About Alex Harris

Alex Harris grew up in the relatively flat city of Johannesburg. After joining the Mountain Club of South Africa in 1992, he started to fulfill his desire to climb some of the world’s highest mountains. In 1996, Alex became the youngest person ever, at the age of 25, to lead an expedition to Mount Everest. Alex is an established speaker on the school and corporate circuit. He is also a keen caver and always seeks adventure in faraway places. When he isn’t at the top of a peak, deep underground or sharing his story on stage, you are sure to find him tearing along a stretch of tar on his beloved road bike, preparing for his next journey.

Read more about the expedition to Mount Everest

We here at Oxygen For Life are astounded by Alex's achievement in what is the toughest race in South Africa and we salute him. We are extremely proud of being associated with Alex. He is a true champion.

Read the 'Harris wins hardcore test of spirit' article

Read the 'Interview With New Freedom Challenge Record Breaker'

Business Experience

Alex started his business career with The Hospitality Group International, and within the first year, became the number one salesman for Southern Africa. By 1996, with a chance to go to Mount Everest, he resigned and turned his passion for the mountains into a profession, by starting Adventure Dynamics International. Through ADI he not only guided people up some of the world’s highest mountains, but also motivated schools and organizations - through speaking and writing about his experiences. Alex left ADI to focus on his speaking and writing. He combines his experiences in business and the mountains to draw life-changing and relevant parallels to both organizational teams and individuals. His experience is varied, interesting and unique.

Alex has a BA in Sport Psychology (Cum Laude) from the University of Johannesburg.

Climbing Experience

Alex has been climbing and mountaineering around the world since 1989 and is South Africa’s most experienced and respected high altitude mountaineer. Alex’s easy-going nature and deep understanding of human potential has made him the first choice as expedition leader on some of the most significant South African mountaineering achievements.

He has led more than 25 expeditions, which have taken him to all seven continents and the furthest corners of the world … from the jungles of Borneo, through the arid plains of Tibet, to the frozen wastelands of Antarctica.

He finds in mountains a sense of purpose and destiny that give his life meaning and inspire those around him.

Some of Alex’s more note-worthy achievements are:

• June 2009 – Expedition to Broad Peak 8047, in the Pakistan Karakorum
• January 2008 – 1st South African to walk unsupported to the South Pole
• June 2005 – reached the summit of Everest from the North side
• June 2005 – completed the seven summits, the highest mountain on all seven continents
• April 2003 - Led the Discovery Everest expedition to the South side of Everest
• May 2002 - Led the Discovery expedition to North America’s highest mountain, Denali (Mount McKinley) (6192m
• April 2001 - Guided the first South African expedition to Cho Oyu (8201m)
• April 2000 - Led the first South African expedition to climb Australasia’s highest peak: Carstensz Pyramid (4894m)
• September 1999 - Led the first South African expedition to the North side of Everest - the youngest person to ever lead an Everest expedition
• January 1999 - First South African to climb on all seven continents
• December 1998 - Led the first South African expedition to climb Antarctica’s highest mountain: Mount Vinson (4897m)
• July 1994 - First South African ascent of a 7 000m peak: Mt Lenin in Uzbekistan (7134m)
• 11 Ascents of Kilimanjaro (5895m) by five different routes
• 3 ascents of South America’s highest mountain: Aconcagua (6960m)
• 3 Ascents of Mount Kenya (5199m)

Track Cycling

Alex is a committed Christian and following a call from the Lord, Alex began track cycling. Alex had never been on a track bike but after five months of hard work, Alex became the new South African Track Champion for the 1000m Time Trial and the 1500m in his 35 to 39 yrs category! Five months later he won silver and a bronze medal at the World Masters Track Cycling Championships in Manchester. He is ‘nervous’ about where the Lord might call him next!

• 2006 – SA Track Championships
• 2 Gold and 1 Silver medal (35-39yrs)
• 2006 – World Masters Track Championships
• 1 Silver and 1 Bronze Medal (35-39yrs)
• 2007 – SA Track Championships
• 1 Gold and 2 silver medals (35-39yrs)

Adventure Racing

Over the years Alex has competed with various teams in this grueling, multidiscipline sport.

• 2003
• Won the 100km series (Team Diadora)
• 3rd in the SA Open Adventure Race (Team Diadora)

Mountain Biking

In 2010, Alex won the Freedom Challenge – Race across South Africa. Arguably Africa’s hardest unsupported mountain bike race, Alex cycled from Pietermaritzburg to Paarl, 2300kms, in 14 days and 8 hours.

Alex's testimony

The world of nutrition is a fascinating and endless place. And so, its sometimes difficult to quantify what works and to what degree. Compounding this, is the myriad training programs and of course lifestyle choices. However, that being said, some things intuitively just feel right.

