Polar Explorers

This section centralises the names, nationalities and short bios of the polar explorers that have appeared on this website since it was launched in November 1997. Please bear in mind that this section is a work in progress

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Fiennes Ranulph (Sir) (United Kingdom)

Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd Baronet OBE (born 7 March 1944), usually known simply as Ranulph (Ran) Fiennes, is a British explorer and holder of several endurance records.He is known to be the first man to visit both the north and south poles by land.
Finsaas Ronny (Norway)

The legendary Ronny Finsaas (the kiting god) is an expert in kite polar travel. When not involved in an expedition, or cooking at the Finse 1222 hotel, he can usualy be found outside teaching ski-sailing or doing ski-sail expeditions around Finse. Being a member of the local rescue team, he also has wide experience of glacier rescue.
Floate Sandra (Australia)

Sandra Floate is the mother of 2 children and is working with her partner Harry in their business "Harry's Cabinets". She is known in the polar world for having taken part in what was dubbed the "Ice Maidens" expedition during the 2004/2005 Antarctic season.
Franco Christina (Italy)

In 2009 and 2010, the adventuress, Christina Franco, who lives in London and ardently defends the plight of the rhinoceros and is an ecologist through and through, has twice tried to reach the North Pole. Unsuccessfully.
Fuchs Arved (Germany)

German explorer Arved Fuchs was born in 1953. In 1989, Arved and the famous mountain climber Reinhold Messner were the first to reach the South pole without using only skis and kites. He is the first and - to date - only person to have reached both poles on foot within a single year.
Funatsu Keizo (Japan)

Keizo Funatsu is a great adventurer, born in Osaka, Japan in 1956. He graduated from Kobe University. He was an office worker for a Japanese business firm but quit in 1984. After he left his regular job, he started his life as an adventurer. In 1985, he moved to Minnesota where he learned about mushing. Keizo Funatsu was the dog handler of the famous Trans-Antarctica Expedition by Jean-Louis Etienne (1989-90) that went from the Antarctic Peninsula to the Russian research base of Mirny.
Gambi Rob and Jo (Australia)

In 2005 Rob and Jo Gambi became the first married couple to achieve the ultimate adventurer's ambition when they climbed the "Seven Summits" (the highest mountains on all seven continents) and skied to both the North and South Poles. Rob is also the first Australian and Jo the first female to achieve this feat.
Gerber Andrew (South Africa)

29 year old Andrew Gerber lives in London and works as a management consultant. He was born and brought up in South Africa and moved to England in 1994 to read history at Durham University. Following his graduation in 1997, he headed for Sydney, Australia where he joined an American consulting firm Bain & Co. In 1999 he moved with Bain to Stockholm Sweden, where he stayed for almost three years before moving back to London.
Giasson Olivier (Canada)

Together with Sébastien Lapierre, Olivier Giasson has tried a Greenland crossing in spring 2010. Both had to abandon due to the fact that arrived on the spot, they had received bad information and they have been dropped quite far (3 days skiiing) from the glacier they had choosen to climb to get on the plateau.
Gildea Damien (Australia)

Damien Gildea has already seven Antarctic trips under his belt. He has made it to the top of Mt Vinson 3 times already and has ascended 8 times the nearby summits.