| Chris Brown | |
| Occupation: | Entrepreneur, explorer, adventurer |
| Nationality: | British |
| Children: | 2 |
Chris Brown (born 1962) is a British explorer and adventurer known for his bid to become the first person in history to visit all eight of the Earth's Continental Poles of Inaccessibility. To date, he has reached six of the eight poles.
He is a Lifelong Honoury Fellow of the Scientific Exploration Society[1] and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most dives into a swimming pool in one hour.[2]
Brown, a tech entrepreneur from Harrogate,[3] North Yorkshire, first got the "travel bug" while backpacking through South America as a student.[4]
His idea to visit the poles of inaccessibility – the locations on Earth that are the farthest away from water or, in the case of the Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility and Northern Pole of Inaccessibility, land – first arose when he learned about the different South Poles while on a group trip to Antarctica in 2016 with former American astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who was attempting to become the oldest person to reach the South Pole.[5] Two years later, in 2018, it was cemented while attending the "world's highest dinner party" on Mount Everest, organised to raise funds for UK charity Community Action Nepal. During the visit, he heard about the Seven Summits Challenge, where people climb the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. Brown thought to try the same type of challenge for the poles of inaccessibility, marking the beginning of his Eight Poles Project.[6]
Brown's aim with the Eight Poles Project[7] is to be first person ever to visit all of the Poles of Inaccessibility. These comprise Eurasia's Pole of Inaccessibility, Africa's Pole of Inaccessibility, Australia's Pole of Inaccessibility, Northern Pole of Inaccessibility, Southern Pole of Inaccessibility, North American Pole of Inaccessibility, South American Pole of Inaccessibility, and the Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility/Point Nemo.[8]
As of 2024, he has visited six of the eight poles.
Brown's first successful venture in the challenge was reaching the North American Pole of Inaccessibility, on land belonging to the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, in 2019.[9] [10]
Next, he visited Africa's Pole of Inaccessibility in December 2021,located in the south east of Central African Republic (CAR) near to the town of Obo, pinning down the exact point to 5°39.0’N, 26°10.2’E. To reach the pole he had to travel through dense jungle and was accompanied by armed security because of the threat of armed bandits.[11] [12] [13]
Brown first attempt to reach the Southern Pole of Inaccessibility, in Antarctica, was made in January 2022 but was called off when the Twin Otter plane transporting him and his team broke down, leaving him stranded at Wolf's Fang Runway for four weeks. A second attempt, made in January 2023, was successful, with Brown and his son, Mika, reaching the Southern Pole of Inaccessibility on January 11.[14] [15]
Brown reached the South American Pole of Inaccessibility, which lies within the Arenápolis municipality in the Matto Grosso state of western Brazil, in May 2023.[16]
In March 2024, Brown, again accompanied by Mika, reached the Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility at Point Nemo, located in the South Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and Chile, and 1,670 miles (2,688 km) from land. Setting sail on the chartered expedition yacht Hanse Explorer from Puerto Montt in Chile on March 12, they reached the pole on March 20, contending with waves the size of "a standard detached house in the UK", seasickness, and an incoming hurricane on the way.[17]
In 2023, in the wake of the Titan submersible implosion, Brown revealed that he had paid a deposit for a place aboard the OceanGate vessel but had subsequently pulled out over concerns about its safety. He was a friend of British billionaire Hamish Harding, who died on the sub.[18] [19]