James Hooper (climber) facts for kids

James N. Hooper, born in 1987, is a British adventurer and mountain climber. In 2006, he became one of the youngest Britons to climb Mount Everest alongside his friend Rob Gauntlett.

Early Life and Big Dreams

James Hooper was born in Portsmouth and grew up in Cardiff, Wales. He attended Christ's Hospital, a special boarding school in West Sussex, thanks to a scholarship. There, at age 11, he became good friends with his classmate Rob Gauntlett.

In 2003, when they were 16, James and Rob started dreaming about climbing Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain. To get ready, they climbed Mont Blanc in 2005 and several other peaks. Their school's climbing instructor helped guide them. They also cycled across Europe to build their strength. It was tough to find enough money to pay for a professional climbing trip, and they only got their last sponsor the day before they left!

Conquering Everest

In May 2006, James and Rob traveled to Tibet. They climbed Mount Everest from the north side. At just 19 years old, they both reached the very top, becoming the youngest Britons ever to do so at that time. It was an amazing achievement!

The Pole-to-Pole Adventure

In 2007, James and Rob started an even bigger adventure called "180° Pole-to-Pole." Their goal was to be the first people to travel from the North Magnetic Pole all the way to the South Magnetic Pole. This huge journey covered about 26,000 miles (42,000 km)! They wanted to show how important it is to protect our planet and raise awareness about climate change.

They began their trip north of Greenland in April 2007. They used only human and natural power, meaning they skied, sledded, cycled, and sailed. After 409 days, they finally reached the Antarctic in April 2008. For their incredible journey, they won the National Geographic Adventurers of the Year award in 2008.

Facing Challenges and New Paths

In January 2009, James, Rob, and two other school friends, Richard Lebon and James Atkinson, went to Chamonix to try climbing Mont Blanc in winter. James Hooper and Richard Lebon decided not to continue their climb. Sadly, Rob Gauntlett and James Atkinson kept going on a difficult route and passed away after falling from the Gervasutti Couloir.

After Rob's passing, James Hooper faced a large debt of £90,000 from his pole-to-pole expedition. He had hoped to write a book and make a movie about their adventures, but this became difficult due to the Great Recession (a big economic downturn). So, he took an office job in London.

In late 2010, James moved to South Korea to study at Kyung Hee University in Seoul. He continued to work as a motivational speaker in South Korea and learned to speak Korean fluently. For a short time in 2014, he was even a cast member on a talk show called Non-Summit. Later, he moved to Australia to complete his doctorate at the University of Wollongong. Since May 2020, he has been a Professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Science at Dongguk University in Korea.