Living Dangerously: The Autobiography of Ranulph Fiennes

Product Information

The Last Expedition (2012), Vintage Classics. ISBN 978-0-09-956138-5 (by Captain Robert Falcon Scott, new edition introduction by Ranulph Fiennes). After the war his mother moved the family to South Africa, where he remained until he was 12. While in South Africa he attended Western Province Preparatory School in Newlands, Cape Town. Fiennes then returned to be educated at Sandroyd School, Wiltshire and then at Eton College. I can’t think that anybody could be disappointed in a person who chose to confront his vertigo by climbing Everest for charity. And given the rapturous applause and admiration that filled the spectacular Grand Hall at the end of the evening, it was clear that he certainly hadn’t disappointed the audience. What a wonderful night! Battersby, Kate (12 February 2015). "Ranulph Fiennes: I don't think I do amazing things". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 31 December 2022 . Retrieved 31 December 2022. Dobson, Jim. "World Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes And Actor Joseph Fiennes on Their New Adventure Series in Egypt". Forbes. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020 . Retrieved 2 January 2020.

In Living Dangerously, Sir Ranulph offers a personal journey through his life, from his early years to the present day. Both light-hearted and strikingly poignant, Living Dangerously spans Sir Ranulph’s childhood and school misdemeanours, his army life and early expeditions, right through the Transglobe Expedition to his current Global Reach Challenge – his goal to become the first person in the world to cross both polar ice caps and climb the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. More Tales from the Travellers: A Further Collection of Tales by Members of the Travellers Club, M. Tomkinson Publishing. ISBN 978-0-905500-74-4 (with Sir Chris Bonington, Sandy Gall and others).

Breaking Everest and Eiger records

a b Day, Alan (3 January 2006). Historical Dictionary of the Discovery and Exploration of the Northwest Passage. Scarecrow Press. pp.91–93. ISBN 9780810865198. Archived from the original on 21 October 2023 . Retrieved 19 November 2020. As part of the Transglobe Expedition, Fiennes and Burton completed the Northwest Passage. They left Tuktoyaktuk on 26 July 1981 in an 18ft open Boston Whaler and reached Tanquary Fiord on 31 August 1981. [14] Their journey was the first open boat transit from West to East and covered around 3,000 miles (2,600 nautical miles or 4,800km), taking a route through Dolphin and Union Strait following the south coast of Victoria Island and King William Island, north to Resolute Bay via the Franklin Strait and Peel Sound, around the south and east coasts of Devon Island, through Hell Gate and across Norwegian Bay to Eureka, Greely Bay and the head of Tanquary Fiord. [14] Once they reached Tanquary Fiord, they had to trek a further 150 miles via Lake Hazen to Alert before setting up their winter base camp. [ citation needed] It’s astonishing to learn, given his passion for mountaineering, that Fiennes suffers from vertigo, but if there’s a lesson to be derived from his career, it’s that he has never been interested in admitting defeat. This trait has occasionally cost him dear and he knows the agony of frostbite on these far-flung expeditions. Yet he keeps persevering. Ranulph Fiennes pulls out of Antarctic journey". USA Today. Associated Press. 25 February 2013. Archived from the original on 1 March 2013 . Retrieved 16 August 2013.

Fiennes spent the last two years of his army career seconded to the army of the Sultan of Oman. At the time, Oman was experiencing a growing communist insurgency supported from neighbouring South Yemen. After familiarisation, he commanded the Reconnaissance Platoon of the Muscat Regiment, seeing extensive active service in the Dhofar Rebellion. He led several raids deep into rebel-held territory on the Djebel Dhofar and was decorated for bravery by the Sultanate. After eight years' service Fiennes relinquished his commission on 27 July 1971. [10] Expedition leader [ edit ] It’s pretty simple: don’t allow yourself to think below your feet at all. It seems obvious but don’t look down. Offended by the construction of an ugly concrete dam built in Wiltshire by 20th Century Fox [8] for the production of the 1967 film Doctor Dolittle, Fiennes attempted to destroy the dam but the police foiled the plan. [9] Fiennes had to pay a large fine and he and a co-conspirator were dismissed from the SAS. He was initially posted to another cavalry regiment but was eventually permitted to return to the Royal Scots Greys. Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd Baronet OBE (born 7 March 1944), commonly known as Sir Ranulph Fiennes ( / ˈ r æ n ʌ l f ˈ f aɪ n z/) and sometimes as Ran Fiennes, [a] is a British explorer, writer and poet, who holds several endurance records. Fiennes stood for the Countryside Party in the 2004 European elections in the South West England region – fourth on their list of six. The party received 30,824 votes – insufficient for any of their candidates to be elected. Contrary to some reports, he has never been an official patron of the UK Independence Party. [25] He is also a member of the libertarian pressure group The Freedom Association. [26] In August 2014, Fiennes was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue. [27] Media appearances [ edit ]Since that controversy, he has become the first person to cross Antarctica by foot, climbed Mount Everest at the age of 65 and gained the title of “World’s Greatest Living Explorer”. Earlier in his life, he was considered for the coveted role of James Bond and made it to the final six contenders, but was eventually rejected by producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli for having “hands too big and a face like a farmer.” Career [ edit ] Fiennes at the Celebrating Captain Scott's Legacy event in London, 2012 Officer [ edit ] According to an interview on Top Gear, Fiennes was considered for the role of James Bond during the casting process, making it to the final six contenders, but was rejected by Cubby Broccoli for having "hands too big and a face like a farmer", and Roger Moore was eventually chosen. [28] Fiennes related this tale again during one of his appearances on Countdown, in which he referred also to a brief film career that included an appearance alongside Liz Fraser. [29]

This, after all, is the man who, while part of the SAS, was so offended by the construction of an ugly concrete dam by 20th Century Fox for the production of their fabled film Doctor Dolittle that he plotted to destroy it and used explosives which he later claimed to have accumulated from leftovers on training exercises. When I did the north face of the Eiger, I was being led by this guy who had done Everest 11 times. Just don’t look down…To the Ends of the Earth: The Transglobe Expedition, the First Pole-to-pole Circumnavigation of the Globe (1983). ISBN 978-0877954903. Mad Dogs and Englishmen: An Expedition Round My Family (2010), Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-92504-1.