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 In 2010, I set out from the Canadian Arctic and travelled across the frozen Arctic Ocean to reach the Geographic North Pole.
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 Four years later, I completed a solo expedition from Hercules Inlet to the Geographic South Pole.
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 Ever since, there has been one great expedition ambition that has remained with me: Mount Everest.
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 If I ultimately reach the summit, I could potentially become only the second Briton to complete this combination of the Three Poles — a full Canadian-origin expedition to the Geographic North Pole, a full-length solo expedition to the Geographic South Pole, and the summit of Mount Everest.
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 I already have a strong foundation in the mountains. I am an International Mountain Leader, have climbed Nevado Pisco (5,752m) in the Peruvian Andes, and have led expeditions on Kilimanjaro, alongside more than two decades of expedition and remote-environment experience.
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 But I also recognise the scale of the challenge ahead.
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 Everest requires a significant progression in technical mountaineering and high-altitude experience. I want to approach that properly — building the necessary skills and experience progressively rather than simply setting my sights on the summit.
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 The first step: the Alps
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 This September, I’ll begin that journey with an intensive alpine training programme in Chamonix.
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 Working with professional mountain guides, I’ll spend a week developing and refreshing the technical skills required for the next stage of my mountaineering journey, including glacier travel, rope work, crevasse rescue, route finding, navigation and alpine climbing.
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 This is not a direct attempt on Everest. It is the first stage of an 18–24 month journey, with increasingly challenging mountain and high-altitude objectives along the way.
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 The cost of this initial phase is approximately £6,000, covering professional guiding, accommodation, mountain huts and associated training costs.
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 I’m committed to investing my own money into making this happen. I’m not expecting others to fund the entire journey. However, several people have asked how they might support what I’m trying to achieve, so I’ve created this fundraiser for anyone who would like to help me take that first step.
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 Every contribution will go directly towards the Alps training programme.
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 More than Everest
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 My expeditions have never simply been about reaching a destination.
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 Through my previous polar journeys and Education Through Expeditions, I’ve used exploration to engage with schools and young people, sharing the realities of expeditions and encouraging others to think about ambition, resilience and what might be possible in their own lives.
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 I want this journey to do the same.
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 There is a long road between the Alps and Everest, and there are no guarantees in mountaineering. Each stage will depend on gaining the right experience and demonstrating that I’m ready to progress.
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 But if I eventually stand on the summit of Everest, it could complete an extraordinary journey that began on the frozen Arctic Ocean more than 15 years ago.
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 North Pole. South Pole. Everest.
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 The journey towards the third pole starts here.
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Mark Goodwin

Chris Jaeger

The Road to Everest: Completing the Three Poles

Still £2,570 to go. Help us build momentum.