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Eamon Christopher McKinley "Ginge" Fullen QGM[1] (born 1967/1968) is a British mountaineer and former Royal Navy clearance diver who holds the Guinness World Records for the fastest climbs of every peak in Europe and Africa.[2][3][4]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Born | 1967/1968 (age 57–58) |
| Climbing career | |
| Type of climber | |
| Known for | First to climb the highest point in each European country, and the fastest to climb the highest point in each African country |
Early life and diving career
editFullen joined the Royal Navy in 1984, when he was 16 years old. As a clearance diver, he specialized in removing unexploded ordinances in the oceans around the world.[5] He was awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal in the 1988 New Year Honours for saving lives during the 1987 MS Herald of Free Enterprise ferry disaster[6] whilst serving in the Royal Navy.[1][4]
Fullen broke his neck in 1990 while playing rugby.[4]
In 2007, while paying off climbing expenses, a vessel Fullen was working on in the Bight of Benin was attacked by Nigerian pirates.[5]
Climbing career
editGrowing up inspired by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, Fullen climbed Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Russia and Europe, in 1992. The year after, he climbed Kilimanjaro and Denali, where he struggled with altitude sickness. Fullen suffered a heart attack on Mount Everest in 1996, which led him to cap his ascents at 6,000 metres (20,000 feet). In 1999, Fullen became the first person to climb the highest point in each of the 47 European countries.[5][7][8]
After completing the European high points, Fullen made the first ascent of Uzbekistan's highest point and Bangladesh's highest point. He then shifted focus toward Africa, moving to the continent in 2002. After one year, Fullen climbed every country high point in Africa except for Bikku Bitti, Libya. After two unsuccessful expeditions, Fullen summited Bikku Bitti in December 2005.[note 1][5]
In 2018, after summiting Pico da Neblina, the highest peak of Brazil, Fullen contracted leishmaniasis.[5]
Fullen has climbed 174 country high points, the most of any person in the world.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "No. 51183". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1987. p. 61.
- ^ "Fastest time to climb the highest peaks in all African countries". Guinness World Records. 25 December 2005. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
The record for the fastest time to climb the highest peaks in all African countries is 5 years, and was achieved by Eamon 'Ginge' Fullen (UK) when he reached the Bikku Bitti Peak, Libya, on 25 December 2005. He climbed the highest peaks of each of the 53 African countries as listed in the beginning of the attempt. HRH Prince Charles endorsed the attempt. He reached the first peak, Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, the highest peak in Africa, on 25 December 2000.
- ^ Bugge, Jon (10 October 2003). "The view from the top". The Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
- ^ a b c "An Interview with Adventurer Ginge Fullen - 7 Summits Project". 5 March 2016. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "Ginge Fullen: summit special". Red Bull. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
- ^ Nick, Metcalf (6 March 2017). "The Herald of Free Enterprise – 30th Anniversary". www.nickmetcalfe.co.uk/. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
- ^ Goodwin, Steven (26 April 1996). "Trapped on Everest? I'm on my mobile". The Independent.
- ^ Frick-Wright, Peter (15 January 2019). "The Mad, Obsessive Quest to Summit the World's Highest Points". Outside Online. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
Notes
edit- ^ Fullen achieved this when there were 53 African countries, before the separation of South Sudan.
External links
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