The impossibility of circumnavigating the globe through the Poles was just one of the subjects of discussion at Queen Ethelburga’s Speech Day.

The “world’s greatest living explorer”, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, was the guest speaker in front of hundreds of parents, pupils and staff at the independent school near York.

Sir Ranulph amazed, stunned and shocked the audience while recounting stories about his various treks and expeditions across the last four decades or so.

Remembering one particular suggestion from his first wife Ginny, about how they could get into polar field exploration, he said: “At breakfast one morning she said we must start ambitiously by doing the first ever journey around the world vertically through both Poles, but that we must not fly one metre of the 52,000 mile journey.”

“I quickly discovered that the white bit at the bottom had never been crossed from side to side by the world’s experts. Up at the top there’s 2,500 miles of floating sea ice round the North Pole that had also never been crossed from side to side. So I told my wife that was a stupid idea,” he added.

Sir Ranulph undertook that journey in the late 1970s, crossing the world by the polar axis without aircraft – a feat which has not been repeated by any explorer since.

It is just one of a long list of extraordinary and dangerous adventures which he has undertaken.

Only then did he take up climbing, starting with an expedition to climb the North Face of the Eiger. At the age of 65, and after his third attempt, he became the oldest Briton to conquer Everest.

Queen Ethelburga’s Principal, Steven Jandrell, said Sir Ranulph’s visit to the school had been eagerly awaited by invitees: “When we wrote down all Sir Ranulph’s achievements on our invitations it was obvious we were going to be hearing from a true legend, but on the day we heard the most astounding tales of heroism, courage and bravery – taking in all parts of the globe and proving what an inspiration he really is.”

York Press:

  • For more details on Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate phone 01423 333330, email info@Qe.org or visit qe.org