Louis-Philippe Loncke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Louis-Philippe Loncke
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 3 March 1977 Mouscron, Belgium
|
| Education | ECAM, KU Leuven, UAMS |
| Occupation | Consultant, Explorer, Adventurer |
| Years active | 2006–present |
Louis-Philippe Loncke is a brave Belgian explorer, adventurer, and speaker who inspires others. He is famous for his incredible journeys across some of the world's toughest places. In 2008, he became the first person to walk across the entire Simpson desert in Australia, from north to south, passing right through its middle! Later, in 2018, he crossed Tasmania during winter without any extra supplies, earning him the nickname the Mad Belgian from some Australians.
Contents
Early Life and Studies
Louis-Philippe Loncke was born in Mouscron, Belgium. His family made furniture. He studied engineering in Brussels at ECAM, then continued his studies in industrial management and treasury management. These studies helped him learn how to plan his big expeditions.
Becoming an Explorer
Starting His Adventures
Louis-Philippe began traveling alone in 2000. In 2002, while working in Singapore, he learned to scuba dive. This passion led him to travel around Oceania for a year. He started hiking and learned about other adventurers. He was especially inspired by a film called Alone across Australia. When he returned to Belgium, he met another adventurer, Sylvain Tesson, who encouraged him to keep exploring.
In 2006, Louis-Philippe went back to Australia to start his first big expeditions. His first solo trip, without any resupplies, across the Tasmanian Wilderness helped him get his first sponsors and become known among Australian explorers. After a year in Australia, he returned home to Belgium. He then started planning a series of "world first" expeditions, with his first goal being to cross the Simpson desert at its longest point.
Amazing Journeys and Challenges
Louis-Philippe has organized many exciting trips, including some for charity. For example, he once did the highest chocolate tasting on Everest! In 2010, he walked across Iceland from north to south. He even made a funny video about Iceland that became very popular there. He plans to go back to Iceland to try the same journey in winter.
His expeditions across the Simpson Desert and Iceland were also part of a science project. This project studied how people handle stress and make decisions in very difficult environments.
Incredible Expeditions
World Firsts and Major Treks
Louis-Philippe Loncke has achieved many "world firsts" and completed challenging expeditions:
- 2006 - He crossed the West MacDonnell National Park without any outside help.
- 2006 - He traversed Fraser Island without resupplies.
- 2007 - He crossed the Tasmanian Wilderness without any extra supplies.
- 2008 - He made the first unsupported crossing of the Simpson Desert from North to South, going through its center.
- 2010 - He completed an unsupported journey across Iceland in the summer.
- 2011 - The "BelgiKayak" expedition: he toured Belgian waterways by kayak.
- 2012 - He crossed Poland using only human power. He walked across the Tatras Mountains from Mount Rysy, then kayaked down the Vistula river to the Baltic Sea.
- 2013 - The "TitiKayak" expedition with Gadiel Sánchez Rivera: they kayaked all around Lake Titicaca. They also created the first photo map of the lake, taking pictures and GPS points of the shoreline. They even took underwater photos to find where the giant frog Telmatobius culeus lives.
- 2015 - He completed an unsupported crossing of Death Valley National Park from North to South.
- 2016 - The "Salar trek 2": he walked across the huge salt flats of Salar de Coipasa and Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia without support. These salt flats are what's left of an ancient lake.
- 2018 - The "Tasmania Winter Trek": he crossed Tasmania from North to South during the cold winter. He did this without any food or gas resupplies, didn't use roads, and only slept in a tent.
- 2020 - "HRP2020": he crossed the Pyrenees mountains from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. He did this without supplies or help, sleeping only in a tent, and even climbed Pico Aneto, a high peak.
- 2021 - He walked and used a packraft (a small inflatable boat) to travel the entire Kungsleden trail in Sweden without support. Along the way, he climbed Skierfe and both the North and South summits of Kebnekaise.
- 2023 - "GTA2023": he crossed the French Alps from the Mediterranean Sea to Lake Geneva. He did this without resupply, using only public water sources, without assistance, and sleeping only in a tent. He followed the Grande Traversée des Alpes route.
Other Interesting Expeditions
- 2009 - "Chocolate Sherpa" expedition: he walked 400 km to Everest Base Camp, giving out chocolate along the way.
- 2013 - He joined a scientific and radio expedition to Clipperton Island.
- 2013 - He spent six days rafting and kayaking on the upper part of the Marañón River.
- 2016 - He completed a partial unsupported crossing of the Simpson Desert from West to East.
Personal Challenges
Louis-Philippe also takes on unique personal challenges:
- 2020 - The "Everest Bueren Challenge": he climbed up and down the 374 steps of the Montagne de Bueren 135 times while carrying a 15 kg backpack. This is like climbing Everest!
- 2021 - "Confined in my Tent": he lived for one week on a small 5 square meter platform hanging 10 meters above the ground.
- 2022 - He set an unsupported speed record on the GR 70 Stevenson hiking trail.
Films About His Adventures
Since 2021, Louis-Philippe has started making films about his expeditions and challenges. These films are shown online or at festivals.
- 2021 - The Mad Belgian: Keep walking
- 2022 - The Mad Belgian: Confined in My Tent
Awards and Recognition
- In 2009, he was named "young talent of the year" in his hometown of Mouscron.
- In 2011, Outer Edge magazine listed his Simpson Desert crossing as one of the top 10 Australian expeditions that pushed the limits.
- He became a member of the famous Explorers Club in 2010 and a Fellow (a higher level of membership) in 2014.
- He also became a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society in 2011.
- In 2011, the Jane Goodall Institute Belgium made him a goodwill ambassador for their Roots & Shoots program, which helps young people make a difference for animals, people, and the environment.
- In 2012, he was chosen to carry the Olympic Flame through Choppington, England, for the London Olympic Games.
- In 2014, the famous scientist Jane Goodall honored him as a "Jane Goodall Institute Knight for Youth, Animals and Plants in the Order of the Iguana."
- In 2016, he was named "European Adventurer of the Year" at a big sports fair in Munich.
- In 2017, he was made an Honorary Bailli of Mouscron.
- In 2018, ExplorersWeb ranked one of his expeditions as #3 among the top 10 expeditions of the year.
See also
In Spanish: Louis-Philippe Loncke para niños
