Sir David Kim Hempleman-Adams, (born 10 October 1956 in
Swindon
Swindon () is a town and unitary authority with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Wiltshire, England. As of the 2021 Census, the population of Swindon was 201,669, making it the largest town in the county. The Swindon un ...
, Wiltshire) is an English industrialist and adventurer.
He is the first person to complete the
Adventurers Grand Slam, by reaching the Geographic and Magnetic North and South Poles as well as climbing the highest peaks in all seven continents, the first person to fly to the North Pole in a balloon, and the first person to make a balloon crossing of the Atlantic in an open basket.
Early life
David Hempleman was born in Moredon, Swindon on 10 October 1956. Following his parents' divorce, he moved with his mother to Stoney Littleton near
Bath
Bath may refer to:
* Bathing, immersion in a fluid
** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body
** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe
* Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities
Plac ...
, and, when she remarried, took his stepfather's surname Adams.
He took part in the
Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (commonly abbreviated DofE) is a youth awards programme founded in the United Kingdom in 1956 by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, that has since expanded to 144 nations. The awards recognise adolescents and young ...
scheme at school, then pursued business studies at college in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
and at
Bristol Polytechnic
The University of the West of England (also known as UWE Bristol) is a public research university, located in and around Bristol, England.
The institution was know as the Bristol Polytechnic in 1970; it received university status in 1992 and ...
. At the same time, he started climbing with fellow student Steven Vincent.
Expeditions
He first summited
Mount Everest
Mount Everest (; Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation (snow heig ...
in 1993, and summited
Mount McKinley
Denali (; also known as Mount McKinley, its former official name) is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. With a topographic prominence of and a topographic isolation of , Denali is the thir ...
, Alaska, in 1980, and
Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It has three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world: above sea level and ab ...
in 1981.
In 1984, he successfully completed a solo expedition to the
Magnetic North Pole
The north magnetic pole, also known as the magnetic north pole, is a point on the surface of Earth's Northern Hemisphere at which the planet's magnetic field points vertically downward (in other words, if a magnetic compass needle is allowed t ...
without dogs, snow mobiles or air supplies. Also he led the first team in 1992 to walk unsupported to the
Geomagnetic North Pole
The geomagnetic poles are antipodal points where the axis of a best-fitting dipole intersects the surface of Earth. This ''theoretical'' dipole is equivalent to a powerful bar magnet at the center of Earth, and comes closer than any other poin ...
. This was described in the book ''A Race Against Time''. In 1996, he completed a solo unsupported expedition to the South Pole on 5 January, sailed to the
South Magnetic Pole on 19 February, and led a team of novices to ski to the Magnetic North Pole on 15 May. The book ''Toughing it Out'' describes David's first 20 years of adventuring.
In 1998 he joined Norwegian
Rune Gjeldnes
Rune Gjeldnes (born 20 May 1971 in Surnadal) is a Norwegian adventurer. He completed his military education in 1992, when he met fellow adventurer-to-be Torry Larsen, also of Møre og Romsdal. Gjeldnes served in the Norwegian Naval Special Opera ...
in an attempt to reach the
Geographical North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distinguish from the Magn ...
, the final leg of his Grand Slam attempt, which he described in a book called ''Walking on Thin Ice''.
He became the first man to fly a balloon over the North Pole in 2000, a trip that emulated the ill-fated attempt by
Salomon August Andrée
Salomon August Andrée (18 October 1854, in Gränna, Småland – October 1897, in Kvitøya, Arctic Norway), during his lifetime most often known as S. A. Andrée, was a Swedish engineer, physicist, aeronaut and polar explorer who died while ...
, a Swede, to fly to the North Pole in the 19th century and which he also described in a book called ''At The Mercy of the Wind''.
He has made thirty Arctic expeditions and has reached the various Poles a record 14 times.
On 22 September 2003 he became the first person to cross the Atlantic Ocean in an open wicker basket
Rozière balloon
A Rozière balloon (or simply Rozière) is a type of hybrid balloon that has separate chambers for a non-heated lifting gas (such as hydrogen or helium) as well as for a heated lifting gas (as used in a hot air balloon or Montgolfière). The design ...
. The journey was from
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
, Canada to north of
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
, UK.
In July 2004 he and co-pilot Lorne White flew a single engine
Cessna
Cessna () is an American brand of general aviation aircraft owned by Textron Aviation since 2014, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Originally, it was a brand of the Cessna Aircraft Company, an American general aviation aircraft manufacturing c ...
from
Cape Columbia
Cape Columbia is the northernmost point of land of Canada, located on Ellesmere Island in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut. It marks the westernmost coastal point of Lincoln Sea in the Arctic Ocean. It is the world's northernmost point of land ...
in the north of Canada to
Cape Horn
Cape Horn ( es, Cabo de Hornos, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramírez ...
at the southern tip of South America, covering 11,060 miles and arriving on 23 July after 12 days.
