Pen Hadow shot to international fame in 2003 when he made history by completing the first solo journey, without re-supply, from Canada to the North Geographic Pole – a task thought comparable to climbing Everest solo without oxygen. To this day he remains the only person to have achieved this feat.
Nine months after his return from the North Pole, Hadow went on to become the only Briton to have trekked, without re-supply, to both Poles when he led ex-French Foreign Legionnaire, Simon Murray, on a new 1,200 km route to the South Geographic Pole. The 58-day journey from the continental coast of Antarctica enabled his 63 year-old partner to become the oldest person in the world to make the trip, a record he still holds. The trek raised £280,000 which was used to restore the most important artefacts held within the Royal Geographical Society’s polar collection.
Recognized within the polar community as one of its most pioneering spirits, Hadow has dedicated his life to pushing the boundaries of what is known to be possible personally, commercially and geographically. His love of adventure was first noted at age seven, when his mother found him hanging upside-down by his legs high in an apple tree to see how long he could do it. She found him four hours into the stunt with a noticeabley swollen head!
Hadow began exploring in his twenties and soon turned his passion into a business when he launched the world's first polar guide service. His company took people from all walks of life to two of the most inaccessible and extreme environments on Earth - the Arctic Ocean and Antarctica. Personally selecting and preparing the expedition teams, most of which he led himself, his company was famously responsible in 1997 for the first all-female expedition to reach the North Geographic Pole and later for their entry into the Guinness Book of Records.
Hadow’s autobiography, Solo, was published in 2004 and quickly became one of Penguin's leading Christmas titles that year. He has worked with the National Geographic Channel on various documentaries and also hosted a five-part series for UK’s Radio 4 about Jules Verne.
Not surprisingly, Hadow’s passion for the Arctic Ocean has led to his next endeavour – Arctic Survey – which is taking place throughout mid-2009. The Arctic Survey, directed by Hadow, will carry out the first detailed surface survey of the thickness of the North Pole ice cap. It addresses one of the most vital environmental questions of our time – how long will the ice cap be with us?
Most climate change scientists believe 80% of the ice cap will have melted within 30-100 years’ time, with many dramatic consequences, both locally and globally. However some leading oceanographers have recently suggested it may disappear within just five years. The Arctic Survey will provide missing data so urgently needed by scientists and policy-makers to confirm the approximate date of its demise.
Pen Hadow is one of the world's most accomplished polar explorers. His eyewitness and extreme account of the impact of climate change provide a sobering yet motivational backdrop as to why we must rethink the way we plan, build and manage the urban environment.
Pen Hadow, Great Britain’s highest profile Polar Explorer, is available through IMG Speakers Bureau for speaking engagements. Pen Hadow is also available for corporate hospitality events, business seminars, meet and greets, and much more. Please contact IMG Speakers at 212-774-6735 or speakers@imgworld.com for more information on booking Pen Hadow.
