Expedition Stories

From the highest mountains to wide deserts

Read about inspiring explorers

France

Hillary Gerardi

Hillary Gerardi, an extraordinary mountain runner who has taken the world of trail running by storm. Renowned for her remarkable achievements, she has etched her name in the annals of athletic history with her recent awe-inspiring feat. In an astonishing display of endurance and skill, Hillary shattered records by completing the daunting ascent and descent of Mont Blanc in a mind-boggling time of 7 hours and 25 minutes, firmly establishing herself as a force to be reckoned with in the world of mountain running.

Nepal

Lucy Westlake

In the world of mountaineering, Lucy Westlake has emerged as a remarkable force, proving that age is no barrier when it comes to achieving the extraordinary. Her journey is a testament to the power of determination, passion, and the unwavering pursuit of one's dreams. With just a few months over 18 years old, she became the youngest American woman to stand on top of Mount Everest.

Nepal

David Göttler

David Göttler is a German professional alpinist who is known for his impressive feats of mountaineering. One of his most notable achievements is summiting Mount Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen - something only very few climbers have ever achieved. The magnitude of this achievement can not be overstated, as the lack of oxygen at these high altitudes in the so-called 'Death Zone' can make it extremely difficult and incredibly dangerous for climbers to breathe and function properly.

Canada

Jim Baird

Jim Baird is a Canadian adventurer and filmmaker known for his extraordinary survival skills in the wilderness. He was born and raised in Canada, where he developed a passion for outdoor activities such as canoeing, fishing, and camping from a young age.
In 2016, together with his brother Ted, Jim was selected as a contestant for the History Channel series, Alone, a show where participants are dropped off in the wilderness with minimal supplies and left to survive for as long as they can.

Norway

David & Guylee

Guylee Simmonds and David Schabel are two adventurers who share a love for sailing and restoring old boats. In 2019, they set out on a daring mission to refurbish a lifeboat, name it Stødig, and sail it from the United Kingdom to Tromsø, Norway. The journey took them through some of the roughest seas and challenging conditions, but their determination and passion kept them going.

The World

Liz Warner

Liz Warner is a woman with a mission: to empower women around the world through her passion for running and travel. In early 2019, she launched Run to Reach, an 18-month marathon fundraising campaign with the goal of running 30 marathons in 30 countries before turning 30, to support one local, women-empowerment organization in each country visited. The outcome was remarkable, with Liz crossing her 30th and final finish line in June 2020, raising over $50,000 for these organizations.

Antarctica

Kate Leeming

Kate is an Australian explorer and adventurer who has cycled a distance greater than twice the world's circumference. On August 16th, 2010, she made history by becoming the first person to cycle an unbroken line from Africa's most westerly to its most easterly points, covering a distance of 22,040 km over ten months in her Breaking the Cycle in Africa Expedition.
Kate's latest adventure is the Breaking the Cycle South Pole expedition, which will culminate in the first bicycle crossing of the Antarctic continent via the South Pole in 2023.

Amazon / North West Passage

West Hansen

West Hansen is a world-renowned adventurer and explorer who is best known for his incredible feats of physical endurance and exploration in some of the most challenging environments on the planet. In 2012, he made history by becoming one of only a few people to paddle the entire length of the Amazon River.

His next adventure will be even bigger and a true first. Together with his team “The Arctic Cowboys” he wants to cross the Northwest Passage in a kayak.

USA

Julian Carr

Julian Carr is an extreme ski athlete. At a young age he realized something magical: Fresh, soft powder snow acts like a foam pit or a lot of pillows allowing for big jumps and soft landings. And that's what he did. He jumped off huge cliffs. He won countless awards, won a gold medal at the X-Games and eventually went on to hold a world record for jumping off a cliff that is 220ft (about 70m).

The World

Tom Turcich

The death of his friend Ann Marie woke Tom up to his own mortality and forced him to reconsider what he wanted to do in his life. To get the most out of his life and deal with the pain and loss, he decided to walk.
On April 2nd, 2015, after getting all his affairs sorted at home on the US east coast, he started the walk.