In June 2005, Hempleman-Adams staged the world's "highest" formal dinner party. Hempleman-Adams, Alan Veal, and fellow adventurer
Bear Grylls ascended to 24,262 feet in a
hot air balloon
A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carries p ...
. Grylls and Veal, wearing formal attire, then climbed down to a dinner table suspended 40 feet below the balloon and dined on asparagus, salmon, and summer fruits, and finally parachuted down to earth.
In January 2007, Hempleman-Adams broke the quarter-century old world small sized hot air balloon altitude record, by ascending to 9,906 meters over
Alberta, Canada
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to t ...
; beating the previous record of 9,537 metres set by
Carol Davis in
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
.
In July 2007 Hempleman-Adams crossed the Atlantic in the smallest
helium balloon
A gas balloon is a balloon that rises and floats in the air because it is filled with a gas lighter than air (such as helium or hydrogen). When not in flight, it is tethered to prevent it from flying away and is sealed at the bottom to prevent t ...
to break the record for that particular class of balloon flying this distance. His aim was to land the balloon in Ireland but he was blown over to England by strong winds. Se
Toshiba Challenge website
In September 2009 he broke the endurance record for a flight using the smallest man-carrying helium balloon. He flew 200 miles from
Butler, Missouri
Butler is a city in Bates County, Missouri, United States and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The population was 4,219 at the 2010 census. The county seat of Bates County, the city is named for William Orlando Butler, a noted Ame ...
, to
Cherokee, Oklahoma
Cherokee is the largest city within, and county seat of, Alfalfa County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,476 at the 2020 census, a decline of 1.5 percent from 2010.
History
Settlement and founding
After the land opening of 1893, ...
, in 14 hours and 15 minutes using the class AA-01 balloon. The previous record was an eight hours and 12 minutes flight undertaken by American Coy Foster in March 1983.
On 10 October 2008 Hempleman-Adams, along with co-pilot Jon Mason won the 52nd
Gordon Bennett Cup, having flown a helium balloon from
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
eventually landing over 1000 miles later near
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...
. They are the first British team to win the coveted prize in 102 years.
To coincide with the 100th anniversary of
Scott's expedition to the South Pole, ''The Heart of the Great Alone'' was published with the Royal Collection. It brings together a selection of the astonishing photographs taken by
Herbert Ponting
Herbert George Ponting, FRGS (21 March 1870 – 7 February 1935) was a professional photographer. He is best known as the expedition photographer and cinematographer for Robert Falcon Scott's Terra Nova Expedition to the Ross Sea and South Pol ...
and
Frank Hurley
James Francis "Frank" Hurley (15 October 1885 – 16 January 1962) was an Australian photographer and adventurer. He participated in a number of expeditions to Antarctica and served as an official photographer with Australian forces durin ...
with commentary and narration by David.
In September 2010 he competed in the
Gordon Bennett 2010 balloon race held in the UK for the first time.
In May 2011 he led the Iceland Everest Expedition on the
North Side of Everest. £1.2 Million was raised for their chosen charity.
In October 2011, along with co-pilot Jon Mason, David won the Americas Challenge Balloon race and in doing so set a new duration record for the race. They are the only British team to win both the Gordon Bennett Balloon Race and Americas Challenge.
Personal and family life
Hempleman-Adams has worked in the chemical manufacturing business. He joined his father's company, Robnor (later Robnorganic Systems), later becoming managing director. The company was sold to Mason Corporation in 1995. Subsequently, he was non-executive chairman of Global Resins. He was a non-executive director of XP Power, a PLC Company based in Singapore which manufactures in the US, Europe, China and Vietnam. He is chairman of Hempleman Investment Company, a commercial property company.
He lives in Wiltshire with his partner Dr Ros Smith and has three daughters, Alicia, Camilla and Amelia, from his previous marriage.
In February 2020 his eldest daughter,
Alicia Hempleman-Adams, set the World Female Altitude Record in an AX4 Class hot air balloon, at 4628m, and the British Female Duration Record at 1h 46min in the same flight. Aged 8, she became the youngest person to stand at the North Pole and in April 2005, aged 15, she became the youngest person to traverse
Baffin Island
Baffin Island (formerly Baffin Land), in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada and the fifth-largest island in the world. Its area is , slightly larger than Spain; its population was 13,039 as of the 2021 Canadia ...
