Inspiring Explorers and Adventurers

[TerraMer]

Who inspires you to get out and explore? Marco Polo? Burke and Wills? Your kids or your parents?
Do you have any favourite historical and modern explorers and adventurers?

When I was little, learning about Australian explorers in infants and primary school, I imagined myself as each of them as I played on the property, we had horses so Eyre was a favourite. Walking to school became a daily adventure as my 8yo imagination turned everything into deserts and mountains and rivers.
At about 10 I learnt about aboriginal trackers and was totally in awe of their ability to read their landscape. After school I'd be in the bush tracking animals, interpreting changes in insect behaviour, studying scats, scratchings and bones.
Who else had to read Robyn Davidson's epic camel journey, Tracks, as part of their yr8 curriculum? She is my first real inspiring adventurer.
Since then I have held many in very high regard but a few stand out like Sorrel Wilby, Ffyona Campbell, and Paula Constant for their stories of courage and personal struggles, their successes and being able to share in their journey through books and documentaries.

I also enjoy reading the stories on here, seeing photos of great destinations, this is also inspiring

[John Sheridan]

The Leyland Brothers

[stu]

The book Sheer Will by Michael Groom started my obsession with all things mountains.
A very humble and inspiring modern adventurer.

[forest]

That's an easy one for me.

John McDouall Stuart

Why, Because I'm one of his closest living decendants and carry his full name + my own first name.
Kinda cool to have such a strong family link.

I always stir friends when they have been to NT or SA and I ask them if they have driven on the Stuart HIghway.. When they say yeh, I drill them on not asking permission to drive on "my" road. They normally discount the comment with a "yeh right". A short explanation and they say next time they will ask first

Really disappointed that I'm not on Larapinta now like I should have been. I was planning to camp on Stuart's Pass on the same date he travelled back through 150 years ago (This year is the return journey 150y anniversary). NT National Parks was very excited I would be out there doing that. Oh well, Little bub due in 8 weeks I and figured after much debate that now wasn't the time to disappear for 3 weeks in the bush.

Doesn't help that my "mates" are out there now doing just that LOL, What are friends for. (But I'm really glad they went)

Planning for next year now before bub can crawl hopefully.

[ULWalkingPhil]

Michael Groom.
I read his book Sheer Will and met him in person and watched one of his inspiring lectures.

[doogs]

I read 'Touching the void' when I was about 15 years old and that is an inspirational story of survival and is one of my favourite books. I grew up in the UK reading the autobiographies of Doug Scott, Dougal Haston, Chris Bonnington etc. all of whom have done amazing pioneering mountaineering and climbing. These folks are all amazing characters but my inspiration comes from someone else who 'came' from that era of British mountaineering, my Dad. He brought me and my brother up in the hills of Scotland during our holidays, he was a teacher so had plenty time to take us out He seemed 10ft tall and bullet proof. It wasn't until I became older that I started to ask about his feats when he was younger, and as it turned out he spent several summers in Chamonix around the crowd mentioned above. He didn't push himself to climb pioneering routes like these guys, didn't risk his life trying to make a living out of mountainering but you can still find his name in guide books as a first ascentionist of some routes. He went on to be the leader of the local Mountain rescue team for several years and through be a teacher he had the oportunity to introduce walking and climbing to thousands of kids.
My Dad

[Lizzy]

I am a fan of Sorrel Wilby too- loved "Across the top" her himalayan traverse. A stand out is Hubert Wilkins an Australian polar explorer who did heaps of great things but seems to be not very well known....he was an explorer, aviator, environmentalist, meteorologist, photographer, war correspondent etc etc. His biography "The last Explorer" is a great read.

[hikingoz]

I found the biography of Stuart very entertaining. The underdog of Aussie explorers and definately a tough character...

[Kinsayder]

That's pretty awesome, Doogs. You're deservedly proud from the sounds of it.

[creeping_moses]

Olegas Truchanas, for the way he handled himself when out walking, but mostly for the way he handled himself when not.

[durks]

... the autobiographies of Doug Scott, Dougal Haston, Chris Bonnington etc. all of whom have done amazing pioneering mountaineering and climbing ...

