Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, described by the Guinness Book of Records as “the world’s greatest living explorer”, can trace his family’s ancestry back a thousand years to Charlemagne. Amongst his greatest adventures was the 52,000 mile Transglobe Expedition between 1979 and 1982, the first surface journey around the world’s polar axis. It had taken seven years to plan and three years to complete, he and his partner, Charles Burton, were the first men to reach both poles. Fiennes also undertook the PUNS Expeditions, gaining the record for Furthest North Unsupported in 1986, and again in 1990. Fiennes has been named as the UK’s top celebrity fundraiser by JustGiving after he raised over £2.5 million for Marie Curie Cancer Care in a period of just two years. Overall, his expeditions have succeeded in raising in excess of £14 million for UK charities.