.
In April 2008 his middle daughter, Camilla, at the age of 15, became the youngest person to ski the last degree to the North Pole.
In December 2011 his youngest daughter, Amelia, at the age of 16 became the youngest person to ski to the South Pole having completed Shackleton's last 98 nautical miles. In 2021 she competed at the
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the thre ...
.
Social and charitable work
He retired as a Trustee of
St John Ambulance
St John Ambulance is the name of a number of affiliated organisations in different countries which teach and provide first aid and emergency medical services, and are primarily staffed by volunteers. The associations are overseen by the internat ...
in 2021 having been involved with the charity for 26 years and having held senior since 1999. In 2002 he raised money to buy ambulances for St John through a series of lectures. In 2019 he sailed from Plymouth, U.K., to New York, to promote the work of St John and to encourage young people to try something new.
He retired as a Trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award in 2017 having been a Trustee for 10 years.
He is a Trustee of The Royal Aero Club Trust.
In 1992 Hempleman-Adams co-founded The Mitchemp Trust, a registered youth development charity working with vulnerable young people aged 11 to 14 years old from across Wiltshire and the UK who are suffering the effects of poverty and rural isolation. The Mitchemp Trust subsequently rebranded as The Youth Adventure Trust.
In 2009 Hempleman-Adams founded Wicked Weather Watch, a charity aimed at informing young people about climate change.
In summer 2016, Hempleman-Adams successfully completed the
Polar Ocean Challenge - an historic attempt to be the first British sailing yacht to sail around the Arctic Ocean in one summer season, circumnavigating the North Pole and sailing through the Northeast and Northwest Passages. This expedition was undertaken to increase awareness of climate change and loss of ice in the Arctic Ocean.
In October 2004, he was appointed a
Deputy Lieutenant for Wiltshire. He was appointed
High Sheriff of Wiltshire
This is a list of the Sheriffs and (after 1 April 1974) High Sheriffs of Wiltshire.
Until the 14th century, the shrievalty was held ''ex officio'' by the castellans of Old Sarum Castle.
On 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Gov ...
for 2016–17.
Honours and awards
In 2013 he was awarded the
Polar Medal
The Polar Medal is a medal awarded by the Sovereign of the United Kingdom to individuals who have outstanding achievements in the field of polar research, and particularly for those who have worked over extended periods in harsh climates. It w ...
and bar by
HM The Queen for services to the UK in the field of polar research.
He received the MBE in the
Queen's Birthday Honours in 1995 and then the OBE in the
Queen’s Birthday Honours in 1998 for services to Arctic Exploration.
He was appointed
Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...
(LVO) in the
2007 New Year Honours
The New Year Honours 2007 were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to Orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms, various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Hono ...
and
Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, or ...
(KCVO) in the
2017 New Year Honours
The 2017 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours were awarded as part of the New Year celebrati ...
, both in recognition of his service to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme.
In 2016 he was made a
Knight of Justice of the Order of St John
The Order of St John, short for Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (french: l'ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem) and also known as St John International, is a British British monarchy ...
.
In 2000, he was awarded the Gold Medal of the
Royal Aero Club
The Royal Aero Club (RAeC) is the national co-ordinating body for air sport in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1901 as the Aero Club of Great Britain, being granted the title of the "Royal Aero Club" in 1910.
History
The Aero Club was foun ...
.
In 2004, he was awarded ‘
The Explorers Medal’, by
The Explorers Club
The Explorers Club is an American-based international multidisciplinary professional society with the goal of promoting scientific exploration and field study. The club was founded in New York City in 1904, and has served as a meeting point fo ...
at their Centennial Dinner.
In 2022, he was awarded the Royal Geographical Society Founder's medal for 'enabling science through expeditions, and inspiring younger generations of geographers.'
He became a
Freeman of the City of London
The Freedom of the City of London started around 1237 as the status of a 'free man' or 'citizen', protected by the charter of the City of London and not under the jurisdiction of a feudal lord. In the Middle Ages, this developed into a freedom or ...
in 2008.
See also
*
References
External links
Wicked Weather WatchYouth Adventure Trust
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hempleman-Adams, David
1956 births
English explorers
English polar explorers
Harmon Trophy winners
Explorers of the Arctic
Alumni of the University of the West of England, Bristol
Living people
People from Swindon
Deputy Lieutenants of Wiltshire
Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Officers of the Order of St John
Britannia Trophy winners
Flight altitude record holders
British summiters of Mount Everest
High Sheriffs of Wiltshire
Balloon flight record holders
British aviation record holders
Fellows of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society
Recipients of the Polar Medal