| The actual ascent of Everest took ninety days enduring extreme weather, two
months of limited sleep and almost running out of oxygen deep inside the 'death
zone' (above 26,000 feet). On the way down from his first reconnaissance climb,
Bear cheated death while navigating the perilous Khumbu Icefall, the ice cracked
and he fell into a 19,000 foot deep crevasse, was knocked unconscious and came
to swinging on the end of a rope. Had it not been for the tenacity of his team
mates he would not be alive today. Before the Everest expedition, Bear spent three years as a Specialist Combat
Survival Instructor and Patrol Medic with the SAS. In September 1997, he became
the Youngest Briton to climb Mount Ama Dablam in the Himalayas (22,500 feet), a
peak described by Sir Edmond Hillary as 'unclimbable'.
In 2002 he led the first team to Jet Ski around Britain, using a pioneering
new fuel made from rubbish and that was followed by abseiling the tallest
building in Chelsea Harbour, going down the Thames by boat to the city airport
where he completed 22 flat spins in a plane in the fastest time possible in aid
of The Haven Trust, a breast cancer charity.
A keen motorcyclist, Bear is a guest presenter on Meridian's Ridgeriders
series, talking about the countryside and places of interest on a ride through
Hampshire. As a survival expert he is totally at home in any outdoor situation
and when in London he lives on houseboat with his wife. He also owns an island
off the Welsh coast. He has a passion for sailing and all extreme sports.
His book, 'Facing Up', published by Macmillan soared into the best seller
list and to date has sold over 20,000 copies. In August 2003, Bear led the first
crew to cross the Atlantic via the Arctic Circle in an open rigid inflatable
boat, in aid of The Prince's Trust. This expedition is the subject of his latest
book, 'Facing The Frozen Ocean' which was published by Macmillan in 2004.
He has a natural talent for communication and public speaking which has taken
him around the world. One of the youngest motivational speakers on the
international circuit, he has also come to the attention of many TV and Radio
programmes and has a survival series on Channel 4 starting in Spring 2005.
"Bear was one of the best speakers we've had in five years"
PRICE WATERHOUSE COOPER
"Our thanks for your professional and inspirational contribution to our
lunch, the combination of your particular style and breathtaking video was
entirely appropriate and hit all the right notes".
THE INSTITUTE OF DIRECTORS
"All our senior Chief Executives had great things to say about Bear, he
was a fantastic speaker".
UBS WARBURG SENIOR TEAM DINNER
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