Haston was an outstanding and briliant climber. However, my perception of him is now somewhat coloured due to the revelation (in the biography written by Connor) of an accident that happened whilst he was driving under the influence of alcohol. Anybody can make a mistake - even a terribly serious one - but he didn't seem to have learned the lesson.

A great climbing inspiration though, no question.

... my inspiration comes from someone else who 'came' from that era of British mountaineering, my Dad ... you can still find his name in guide books as a first ascentionist of some routes ...

If you don't mind me asking, what's his name?

Last edited by durks on Sat 30 Jun, 2012 12:29 am, edited 1 time in total.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Olegas Truchanas, for the way he handled himself when out walking, but mostly for the way he handled himself when not.

+ 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. He was the greatest.

[Dale]

I read 'Touching the void' when I was about 15 years old and that is an inspirational story of survival and is one of my favourite books.

+1 and loved the film as well.

[puredingo]

Ol' liver eaten johnston...That pilgram cooked good rabbit.

[andrewa]

You might wonder about this particular response on a bushwalking forum, but I'm one of those people who has multiple interests, and I'm just responding to the queary! I love bushwalking, ski touring, fly fishing, Packrafting, and sea kayaking, and just getting away from people!

Please consider extending your interests, and having a look at some of this stuff. Unfortunately there isn't a website for the Sth Georgia Is trip, but you can google some images, and the book is well worth reading. If anyone is interested, I can fwd Graham's email - the book cost me about $35 from him, and when you consider how much a trip like theirs cost, it is nice to chuck a few $ back.

1) Roman Dial - who has taken packrafts to where they are now. He packrafted the Franklin recently.

Blog spot

http://packrafting.blogspot.com.au/

Fantastic YouTube about Packrafting Nz rivers a few years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYcouzq7 ... ata_player

Graham Charles, Mark Jones and Marcus Waters, who were the first people to sea kayak around Sth Georgia Island. Recently read their book "The Unclaimed Coast" -amazing. Unfortunately out of print, but available from Graham

Luc Mehl - one of Roman's associates, who does some amazing outdoor trips
http://thingstolucat.com/logan-traverse/

But, basically, anyone who gets out there, and is inspired enough to provide imagery for all the rest of us who would like to get out there more, but can't. I did think that blogs were narcissistic, but now understand that some of them do provide me with some inspiration.

I hope I have inspired some to extend their interests with this post.

A

[Swifty]

I would have to say Ernie Shackleton is right up there - how to handle a disaster and get everyone out alive! His book "South" is highly recommended!
If you ever wanted to get into trouble with anyone, he's the man.

[ILUVSWTAS]

No mention of Bear Grylls??

[andrewa]

No, BG doesn't inspire me, other than his ability to use a flint......

[hikingoz]

1+ for Bear Grylls. Climbing down a waterfall is a survival must. What an inspiration.

[tas-man]

Ernest Shackelton, and Woodrow Wilson Sayre are the two names that first come to mind when I saw this topic. My first inspiration to "get out there" was the 1964 book "Four Against Everest" by Sayre which I found in a bookstore throwout table for 20c in about 1968. It was a cheap paperback edition, and went bush with me for re-reading over many years, until it fell apart. It is an amazing story of how four Americans made an illegal lightweight attempt on Mt Everest in 1962 in comparison to the efforts of the time that used an army of sherpas and oxygen and took "forever". The final chapter documented all their planning, preparation, equipment, food etc complete with weights of every item. Their focus on fully understanding the risks and "being prepared" for whatever my come still stirs my blood and makes me want to set challenges for myself that take me out of my comfort zone . If anyone is interested in this story, here's a link with further information http://www.4everest.org/sayre/1962.html

[DarrenM]

John Muir, Andrew McAuley (RIP), and my friends.

Last edited by DarrenM on Sun 01 Jul, 2012 8:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[John Sheridan]

Dora The Explorer.

[norts]

Olegas and Deny( as per NNW)would be my Tasmanian inspirations, especially when I am struggling along the track , I think about what they did.
Roger

Last edited by norts on Tue 10 Jul, 2012 10:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[north-north-west]

Me.

(And it's Deny, norts. One n only. Some mispellings really cheese me off and that one's on the top of the list.)