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Tarka L’Herpiniere’s friends have been quoted saying they first realised that he wasn’t ‘normal’ when he turned up on foot to a holiday gathering in the South of France, having run there from the UK because he couldn’t afford the plane fair.
At the age of 16, Tarka took two bicycles out of a skip and put them back together. He then began a journey that led him to attempt and accomplish some of the most astonishing expeditions.
In 2004 he became the second person in history to attempt to trek to both the North and also the South Poles consecutively. Sadly the expedition ran into financial difficulties before the poles could be reached. One year later, as part of the longest climb on earth expedition, he then set out to join an elite group and summit the highest mountain on earth. This was without oxygen.
Tarka L’Herpiniere’s journey has not exactly been a shinning example of uncompromising success. In fact failure became his driving force for a number of years and on several occasions he has almost left his life behind. During his Everest expedition, at more than 7km above sea level on the highest and most inhospitable mountain on earth he developed High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE). He was evacuated off the mountain with the potentially fatal condition. At that point he then found himself in Kathmandu during a civil war with a dead body next to him.
Tarka headed an expedition and became the first known and recognised person to complete a unique 4500km trek along the entire length of the 4th wonder of the world, the Great Wall of China. This was an epic six month voyage that started at 40C deep in the heart of the Gobi desert. It snaked its way through the snow caped mountains of Northern China where temperatures dropped to -35C.
Tarka and his wife Katie worked on the Catlin Arctic Survey which was led by Pen Hadow in 2009. This was an international collaboration between polar explorers and some of the foremost scientific bodies. They hoped to resolve key environmental issues in the bleak landscape of the North Pole. Katie and Tarka lived in a tent in temperatures of around -50C. It was a bit chilly.
In February 2010 he set out on possibly the greatest journey mankind has undertaken. ONE WORLD is a 30,000km voyage around the earth’s circumpolar axis. This was from the Geographic North Pole to the South Pole, using ONLY manpower. Five of the eight legs have never been attempted. Yet Tarka, joined by some of his fellow world class athletes have made it possible. He set out to write a new chapter in history.
Tarka is an inspiring and captivating speaker. His enthusiasm for life is overwhelmingly apparent when he speaks and he has become one of the countries most outstanding motivational speakers. Tarka L’Herpiniere is also fluent in French and is currently based in the French Alps. He travels extensively for his work and speaking engagements.
TESTIMONIAL
”I would like to thank you for the absolutely fantastic talk that you gave. Everyone I spoke to after the event found your story captivating and very inspirational. People have been talking about it ever since.”
Admiral Group