The World

Erden Eruç

Today Erden holds 15 World Records, many of them due to his incredible achievement to follow this line using human power only. That's why his biggest record stands taller than all - The first to solo circumnavigate the planet using only human power.How can one push themselves to so extreme limits? How do you keep going when all is against you? And how can you cope with being alone, at sea?

Mt Rainier (US) & Everest

Jim Davidson

For many years Jim and his partner Mike have been climbing together and were an experienced duo. In 1992, in their mid-twenties, they climbed Mt Rainier in the US. Everything went well to the top, but it was the way down from the summit that ended in a disaster.
And over 20 years later, while on Everest, disaster struck again.

Pakistan

Ane Færøvig

Ane Færøvig's story is so unique because, in contrast to many experienced mountaineers, who pile decades of experiences, she started out at zero recently. Her big dreams lead her to pain, fear, misery, joy, failure, and ultimately success and unprecedented passion.

Jongsong - India

Varuna Raina
In 2022 Varuna Raina was among only four selected civilians to join the Indian Army on a unique expedition to one of the most remote (and usually restricted) peaks in India: Climbing 7462m Jongsong peak that has only ever been summited once.                                                                                                                  

Sweden - Egypt

Dorothee Hildebrandt

72-year-old Dorothee cycled 8000km + to COP27 in Egypt to raise climate awareness. She fought dogs and loneliness along the way but managed to meet the Egyptian president and tell him her message in person. "Stop polluting our planet"

The World

Markus Stitz

Growing up in repressive East Germany, Markus loves and values freedom more than anything. In 2015, he set out on his journey of freedom, with a single-speed bike (that is a bike without any gears) to cycle around the world t- his dream of freedom. A journey that took him around the world and when he came back he understood the difference between, being lonely and being alone.

Australia

Louis-Philippe Loncke

Louis-Philippe Loncke put his name on the map when in 2008 he crossed the vast and deadly Simpson Desert in Australia in 35 days covering 800km, only using his own feet and carrying a heavy sled with him through the sand.
And then he did something even more extreme: Crossing Tasmania in Winter

Canada

Karl Kruger

As a winner of the 2017 'race to Alaska' Karl Kruger is not unknown in the SUP scene. But in 2022 he set out to his newest challenge. All alone and only with his SUP he wants to become the first person to cross the notorious North West Passage in Canada stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

Greenland

Eric Poulin

Together with his partners Sam and Ken, Eric set out to hike and packraft the sheer vastness of Greenland for several weeks.  Mysterious landscapes and majestic landscapes resulted in astonishing pictures and misery they endured in a fascinating story.

Nepal

Mark Guido

After recovering from open heart surgery, he set out to scale the highest mountain in the world. But on Everest you do not only need a strong heart, but the entire body rebels, as at 8000m the Death Zone starts.

Do you want to share your own expedition here?

Around the world

Toni Rodriguez Escoll

Now at the age of 55, Toni has decided to make his dream come true and travel the world on his bike. Having already experienced great hospitality and unfortunate hostility as well, he is certain that on his journey around the world he will see many open doors and meets countless open hearts.

Switzerland

Babsi Zangerl & Jacopo Larcher

Babsi Zangerl and her Partner Jacopo Larcher climbed the hardest free-climbing route on the Eiger North Face - the 1400m tall Odyssee - in 16h. Being surprised by thunderstorms and ice, this became the hardest day of their lives

Germany - Tibet

Stephan Meurisch

It all started out when Stephan walked the Camino de Santiago and shortly after decided to go further and longer. Fueled by the protests around Free Tibet, he wanted to travel to Tibet. However, he had two significant challenges ahead.

Brazil

Torben Landskrone

In his traditional canoe, Torben started at the border of Colombia and Brazil to reach the city of Manaus, which is more than 1,600 kilometers downstream using only a wooden paddle as propulsion. Just before departing, he met Rob and the two of them started an epic adventure, which didn't go as planned...

Your adventure here

 

Contact us, if you have gone on an expedition or demanding adventure.

Share your story here and inspire people to go out and explore the world

Sign up to stay updated when new features come live

by clicking "Sign up" you agree that the World Explorers Collective can use your email address to contact you and use your data in accordance with EU data protection law