Henry Cookson
Henry Cookson | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 16, 1975 Wimbledon, London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Adventurer, polar explorer |
| Known for | First expedition to reach the southern Pole of Inaccessibility on foot |
Henry John Richard Cookson FRGS (born 16 September 1975) is a distinguished British adventurer and polar explorer. On 19 January 2007, together with fellow Britons Rory Sweet and Rupert Longsdon, as well as Canadian guide Paul Landry, he became part of the pioneering team to reach the southern Pole of Inaccessibility (POI) on foot. Prior to this expedition, all known visitors had accessed the location via tracked vehicles or aircraft in 1965.
Early life
Cookson was born in Wimbledon and received his education at Ecole de Roche, Harrow School, and the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. He also gained brief professional experience working at the investment bank Goldman Sachs.
Scott Dunn Polar Challenge
In 2005, Cookson teamed up with Rory Sweet and Rupert Longsdon under the name Team Hardware to compete in the Scott Dunn Polar Challenge. Although they were inexperienced explorers at the time, they triumphed in the 360-mile race to the magnetic North Pole, setting a new course record and finishing four hours before a rival team that included a Royal Marine and two Army Commandos.
Team N2i
Building on their earlier victory, the group set their sights on reaching the Antarctic Pole of Inaccessibility. Training commenced in 2006, with Canadian Paul Landry joining their ranks. After traveling 1,100 miles by kite skiing from Novolazarevskaya Station over 48 days, they arrived at the POI on 19 January 2007. At the site, they discovered remnants from a Soviet expedition dating back to 1958, such as a Lenin bust mounted atop a Russian-constructed hut chimney.
Their accomplishment is documented in the Guinness Book of Records as the first expedition to reach the Pole of Inaccessibility without using motorized transport.
Walking With The Wounded
In 2010, Henry Cookson was invited by Simon Daglish and Edward Parker to act as an expedition guide for Walking With The Wounded, a charitable journey to the North Pole aimed at raising funds for injured military personnel. The initiative was supported by Prince Harry, who intended to participate during its final stages if his military responsibilities allowed.