Rob Gauntlett
Rob is the main inspiration behind this expedition. He was a dear friend who achieved so much in his 21 years; his spirit will be with everyone who knew him forever. Rob lived life to the full and had the most amazing drive, passion and energy. Rob, with his expedition partner James Hooper, became the youngest Brit to summit Everest in 2006, aged just 19. I spent 6 months supporting Rob and James on part of their pole-to-pole man-powered journey in 2009. Their journey involved skiing from the Geomagnetic North Pole in Greenland, sailing to New York, cycling south through the Americas and sailing to the Magnetic South Pole, just off the coast of Antarctica - a 13,000-mile, 13 month expedition. I was privileged to support Rob and James for six-months as they cycled through South America and I joined them to help crew on the 9,500 nautical-mile Southern Ocean final sailing leg. It was a 72-day passage involving huge storms, monstrous waves and an unforgettable camaraderie. Not long after the expedition, on January 9th 2009, however, Rob tragically lost his life in a climbing accident in the French Alps. His good friend James Atkinson, also aged 21, sadly also died in the tragedy. Rob inspired so many people to achieve their goals and he will always be missed by family and friends. For more information about Rob's life and achievements, please click on the links below.
Press Articles
180 Degrees Pole-to-Pole
3,800 miles in the saddle
To raise funds for the Rob Gauntlett Trust I pedalled across Canada in 2009. Averaging 80 miles per day, the ride took 47 days and involved passing through 5 time zones. Click on the logo here to visit the ride website.