Euronews Speaks To ‘The World’s Greatest Living Explorer’, Sir Ranulph Fiennes
Exceptional British explorer who has conquered the world’s highest mountains, the coldest oceans and the most inhospitable deserts, Sir Ranulph Fiennes returned to the Middle East last month and spoke to Europe’s leading news channel, Euronews about some of his favourite travel stories and his philosophy for life.
After leading the first hovercraft expedition up the Nile and leading the team that discovered the Lost Arabian City of Ubar in 1992, Sir Ranulph Fiennes was also the first person to reach both the North and South Pole and the first to cross the Antarctic and Artic Oceans. He has also climbed the North face of the Eiger, as well as becoming the oldest Briton to conquer Everest.
Speaking on Euronews’ show Inspire Middle East about his philosophy for life and his famous adventures, Sir Ranulph commented on discovering the Lost City after 8 expeditions and 25 years of searching. He said, “Basically, we’re very grateful, and I had an interview with Sultan Qaboos when we found it and he was also very grateful that it was on the Omani side and not the Saudi Arabian side of the border but it took us a long, long time and we stuck at it and I’d say we’re probably most proud of that one. Over 25 years, we did eight Land Rover expeditions up into the desert, getting up to 320 miles into the sand dunes from Shisr, which is the last water hole to the north.” (sic)
With legions of fans worldwide and having published more than 20 books chronicling his expeditions that include exploring harsh desert environments of more than 100 degrees in the summer and minus 40 degrees in the North and South Pole, Sir Ranulph Fiennes is known around the world for his mentally strong attitude. When asked how he stays motivated and focused for his expeditions he said: “Not giving in to the weak voice in my head. I imagine the two people that I respect most, my Dad and my Granddad. I never met them but my Mum told me about them, my Dad was killed before I was born. I imagine that they are watching me, my Granddad and my Dad, and I don’t want to make them ashamed by being the first to give up. At the end of every day when you come to the tent at night, you are looking around at the others hoping they damaged themselves and they’re going to be the first to give up.” (sic)
When asked what he would say to the pioneers the Shackletons, the Scotts, the Ibn Batuttas of this world that went before him he said: “I’d say that they were much braver than our lot because it was certainly more often in those days that they were in situations where if everything went wrong, they could not be rescued. Whereas in our case, that would only be about 20% of the time.” (sic)
The full interview, exclusive to Euronews, is available to watch on Inspire Middle East, the weekly programme that brings you unmissable stories from across a region bursting with new energy. Exploring cutting edge innovation, tech, fashion, lifestyle and culture, Inspire Middle East showcases new voices and vibrant storytelling from across the business and cultural spectrum, connecting people in the region with those around the world.
Euronews is Europe’s number one international news channel, currently delivering 24/7 news to almost 400 million TV households in 160 countries. Euronews reaches 141 million people every month and is available in 12 distinct language editions and has a strong presence on digital platforms.
