Heroes: Meet the young explorers

The youths behind the headlines

At the age of 65, Sir Ranulph Fiennes this year became the oldest Briton and the first British pensioner to climb Mount Everest. He may have been in his 20s when he started his adventuring, but some people can't even wait that long – like six-year-old Tom Fryers, who has become the youngest person to bag all 214 summits in the Lake District. Here, WideWorld salutes five young British explorers and adventurers who are raising the bar for UK youth.

Tom Fryers

At just six years old, Tom Fryers is, unsurprisingly, the youngest person to climb all 214 summits in the Lake District. Tom was actually born with breathing difficulties, but against all odds, he shocked doctors by making a full recovery. Having spent a week in intensive care, he grew up healthy and full of energy and his mountaineering abilities have helped to raise thousands of pounds for the special-care baby unit that saved his life six years ago. The two charities to benefit from Tom’s admirable spirit are Sheffield Hospital’s Charitable Trust and Community Action Nepal.

Practically climbing before he could walk, the youngster has the determination and motivation to rival those three times his age. Originally from the Oxspring area of Penistone in South Yorkshire, Tom has trekked a total of 480 miles. This has included a 15-mile hike up two of the UK’s highest peaks; the 3,162 foot Scafell and the 3,209 foot Scafell Pike. This was his most recent conquest, which the youngster completed alongside his father, who said: "He's taken completing the Wainwrights in his stride. I've tried to make him realise he has done something extraordinary, but as far he was concerned, he was just going walking."

To support Tom’s relentless efforts, visit: www.justgiving.com/tomfryers

British Schools Exploring Society

This June, 15 young explorers returned from a ten-week adventure on the edge of the Arctic Ocean. Accompanied by seven leaders and a group of scientists, the explorers, aged between 18 and 24, cross-country skied across the beautiful landscapes of Arctic Svalbard. Six hundred miles from the North Pole, Svalbard offered a perfect environment for exploration and research.

This is one of the many expeditions organised by the BSES, an organisation that offers exploration opportunities to young people. BSES's expeditions are conducted for youth development, giving youngsters an insight into their behaviour and capabilities. The society encourages education and development, by providing challenging expeditions to wild environments. Two inspirational individuals to partake in this particular adventure were Steven Scribbins and James Settrey:

James Settrey

The extreme Arctic expedition was a first for James Settrey, a 22-year-old from County Durham. Despite injuring his knee after falling through ice and suffering from an infection in his toe, his first exploring experience was a positive one. With no previous experience of exploration, the trip was always to be a challenge, battling freezing conditions and minimal comfort. Enabling him to take part in this adventure, James received a £4,000 grant from the BSES.

In an interview with WideWorld, he expressed his gratitude to the organisation: “As I had joined late, their staff in London assisted me greatly. The leaders on the expedition were top quality and knew their field inside out. I cannot praise them enough. As for how the BSES has effect my life, I will never forget this trip. It gave me the confidence to believe that if I’m capable of that, I can achieve anything.”

Steve Scribbins

24-year-old Steven Scribbins is no stranger to adventure. Two years prior to accompanying James and his fellow explorers on the 2009 Svalbard expedition, he reached the summit of the highest mountain on the Svalbard archipelago (Newtontoppen, 1713m). The trip, which involved an extended trek across an ice cap, was a 100-mile round trip, teaching him the theoretical elements of leadership.

Steven notes Ray Mears as one of his many influences, fascinated by his sense of adventure in far-flung locations. Constantly on the look out for challenging climbs, the avid climber does a lot of hill-walking in his spare time. Describing his most recent trip to Svalbard, it is clear that he found it a gratifying experience, commenting: “Every day presented new challenges, constantly having to adapt to changing environments and finding solutions to new problems. I'd say that having to overcome such obstacles and difficulties, whether they involved slogging up a big slope or repairing a faulty stove, was the most rewarding aspect of the trip.

“The journey involved of a variety of adventurous activities such as cross-country skiing, mountaineering and ice climbing. We were camping out in the wilderness for the whole of the expedition, getting from place to place entirely on foot. Mixed in with the adventure aspect, was a series of scientific studies, investigating geographical, biological and ecological areas of interest, with glaciers, rivers, tundra plants and migratory geese being the main subjects.“

His passion and strong interest in exploration is evident in his future plans. He revealed: “I hope to spend some time in the Alps next summer, clocking off some of the summits in Chamonix - I've learned most of the necessary technical skills in Svalbard, so I'm hoping to put them to use elsewhere.

“Maybe one day I'll make it to Antarctica too. If the opportunity arises, I'd also like to get involved in leading expeditions with the BSES, because they go to interesting places and I'm keen to put the skills they've taught me to good use.”

With the BSES providing endless opportunities for individuals like Steven and James, it’s no surprise that high profile figures are offering their support. British explorer Bear Grylls is patron to the society. He commented: “BSES gives those young people with a dream the chance to explore some of the world's most remote regions. With that exploration, I have found, so often comes a sense of pride and achievement - and that is the real magic of BSES. It builds the champions and explorers of the future."

For more information on the BSES, please visit:  www.bses.org.uk

Camilla Hempleman-Adams

Camilla Hempleman-Adams learnt from the best: the 16-year-old has exploring in her blood, as she's the daughter of renowned explorer David Hempleman-Adams. In April last year, Camilla became the youngest British woman to ski to the North Pole, trekking 80 miles with a 70lb sledge and braving temperatures of minus 40 degrees Celsius.

Despite studying for her GCSEs at the time, the teenager was determined to undertake the challenge, intending to highlight the detrimental effects global warming on the ice packs. Accompanied by her father and nine fellow climbers, the Bath native ate large amounts of food in preparation for the 5,000 calories she had to consume each day on the ice.

The expedition was led by David Hempleman-Adams and Norwegian Polar expert Rube Gjeldnes, ensuring the trip was a safe one. Not content with breaking records, Camilla intends to study an Art Foundation after her school education, hoping to go on to study fashion in London.

Katie Miller

Twenty-two-year-old Katie Miller has become the youngest woman ever to participate in the OSTAR, successfully completing the single-handed trans-Atlantic race this summer. The solo yacht race took her from Plymouth, England to Newport in Rhode Island, proving that a vast amount of experience on the ocean isn’t necessary if you have the determination and desire to succeed. During the OSTAR, her first ocean crossing, the sailor showed promise and commitment, having been hooked on the sport for almost 10 years.

Gaining her Day Skipper qualification in 2004, she was inspired to sail solo in the UK, going on to raise £10,000 for the Ellen MacArthur Trust with her sail around Britain in 2006. That year, she won the Sailor of the Year award at the London Boat Show. Katie is now an Ambassador of the trust, which involves taking youngsters who are recovering from cancer, leukaemia and other serious illnesses, on sailing trips around the UK. Based in Southampton, Katie is currently studying at Solent University, with plans to sail in the Vendee Globe race in 2016.

To keep up to date with her adventures, visit: http://www.katiemillerracing.com