Explorer to tell of adventure at Probus’s next meeting
Some of his achievements include becoming the youngest person ever, at the age of 25, to lead an expedition to Mount Everest in 1999.
Probus Bedfordview will host their next meeting on May 6 as they host guest speaker, Alex Harris.
He is an endurance athlete who has climbed Everest and the seven summits; walked to the South Pole and across the Arabian Desert; and cycled 4 200km from Canada to Mexico along the Rocky Mountain trail.
He graduated from the University of Johannesburg with a BA in Sport Psychology (Cum Laude).
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After joining the Mountain Club of South Africa in 1992, he started fulfilling his desire to climb some of the world’s highest mountains.
He is a motivational and inspirational speaker on the school and corporate circuit.
Some of his achievements include becoming the youngest person ever, at the age of 25, to lead an expedition to Mount Everest in 1999.
In 2007/08, Alex, with his teammate, Sibusiso Vilane (in 2003, the first black South African to climb Mount Everest), became the first Africans to walk without assistance to the South Pole, a journey that took 65 days and covered 1 113 Km.
In temperatures from -80ºC to -400ºC, they did it without support teams putting out food or rigging tents, and on foot, without wind power or dogs to get there.
They pulled 130kg sledges for 10 hours a day in thick snow.
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In 2008, he led a three-man team to make the first unsupported crossing of the Arabian desert, the so-called Empty Quarter (Rub’ al Khali).
This 40-day trip saw the team walk 1 210km from Salalah, Oman to Dubai Creek in Dubai, enduring high temperatures while pulling an expedition cart weighing 400kg that contained their supplies.
He is also a keen caver and always seeks adventure in faraway places.
When he is not at the top of a peak, deep underground or sharing his story on stage, you will find him tearing along a stretch of tar on his beloved road bike, preparing for his next journey.The public is welcome to join the session from 10:00 to 10:30 in the lounge of St George’s Village.
