Australians are the most adventurous people in the world, according to an apparently relevant recent study. Uff.
Loaded set off on a quest to find its own seven supreme extreme adventurers in the hope that none of them are soddin’ Aussies.*
*We love Aussies as much as the next man. As long as the next man isn’t an Aussie. **
** Just kidding, Aussies are awesom
- Ocean Ramsey
Ocean Ramsey is our kind of explorer. Famed for her free dives with Great White Sharks and being one of the most in-demand ocean influencers – that’s a thing now – the blonde beach babe and Hawaiian native is the very essence of nominative determinism. In the last two years, she has plummeted the blue depths around the world all in the name of shark conservationism, getting closer to these majestic monsters than anyone else before her. The sharks aren’t complaining of the proximity either, judging by the look of her. To date, Ocean has had selfies – or sharkies, sorry – with more than 32 species of shark. Ocean’s aim is to dispel the myth that these creatures give two squeaky fucks about humans. “Sharks are not mindless man-eating machines, and they are not puppies,” Ocean said. “They are apex predators and need to be respected for that.”
- Ian Walsh
- Melissa Arnot
If you’ve just got out of bed, and it's midday, panic, because Melissa Arnot’s probably already climbed to the top of Everest by now. Melissa’s now reached the summit of the world’s most epic peak six times – six! – more than any other western woman. Absolute legend! When this American’s treating Everest like her personal stairmaster – without oxygen, no less! – Melissa is teaching others how to climb to the top of the world. “First ascents are fun, but I like watching people become better people in the mountains.”
- Andrzej Bargiel
Polish daredevil, and snow freak, Andrzej Bargiel, is the world’s most obsessed big mountain freeskier. In 2018, he became the first person to do the impossible: ski all the way down the world's second tallest mountain, K2. The madman fucking did it! “There are one or two steep sections,” Bargiel said of his feat, “where you have to pass at the right time to be safe, so that the snow isn't too hard or soft and there's no avalanche danger, the sun shines exactly on the spots where you need it, but it's not too warm, because otherwise you have ice blocks falling on your head." And what have you done today, except wank and eat biscuits?
With little left to conquer, Bargiel is hoping to open up the Himalayan Mountains to a whole new type of extreme sports tourism for mountaineering and ski exploration. Don’t worry, we’ve already declined your invitation.
- Leo Houlding
Welshman Leo Houlding is the face of modern British exploration and climbing. And he’s a top lad to boot, for those of you who may have seen him on Top Gear. For the last decade, Leo has risen to the top of the world on multiple occasions, including Everest, growing renowned for his ability to ascend the most technical peaks and biggest wall. They tend to be the most dangerous as well.
In 2017, Leo trekked to the top of Antarctica’s Sceptre – a right proper bastard at 1,600km. Never heard of it? That’s because it’s the most remote mountain in the world.
Suddenly it was done. The toils and troubles and wonder and joy of the Spectre expedition were immediately confined to memory; 50 days self-supported in the deep field, 1,600km by kite, 100km man-hauling, and we climbed The Spectre. Best of all, I had a ball out there at the end of the Earth.” Leo Houlding
- Victor Vescovo
In 2019, American businessman Victor Vescovo became the first person to cover the “greatest vertical distance without leaving Earth's surface”, as recognized by the Guinness World Records. Put simply: he went down a long way.
Vescovo’s journey in his submersible, the Challenger Deep, is the deepest dive ever recorded into the Mariana Trench – the earth’s lowest point – reaching a depth of 10,928m; that’s lower down than even the Everest’s tallest peak. On his way down Vescovo opened his eyes to discover several new aquatic species, including spoon worms and a snailfish, as well as a shit-ton of plastic. Makes you wonder if the trip was worth it?
In 2021, Vescovo’s most-latest mission was to locate the wreck of the USS Johnston, in the Philippine sea, the deepest shipwreck known to man. Following his trip, Vescovo remarked, “You don't feel the enormous outside pressure, but you know it's there. If anything drastic happens, you'll be gone before you know it.” No, thanks, Vic.
- Alex Honnold
The world’s most fearless man, American Alex Honnold is, of course, revered for being the only free solo rock climber anyone can remember as well as the first – and only – guy brave enough to ascend Yosemite’s vertical mountain, El Capitan, to the elevation of more than 2,000-metres. Without ropes. Without fucking ropes! One small error and he would have been a permanent skin-rug on the Californian floor. At the time, it was said that Honnold’s hands were the strongest in the world. “El Capitan is by far the most meaningful climb I’ve ever done,” he said. “It seemed impossible.” No shit, mate.