–9
Swiss holiday 39–40
prep school 42–3, 57–9, 60–3
Eton College 64–70, 75–94
school holidays 96–104
married life 375–6, 379, 381–2, 389, 398
Welsh island 382
Grylls, Brigadier (BG’s Grandpa Ted) 37–8
Grylls, Huckleberry (BG’s son) 381–2
Grylls, Jesse (BG’s son) 11, 108, 381–2
Grylls, Lara (BG’s sister) 22, 24, 42, 96, 97, 366
and BG’s Everest attempt 258
as sister 28–30
‘Bear’ nickname for BG 81
BG living in her flat 108–9
Laser sailing boat 48
Grylls, Marmaduke (BG’s son) 183, 381–2
Grylls, Michael (BG’s father) 24, 25, 32, 35, 37–40, 102, 243, 274–5, 374, 384, 394
adventures with 44–9, 52–6
and BG at prep school 42–3, 57, 60
as commando 44
as father 41–3
death 380, 383
practical jokes 39–40
Grylls, Sally née Ford (BG’s mother) 21–2, 25–9, 32, 34–6, 37–40, 48, 52, 53, 58, 60, 72–3, 96–7, 102, 182, 243, 250, 274–5, 277, 293, 366
Grylls, Shara (née Cannings Knight) 108
and Ben Loyal 270–2
and island survival camp 396
engagement to 364–5, 372
initial relationship 273–5, 277, 290, 300, 362–5
wedding 373
Grylls family 7–9, 10–33
and BG’s Everest attempt 258
and BG’s spinal injury 243
Guarachi, Bernardo 280, 323–4
gymnasium, Mr Sturgess’s, BG and 26–7
Habeler, Peter 268
Hall, Rob 261, 338
Harrison, Ginette 268
Headley Court, Military Rehabilitation Centre 250–3
headmaster’s daughter 62–3, 65
heat exhaustion 161–3
Hillary, Edmund 260, 277, 336
Hillary Step, Everest 307, 336, 339–40
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute 112
Himalayas 260
British Ama Dablam Expedition 267–9
hiking in 112
own expedition 395
seen from Everest 298–9
training with Crosthwaite 277–9
homeless people, Bristol 120
hospitals 3
Hugo (Eton friend) 94
&n
bsp; at Bristol 120, 121
hypothermia 183–4
India, Walter Smiles in 12
Indian Himalayas, hiking in 112
InterRailing holiday 104–6
Iraci, Mr 121
island survival camp 396
Isle of Wight
BG’s childhood 32–6, 44–6
school holidays 96–104
camping with Shara 274–5
Jagged Globe expedition company 267–8
Japan, KUGB tour 70–2
Jen (LA support team) 398
Jennings, Mark 356
Kami Sirdar (Sherpa) 281, 359
karate 70–4, 75–6, 77
black belt 72–4
training camp, Japan 71–2
Karate Union of Great Britain (KUGB), Japan tour 70–2
Kathmandu 355
Kennedy, John F. 313
Khumbu Icefall, Everest 278, 279, 284–91
kidnap-hostage exercise 217–24
Kugy, Julius 360
ladders, Khumbu Icefall 284–5, 359
Lapkass, Andy 280, 301
Larne 13
Laughton, Neil 371, 374
Everest expedition 257–8, 267, 296, 302, 303, 306–7, 309, 311, 313–15, 319, 324–5, 329–31, 333–4, 343, 346, 355, 357, 360
frostbite 253, 331, 333, 352–4
lecturing, learning 366–9
Lee, Pete 391
Lhotse 318
Lhotse Face, Everest 278, 305, 347
library dome climb 78–80
lifestyle, unhealthy 371
Llewellyn, Rob 391
low tide, mudbound 51–2
luck and risk 348–9, 377, 382–4, 386–7, 391–2, 393–4, 400–2
MacIver, Rob 384
Mackenzie-Smith, Hugo 371, 366, 369
Mackesy, Charlie 363, 371, 373
