3 Jun 2019

Bob McKerrow: A life of adventure

From King’s Birthday Monday with Anna Thomas, 8:30 am on 3 June 2019

Dunedin-born Bob McKerrow is a mountaineer, polar adventurer, humanitarian, writer and poet. He has climbed 12 peaks, 8 of them first ascents. He did two major dog sled trips with legendary polar explorer Will Steger in the Arctic, including one to the North Pole. He has wintered over in Antarctica, lived in Afghanistan and is a world leader in disaster recovery. He's spent 36 years working for the International Red Cross in conflict situations and in times of major natural disasters. Bob is the author of three books on mountaineering and mountaineers and will be speaking at the NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival in Wanaka on the 2nd of June.

Camped at a lake on the northern side of the Hindu Kush.

Parun Valley, Nuristan.

McKerrow and Tinker sorting out gear at Base Camp in 1994.

This trigger-happy commander in the Panjcher valley.

Bob McKerrow with John Tinker at Base Camp on Mir Samir.

Bob McKerrow reads from Eric Newby's A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush to children whose Grandfathers helped Newby.

John Tinker and Ian Clarke with the central Hindu Kuah in the background.

Bruce Watson on the Kohe Jalgya expedition at about 4,800 metres, just above base camp.

Kohe Jalgya, 6260m in June 1996

The northern entrance to the Salang Tunnel and the men who keep the road open. February 1996.

Bob McKerrow sitting on an old Soviet tank.

The peak named P5000 by the American Alpine Journal 1995.Climbed solo by Bob McKerrow on 1 October 1994.