John Blashford-Snell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Blashford-Snell
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| Birth name | John Nicholas Blashford-Snell |
| Born | 22 October 1936 Hereford, Herefordshire, England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 British Army |
| Years of service | 1954–1991 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Service number | 453555 |
| Unit | Royal Engineers |
| Awards | Commander of the Order of the British Empire |
| Spouse(s) |
Judith Sherman
(m. 1960) |
| Children | 2 |
John Nicholas Blashford-Snell is a famous British explorer, soldier, and author. He was born on 22 October 1936. He is well-known for leading many exciting expeditions around the world. He also started important groups like Operation Raleigh and the Scientific Exploration Society, which help young people and support scientific adventures.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
John Nicholas Blashford-Snell was born in Hereford, England. His father was a reverend and served in the army. John grew up in Herefordshire and on the island of Jersey.
He went to school at Victoria College, Jersey. After finishing school, he joined the British Army. He trained to become an officer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. In 1957, he officially joined the Royal Engineers, a special part of the army that deals with engineering and construction.
His Time in the Army
John Blashford-Snell served in the British Army for 37 years. He started as a Second Lieutenant and slowly moved up the ranks. He became a Lieutenant in 1959 and then a Captain in 1963.
Later, he was promoted to Major in 1968 and Lieutenant Colonel in 1976. His final rank was Colonel, which he reached in 1982. He retired from the army in 1991.
In 1976, he was featured on a TV show called This Is Your Life, which surprised him with stories from his past.
Amazing Expeditions and Discoveries
John Blashford-Snell is most famous for his incredible expeditions. In 1969, he started the Scientific Exploration Society. This group helps plan and carry out scientific adventures all over the world.
First Descent of the Blue Nile
One of his first big adventures was in 1968. He led the first team to travel down the entire Blue Nile river in Ethiopia. This journey was very challenging. During this trip, he accidentally invented white-water rafting as a way to get through the rough parts of the river!
Crossing the Darién Gap
From 1971 to 1972, he led an expedition to cross the Darién Gap. This is a very difficult and wild area of jungle and swamps between Panama and Colombia. His team was the first to drive vehicles all the way from Alaska in the north to Cape Horn in the south of America.
Another huge adventure was in 1974 and 1975. He led a team that traveled the entire length of the Congo River in Africa. This was a massive journey through one of the world's largest rivers.
For his leadership in these expeditions, he received special awards. These included the Segrave Trophy in 1974 and the Livingstone Medal from the Royal Scottish Geographical Society.
Helping Young People: Operation Raleigh
In 1978, Blashford-Snell started a program called Operation Drake. This program later grew into Operation Raleigh. It's an amazing educational program for young people. It gives them the chance to go on expeditions, learn new skills, and help with important projects around the world. He was the main leader of Operation Raleigh until he retired from that role in 1991.
In 1993, he received another important award, the Patron's Medal from the Royal Geographical Society.
Other Interests and Work
John Blashford-Snell has many interests. He helped design a special hat for explorers with a famous London hatmaker. He is also involved with groups that study strange and unexplained things, like the Centre for Fortean Zoology and the Ghost Club. In 2010, he became an Honorary Fellow at Liverpool John Moores University.
He has written several books about his adventures, including his autobiography, Something Lost Behind the Ranges. He has been a member of The Explorers Club since 1974 and received an award from them in 1992 for his contributions.
Family Life
John Blashford-Snell married Judith Sherman in 1960. They met when he was still training at Sandhurst and she was training to be a women's officer. They have two daughters.
Books He Has Written
John Blashford-Snell has written many books about his travels and adventures. Here are some of them:
- Where the Trails Run Out, 1974
- In the Steps of Stanley, 1975
- Expeditions: the Experts' way, 1977 (edited with Alistair Ballantine)
- A taste for adventure, 1978
- In the wake of Drake, 1980 (with Michael Cable)
- Operation Drake, 1981
- The expedition organiser’s guide, 1982 (with Richard Snailham)
- Mysteries: encounter with the unexplained, 1983
- Operation Raleigh: the start of an adventure, 1987
- Something lost behind the ranges :the autobiography of John Blashford-Snell, 1994
- Mammoth hunt: in search of the giant elephants of Nepal, 1996 (with Rula Lenska)
- Kota Mama: retracing the lost trade routes of ancient South American peoples, 2000 (with Richard Snailham)
- East to the Amazon: in search of Great Paititi and the trade routes of the ancients, 2002 (with Richard Snailham)
- From Utmost East to Utmost West, 2022
