James Hooper English traveler and explorer Country: Great Britain

Biography of James Hooper

James Hooper, an English traveler and explorer, was born and raised in West Sussex, England. He spent his childhood years attending Christ Hospital School where he formed a lifelong friendship with his best friend, Rob Gauntlet.

In 2003, the idea of climbing Mount Everest came to James and Rob. They embarked on a journey to conquer the world's highest peak. Their training began with a two-week bicycle trip around Norway. By January 2004, they had already completed their first ascent to the peak of Chamonix in the French Alps. They continued to improve their mountaineering skills through various training sessions across the UK and Europe.

In August 2004, James and Rob attempted to conquer the Karakoram mountain range in northern Pakistan. Unfortunately, they had to abort the climb due to heavy snowfall, followed by a month-long storm. Although they did not reach the summit, the experience of battling the elements proved invaluable.

After a year of further training, James and Rob embarked on a challenging eight-week bicycle journey from Bilbao to Istanbul, covering a distance of three thousand miles. This test proved their readiness for the next stage of training, a highly difficult ascent of Ama Dablam, one of Nepal's most beautiful mountains.

Their ultimate goal was to conquer Mount Everest. With great difficulty in finding sponsors for the expedition, James and Rob successfully reached the top of the world on May 17, 2006.

Less than a year later, James and Rob devised a new adventure, an expedition from pole to pole. Over the course of fourteen months, they covered over twenty-six thousand miles, traveling from the North Pole to the South Pole on skis, by dogsled, bicycle, and sailboat. In May 2008, they completed their epic journey in Sydney, Australia, earning the title of "Explorers of the Year" by the National Geographic Society.

The death of Rob in 2009 deeply impacted James, but he managed to gather himself and continues to inspire other travelers through his accomplishments and speeches. He leads campaigns for environmental conservation and actively promotes a healthy lifestyle.