The first time I heard about Cellfood was through my track cycling coach. He was a world champion and previous world record holder, and so naturally what he said or recommended carried weight. He said Cellfood was something I had to have. Pretty soon I was trying Cellfood for myself, and before long I was convinced. This was a product that I definitely needed! The rigours of track cycling are such that it places huge physical and physiological demands on the body. Recovery is critical. But not only with track cycling, with the training for some of my other expeditions, Cellfood is a constant part of my arsenal.

But don't make the mistake and think Cellfood is only for high performance athletes, its for anyone that wants a better quality of health, or is even remotely interested in participating in sports, at whatever level.

Here are some highlights from my recent sporting events :

1. SA Track champs went particularly well. I won 5 gold medals and a silver medal in the 35 to 39 age.
2. I graduated top of my class for Sport Psych, and joint top tied with two others for the best performer in the entire Health Sciences faculty.
3. I crashed out on Day 3 of the Cape Pioneer trek, but have since recovered well.
4. Two weeks ago we climbed Australia’s highest mountain, Kosciusko.
5. I was also asked to speak at a conference in Sydney, Australia.
6. I have recently secured a sponsor to fund the Empty Quarter expedition, so in January, I will head to the Emirates for a ten day training trip in the desert.

As you can see, things have not slowed down. In all of this Cellfood has kept me fit and strong, which has been immensely important, obviously.

My next trip is happening at the end of April 2011 where I will be climbing the highest mountain in Australia and for more information on this challenge you can check the website www.7summitschallenge.co.za.

 

ALEX HARRIS - LATEST ADVENTURE NOV 2011

Aconcagua:

So it was a tough time to be on Mount Aconcagua in November this year. Unusually high winds peppered the mountain for most of the three weeks, and thick snowfall made passage difficult. For most of the team, it was their first real peak, having only climbed Kilimanjaro before. Also, don’t forget that most of these guys are recovered and recovering drug addicts. That means their physiology has been adversely affected by years of drug abuse. This hasn’t been an issue on Kilimanjaro and Australia’s fairly low Kosciusko, but on Aconcagua, it was made pretty clear how tough this journey is going to be. First to display problems was kabelo, who went down with Asthmatic Rhesus shortly after getting to base camp. The BC doctor said his climb was over but he made a dramatic recovery two days later and was given the go ahead to climb higher. Then, as we reached 5000m, and one of the higher camps, Marco started displaying signs of Cerebral Oedema. This was surprising as on Kilimanjaro, he reached a similar height in far less time and had no problems. Nonetheless, he had to descend and after showing no signs of recovery, was flow off the mountain the following day. It was sad to lose one of the key people so early, but we pressed on. By the time we set off for summit day, we had last one more guy. Michael started showing signs of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness), and so he too had to descend. This left only four of us. We set off at about 3am and climbed in the darkness through 15 knot winds and temperatures of -17. By sunrise Barry and Mghabi had turned around leaving just Kabelo and i. three hours later we got to our high point of 6200m. I could see that kabelo had slowed as a result of his earlier problems. We were simply not going to make it at this pace. We sat for ten minutes on a rock in the son, staring up at the summit which seemed so close. Slowly the truth sunk in and Kabelo agreed, it was time to turn around. Thus, with our tails between our legs we beat a hasty retreat back down to base camp and eventually off the mountain. When we were reunited with Marco, he had made a full recovery and had resolved to come back. Such is the fortitude and determination of these guys. They got beat, but they’ll be back. I must say thanks though, to Cellfood. As without the Sport and Longevity, we simply would not have recovered as quickly as we did, or remained as healthy as we did. High mountains eat you alive…Cellfood kept us in the game!

Have a look at the following link for a short teaser:

http://youtu.be/W8aiOYMefg4

Oman Empty Quarter:

Not two weeks had passed since returning from Argentina and the cold slopes of Aconcagua, that we were on a plane to Oman, and the hostile Empty Quarter desert. This was just going to be a short training trip as we are still trying to get permission from the Saudi Arabians to cross the entire desert. Nontheless, we had a car drop us off about 600kms away from Muscat, on the fringe of the desert. For the next week three of us pulled a cart weighing 280kgs across 150kms of desert. The sand condition varied from hard pack to soft, quicksand type sludge that sucked our cart wheels and made passage excrutiatingly difficult. Sometimes were crossed high dunes, other times we criss crossed sand flats, or a maze combintaion of both. After 9 hours a day, we were broken and aching. But, there is no water along the route and so we need to figure out just how possible it is to do all of this carrying the water with us. We saw one camel and one scorpion, such was the remoteness of the place. It was with great relief that a week later, not 500m from where we said we would be, was Sulumein our driver!

 

Click here to view Alex's website