Draft:Gavin Bate




Gavin Bate

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Gavin Bate is a British mountaineer, adventurer, and social entrepreneur.

Bate began mountaineering in 1991[1] and has completed six expeditions to Mount Everest[2][3], was part of the first Irish team to summit Cho Oyu[4], and led the Millennium Seven Summits expedition in 2000 for Comic Relief.[5]

Early Life and Education

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Bate was born in England and spent part of his childhood in Western Australia before studying literature at university in Northern Ireland.[6]

At 21, he undertook a solo, six-month journey across the Sahara Desert, following the route of French missionary Charles de Foucauld.[7] Bate walked across the Sahara Desert from north to south, covering approximately 1,500 kilometres through Algeria, before walking a further 1,500 kilometres northeast to reach Morocco.[8][9][10]

Climbing Achievements

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Bate undertook six expeditions to Mount Everest between 2000 and 2011[11][12], many of which were without supplemental oxygen and with minimal external support.[13] In 2007, he survived a serious case of pulmonary oedema at 8,600 meters on Everest’s north side during an attempt to traverse the mountain without supplementary oxygen and with no high camps.[14] After multiple attempts and near-successes, he successfully reached the summit in May 2011.[15]

Bate was also part of the first Irish team to summit Cho Oyu, an 8,000-meter peak, without supplemental oxygen or high-altitude porters in 1998 with Irish climber Pat Falvey.[16] He led the Millennium Seven Summits expedition in 2000, climbing the highest mountains across all seven continents for Comic Relief.

Organisations

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Adventure Alternative

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Bate founded Adventure Alternative, a company that organises mountaineering expeditions and adventure holidays. The company follows a sustainable tourism model, funding Moving Mountains Trust, which focuses on long-term employment, responsible environmental management and re-investment of profits into community programmes. [17][18]

Moving Mountains Trust

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Bate founded Moving Mountains Trust, a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving education, healthcare, and livelihoods in Kenya and Nepal.[19] He uses his Everest climbs and other expeditions to raise money for the charity.[20]

Public Speaking and Leadership Programs

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He regularly delivers talks on mountaineering, social entrepreneurship, and leadership at international conferences and corporate events.[21] He has also lectured at universities, such as the University of Lincoln[22] and York St John University[23] on topics related to sustainable tourism and social entrepreneurship.

Awards and Recognition

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At The World Responsible Tourism Awards, he won 'Best Personal Contribution' in 2009 and 'Best for Poverty Reduction' in 2014. He was chosen as an Olympic Torchbearer during the 2012 London Olympics.[24] In 2014, Bate was awarded the Points of Light Award from UK Prime Minister Theresa May.[25]

References

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  1. ^ "Gavin Bate profile". mt.tahdah.me.
  2. ^ "Everest Stats". Irish Seven Summits.
  3. ^ "8000m Peaks". Irish Seven Summits.
  4. ^ "8000m Peaks". Irish Seven Summits.
  5. ^ Sheldon, Pauline J.; Daniele, Roberto, eds. (2016). Social Entrepreneurship and Tourism. Springer International Publishing. p. 276. ISBN 978-3-319-46518-0.
  6. ^ "Gavin Bate Podcast Interview". SEO Travel.
  7. ^ "Gavin Bate: The Adventurer". InsideHook.
  8. ^ "Gavin Bate Podcast Interview". SEO Travel.
  9. ^ "Interview: Gavin Bate". Sustainability Leaders. 17 May 2017.
  10. ^ "No desert too wide, no mountain too high". Independent. 24 May 2008.
  11. ^ "Everest Stats". Irish Seven Summits.
  12. ^ "Everest 2005". Alan Arnette.
  13. ^ "Everest success for Northern Ireland climber". BBC. 24 May 2011.
  14. ^ "Everest success for Northern Ireland climber". BBC. 24 May 2011.
  15. ^ "Everest success for Northern Ireland climber". BBC. 24 May 2011.
  16. ^ "8000m Peaks". Irish Seven Summits.
  17. ^ "Our Story". Adventure Alternative.
  18. ^ "Impact Reports". Moving Mountains Trust.
  19. ^ "About Us". Moving Mountains Trust.
  20. ^ "Climber aiming for highest tweet". BBC News. 18 May 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
  21. ^ "Speaking". Gavin Bate.
  22. ^ "Introducing Gavin Bate". University of Lincoln. 10 November 2014.
  23. ^ "Business School: Radical Thinking About Tourism". York St John University.
  24. ^ "Live Olympic Torch Route: Day 18, Londonderry to Newry". The Times.
  25. ^ "Gavin Bate". Points of Light.