adventures with 108–10
in Bristol 120
Man vs. Wild 3, 235, 383–4, 385–92, 393–4
married life 375–6, 379, 381–2, 389, 398
marsh exercise 153–7
martial arts 68, 69
see also karate
Matt (SAS recruit) 207–8, 222–3, 228–9
Men’s Journal 38
Messner, Reinhold 268
Mexico, Cancun honeymoon 375
MI5, asks for job at 116–18
middle classes, second most admired person 395
midges ordeal 154–5
Military Rehabilitation Centre, Headley Court 250–3
Mills, Sir John 368
money, SG on 97
Montana, mineshaft collapse 3
moon-grass 153, 156, 172–3, 175, 177, 184, 190, 192–5, 271
moped, purple 50cc 96
Morrell, Paul (of DLE), sponsors climb 265
Mother Teresa 113–15
motivational speaking 368–9
motor-mechanics, at Eton 83–4
motorbikes 233–4, 251
mountains, and creating bonds 86–7
multiple sclerosis, Brian and 373, 379–80
Myrtle, Brigadier Andrew (BG’s uncle) 33, 41, 54, 56
Neil (homeless guy) 120
Nepal, Crown Prince Dipendra 76
Nepalese people, and Everest 262
Nigel (Bear and Shara’s friend) 371
night navigation 147–8
Nima (Sherpa) 284–9, 359
ninjutsu 75, 97
Nora (LA support team) 398
Norgay, Tenzing Sherpa 260, 277
North Down
Patricia Ford MP for 20–2
Walter Smiles MP for 12
Northern Ireland, Walter Smiles and 7, 12
Nuptse Face, Everest, collapse 348–9
Officer Training Corps (OTC) 123
Official Secrets Act 127
opportunity, and risk-taking 310–11, 313–17, 369, 372, 386
oxygen issues 308–9, 317–18, 326, 330–1, 332–3
Parks, Nick 390
Pasang (Sherpa) 303, 307, 309, 359
Pearce, Dave 390
Penny (cousin) 363
phoning home 292–3
physical demands, SAS Reserves
pre-Selection 136–9
Poole Harbour island, house-sitting 370–2
Portavo Point 7, 12, 14, 16, 24–5
Princess Victoria ferry disaster, Walter
Smiles and 13–17, 20
Quibell, Mr (Eton housemaster) 83–4
Rankin, Steve 390
Ratcliffe, Graham 281, 302, 313–15, 319, 324
realism issues, TV shows 387–8, 389–90
Reay, Simon 1–3, 390
recklessness and risk-taking 62, 251, 253, 268–9, 310, 316–17, 332, 346–7, 391–2
risk-taking
and Everest 113, 258, 268–9, 280, 295, 310–11, 313–17, 346–7, 348–9, 356, 358–60
and opportunity 310–11, 313–17, 369, 372, 386
and recklessness 62, 251, 253, 268–9, 310, 316–17, 332, 346–7, 391–2
and rulebreaking 161, 163, 208, 251
and TV shows 391–2, 401–2
‘risking it all’ 113, 163, 358, 386, 391
rituals, Eton 65
Ritz, Paul 391
Romania, helping church 106–7
Ross (TV team) 390
Royal Marines Potential Officer Selection 82, 132–3
Royal Naval Armoured Car Division, Walter Smiles and 10–11
Royal Navy, BG lieutenant-commander 2005 394
rule breaking, and risk 161, 163, 208, 251
Russian Everest team 355–6
Russian Imperial Army, Walter Smiles and 10–11
Russian Journal 11
sailing, in childhood 48–9
school, BG and 25–6, 42–3
reports 101–2
Scouting Association, Chief Scout 31, 396–7
Scouts, BG and 30–1
Scug (BG nickname) 66
Segel, Dave 398
self-defence classes, running 110–11
seventh coolest British man 395