Ranulph Fiennes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Ranulph Fiennes Bt OBE
Fiennes in 2014
Born	Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes (1944-03-07) 7 March 1944 (age 81) Windsor, Berkshire, England
Alma mater	Mons Officer Cadet School
Occupation	British Army Officer; explorer and travel writer
Spouse(s)	Ginny Pepper ​ ​ (m. 1970; died 2004)​ Louise Millington ​ (m. 2005)​
Children	1
Awards	Order of the British Empire Polar Medal (with double clasp)
Military career
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1963–1983
Rank	Lieutenant
Service number	474357
Unit	Royal Scots Greys (1963–1966, 1966–1968) 22 SAS (1966) Royal Army of Oman (1967–1970) 22 SAS (R Sqn) (1970–1971) 21 SAS (1971–1983)

Sir Ranulph Fiennes (born 7 March 1944) is a famous British explorer and writer. He holds many world records for his amazing adventures. People often call him the world's greatest living explorer.

Fiennes spent eight years in the British Army. He then went on many expeditions. He was the first person to reach both the North Pole and South Pole by traveling over land and ice. He was also the first to cross Antarctica completely on foot. In 2009, when he was 65, he climbed to the top of Mount Everest.

Early Life and School

Ranulph Fiennes was born in Windsor, Berkshire on March 7, 1944. His father, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, died in Italy during World War II. He passed away from injuries after stepping on a German mine. Ranulph inherited his father's special title, becoming the 3rd Baronet.

After the war, his mother moved the family to South Africa. Ranulph lived there until he was 12 years old. He went to school in Newlands, Cape Town. Later, he returned to England for school. He studied at Sandroyd School and then at Eton College.

Life as an Officer

Ranulph Fiennes wanted to join the army. He went to Mons Officer Cadet School. In 1963, he joined his father's old regiment, the Royal Scots Greys. He later worked with the Special Air Service (SAS), where he learned about demolitions.

Once, Fiennes got into trouble. He and others planned to blow up a concrete dam built for a movie in Castle Combe. The police stopped them. Fiennes had to pay a fine and was dismissed from the SAS for a short time. He was later allowed to return to the Royal Scots Greys.

He spent his last two years in the army helping the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces. Oman was fighting against rebels at the time. Fiennes led brave missions into rebel areas. He received an award for his courage. He left the army in 1971 after eight years of service.

Amazing Expeditions

Since the 1960s, Fiennes has led many expeditions. He traveled up the White Nile in a hovercraft in 1969. In 1970, he explored the Jostedalsbreen Glacier in Norway.

Journey Around the World

One of his most famous trips was the Transglobe Expedition. From 1979 to 1982, he and two friends, Oliver Shepard and Charles R. Burton, traveled around the world. They went from pole to pole using only surface transport. No one else has ever done this before or since.

During this trip, Fiennes and Burton completed the Northwest Passage. They traveled about 3,000 miles (4,800 km) in a small open boat. This was the first time anyone had crossed it from west to east in an open boat.

Antarctic and Arctic Challenges

In 1992, Fiennes led a team that found what might be a lost city called Iram of the Pillars in Oman. The next year, he and Mike Stroud became the first to cross the Antarctic continent without outside help. It took them 93 days. In 1996, he tried to walk to the South Pole alone. He had to stop because of a kidney stone and needed to be rescued.

In 2000, he tried to walk to the North Pole alone. His sleds fell through thin ice, and he had to pull them out by hand. He got severe frostbite on his left hand. When he got home, the doctors wanted to wait to remove the damaged fingertips. But Fiennes was in pain, so he cut them off himself with a small electric saw.

Marathons and Mountains

Even after having a heart attack and heart surgery, Fiennes joined Mike Stroud again in 2003. They completed seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. This was for the British Heart Foundation. Fiennes later said he wouldn't do it again because it was so hard. The marathons were in:

• Patagonia – South America
• Falkland Islands – "Antarctica"
• Sydney – Australia
• Singapore – Asia
• London – Europe
• Cairo – Africa
• New York City – North America

In 2005, Fiennes tried to climb Mount Everest again. He had to turn back because of heart problems. In 2007, he climbed the Eiger mountain in the Alps, even though he was afraid of heights. He raised £1.8 million for charity.

Fiennes in 2011

In 2008, Fiennes tried to climb Mount Everest a second time. He got very close but bad weather stopped him. On May 20, 2009, he finally reached the top of Mount Everest. He became the oldest British person to do so. He was also the first person to climb Everest and cross both the North and South polar ice-caps.

In 2012, Fiennes planned to lead the first team to cross Antarctica during the southern winter. This was to help a charity called Seeing is Believing. However, in February 2013, Fiennes had to leave the expedition due to frostbite.

Author and Public Life

Ranulph Fiennes is also a successful author. He has written 24 books, both fiction and non-fiction. He wrote a book about Captain Robert Falcon Scott, defending Scott's actions. Fiennes feels he is more like Lawrence Oates, another member of Scott's team.

Fiennes has appeared on TV shows like Top Gear. He was even considered for the role of James Bond once! He also appeared on the game show Countdown. In 2019, he was in a National Geographic documentary with his cousin, actor Joseph Fiennes.

Personal Life

Fiennes married his childhood sweetheart, Virginia ("Ginny") Pepper, in 1970. They lived on a farm in Exmoor, England. Ginny was also an adventurer and helped plan the Transglobe Expedition. She was the first woman to receive the Polar Medal for her research. They were married until Ginny passed away from cancer in 2004.

In 2005, Fiennes married Louise Millington. They have a daughter named Elizabeth, born in 2006. He also has a stepson, Alexander.

Awards and Recognition

Ranulph Fiennes has received many awards for his bravery and explorations.

• In 1970, he received the Sultan's Bravery Medal while serving in Oman.
• He has received many honorary doctorates from universities.
• He was awarded the Royal Geographical Society's Founder's Medal.
• In 1982, he was featured on the TV show This Is Your Life.
• He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1993 for his human efforts and charity work. His expeditions have raised over £16 million for good causes.
• He received the Polar Medal in 1986 and a second clasp in 1994, making him the only person to receive a double clasp for both the Arctic and Antarctica.
• In 2007, he won ITV's Greatest Britons Award for Sport.
• In 2010, he was named the UK's top celebrity fundraiser by Justgiving.
• A documentary film called Explorer about his life was released in 2022.

Ribbon	Description	Notes
	Baronet (Bt)	1944
	Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)	1993
	Polar Medal & Two Clasps	First clasp: 1986 Second clasp: 1994
	Midal Jura'at us-Sultan ul-Battuli (Sultans Bravery Medal) Oman	1970

Books by Ranulph Fiennes

Images for kids

• 

  Fiennes at the Captain Scott's Legacy event in London, 2012

See also

In Spanish: Ranulph Fiennes para niños

• Bothie (dog)