For English adventurer Benedict Allen, exploration is a personal business, best done by interacting with indigenous people, on their terms, alone and without backup.
What were the early influences and experiences that set you on the road to exploration?
My father was a test pilot, and I used to watch him fly over our back garden as a little boy. One day he dipped the wing of a plane – it was a Vulcan Bomber – as a way of saying hello. I still remember the excitement – I was probably aged four or less. I think having a pioneer as a father made all the difference. It made it seem possible to do something a little bit different. By the age of ten I announced my decision to my parents. My mother was appalled: it was bad enough for her having to worry about my dad. Now I was going to follow suit! But I was a dreamer, a romantic, as well as mission-orientated like my dad. So I did my journeys in my own way, offto far corners of the world.
Were you ever drawn to climb Everest?
I have never had an interest in Everest. I have an interest in mountaineers, or some of them, because I share at least some of their desire to push themselves, to reach into the unknown. But why today would someone climb Everest? It is not the most difficult place to climb or reach. Sadly, the name carries kudos; ascending it is about bragging rights. I’m more interested in a little old lady who has pushed herself to the limit in climbing a local hill. She has done it for herself. She needs no one to applaud her.
Antarctica is probably the largest blank on the map. Did that ever appeal, especially given the rich British heritage of explorers there?
Walking to the South Pole is not exploration, although it may well be an astounding athletic feat. The land itself enchants me, but very early on I decided to learn about the world through indigenous people, who see places l ike the Amazon, or Arctic, or Borneo, as their home. As a resource, not a threat. And as the Antarctic has no indigenous people, I quickly specialised in places elsewhere.
この記事は Action Asia の November - December 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Action Asia の November - December 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Policing Paradise
Palau’s President Tommy E. Remengesau Jr has established his country in the vanguard of global efforts on ocean conservation, in particular with the 2015 designation of much of its territorial waters as a marine reserve and no-take zone. Policing this vast area though remains immensely challenging.
The Not-So-Silent World
Human activities may be emitting levels of noise that harm marine life.
Once Were Warriors
A visit to the 2018 World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan is a surreal trip to a time and place where martial skills matter.
The Secret Life Of Pangolins
PALAWAN – IT’S 1AM AND MOST PEOPLE are safely in their beds. Instead I’m deep in the jungles of Palawan with an international team of researchers and a squad of Philippine Marines, searching for pangolins, the most illegally trafficked mammals on Earth.
Feast Your Senses
The Alta Via 1 is the classic Dolomite trail, bringing the peaks within arm’s reach as you hike between homely refugios and historic war-time fortifications.
China's Olympians Show The Way
WITH 40 RIDERS FROM 12 COUNTRIES, THE KTA made its second visit to the Desaru Coast in Malaysia with its Asia Pacific Hydrofoil Tour Series , which welcomes amateur and professional riders a like . Chinese Youth Olympians Haoran Zhang and Jingle Chen took first places in the Men’s and Women’s classes, while Korean veteran Soon Ho Kwon was crowned champion in the Masters.
China's Masses Warming To Snow
TWO YEARS AGO, CHINA opened the world’s largest indoor ski slope with two black runs, a blue run, snow play area and beginner slopes all served by chairlifts and magic carpets. Interestingly, it choose to build this behemoth in Harbin, where real snow piles high every winter and temperatures plunge low enough to host the annual International Ice and Snow Festival.
A Quieter, Cleaner Everest In Store?
FOLLOWING RECORD deaths during the Everest climbing season earlier this year, Nepal’s government and the climbing community are suggesting a new list of preconditions for any summit attempt.
A Life List Of Adventure
There’s a first time for everything. But some firsts matter more: experiences that are life-altering, that change perspective, build confidence and teach you about all you can do and all you can be.
Virtual Reality As A Travel Sales Tool
Virtual Reality As A Travel Sales Tool