Louis-Philippe Loncke Explained

Louis-Philippe Loncke
Birth Date:	3 March 1977
Birth Place:	Mouscron, Belgium
Education:	ECAM, KU Leuven, UAMS
Occupation:	Consultant, Explorer, Adventurer
Years Active:	2006–present

Louis-Philippe Loncke is a Belgian explorer, adventurer and motivational speaker. In 2008, he achieved the world first crossing on foot of the length of the Simpson desert,^[1] which was a North to South traverse passing through its geographical center. In 2018, he traversed Tasmania during the austral winter without resupplies and was nicknamed the Mad Belgian by some Australians.^{[2] [3]}

Early life and education

Loncke was born in Mouscron, Belgium to a family of furniture makers. He studied engineering in Brussels at ECAM, a master in Industrial management in KU Leuven and treasury management at the University of Antwerp Management School.

Career

Management consultant^[4]

Loncke started his career as logistics manager. Since 1999, he has built experience in over 10 corporate companies in various positions. He has been working as management consultant since 2007 mainly in IT. The skills he acquired in the corporate world allowed him to efficiently plan his expeditions. He is also self-taught in photography, SEO, marketing and communications. From 2006 to 2013, he was volunteering at NGO Art in All of Us and was elected member of the board of directors in 2010.

Adventurer and explorer

Loncke started traveling alone in 2000. In 2002, he was sent to Singapore for work and learned scuba diving. To fulfill this passion he traveled for a year in Oceania between 2004 and 2005. He started hiking and heard about adventurers and explorers; and became interested after seeing the world acclaimed film Alone across Australia. Back in Belgium, he met author and adventurer Sylvain Tesson who encouraged him to continue. Loncke left again in 2006 to Australia to start his first three expeditions.^[5]

His first solo unresupplied traverse of the Tasmanian Wilderness brought him the first sponsors and recognition among Australian explorers. After a year in Australia, he went back to Belgium and started planning for a series of several world first expeditions, the first being to attempt crossing the Simpson desert at its longest distance.

He has organised charity expeditions involving media buzz including the highest chocolate tasting, on Everest. In July 2010, he trekked across Iceland^[6] between its extreme latitude from North to South. He spoofed an Icelandic promotional video^[7] that got viral in Iceland. He has announced a return to Iceland to attempt doing the journey during the winter.^[8] Both his Simpson and Iceland expeditions involved a science program of the MSH of Paris named Stress and decision taking in extreme environment.

Expeditions

World firsts

• 2006 - Unsupported crossing of the West MacDonnell National Park^[9]
• 2006 - Unsupported traverse of Fraser Island^{[10] [11]}
• 2007 - Unresupplied crossing of the Tasmanian Wilderness^{[12] [13]}
• 2008 - Unsupported crossing of the Simpson Desert from North to South and passing through the center.^{[14] [15]}
• 2010 - Unsupported traverse of Iceland in the Summer^{[16] [17]}
• 2011 - BelgiKayak expedition, touring by kayak the Belgian waterways.^{[18] [19]}
• 2012 : Crossing of Poland by human power from Mount Rysy across the Tatras Mountains by foot, then by kayak on the Vistula to the Baltic sea.^{[20] [21] [22]} He spoke about the expedition at TEDxWarsaw 2013.^[23]
• 2013 - TitiKayak expedition with Gadiel Sánchez Rivera. Full tour by kayak of lake Titicaca. Creation of the first geotagged photographic inventory of the lake: they took GPS coordinates of the location of the limit between the water and the ground and alongside photographs of the background. They also took underwater photos on the Northern Bolivian coast to locate the living habitat of the giant frog Telmatobius culeus.^{[24] [25] [26] [27]} He told the purpose of the expedition at TEDxFlanders.^[28]
• 2015 - Unsupported traverse of Death Valley National Park from North to South^[29]
• 2016 - Salar trek 2. Unsupported traverse of Salar de Coipasa and Salar de Uyuni on foot. These two Salt flats are located in the Bolivian Altiplano and are the remains of Lake Tauca.^{[30] [31] [32]}
• 2018 - Tasmania Winter Trek. North to South traverse of Tasmania during the austral winter, without food or gas resupplies, without using roads and only sleeping in a tent.^{[33] [34]}
• 2020 - HRP2020. Crossing the Pyrenees from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, without supplies, without assistance and sleeping only in a tent; and climbing the summit of Pico Aneto. Its route follows a variant of the Haute Randonnée Pyrénéenne^{[35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40]}
• 2021 - He walks and packrafts the entire Kungsleden trail unsupported, climbing underway also Skierfe and the Kebnekaise North and South summits.^{[41] [42] [43] [44] [45] [46]}
• 2023 - GTA2023. Crossing the French Alps from the Mediterranean Sea to Lake Geneva, without resupply, using water from only public sources, without assistance and sleeping only in a tent. He followed the GTA or Grande Traversée des Alpes from Nice to Thonon-les-Bains.^{[47] [48] [49] [50]}

Charity and cultural expeditions

• 2009 - Chocolate Sherpa expedition,^[51] walking 400 km from Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp and back to Lukla distributing chocolate.

Scientific and other expeditions

• 2013 - Cordell expedition to Clipperton Island. Scientific and DXpedition with callsign TX5K.^{[52] [53] [54]}
• 2013 - Marañón River expedition. Joined for 6 days the 1 month rafting and kayaking of the upper part of the river.
• 2013 - Salar trek expedition. He attempted, but failed, to traverse Salar de Coipasa and Salar de Uyuni on foot without any resupply.^{[55] [56]}
• 2016 - Unsupported partial crossing of the Simpson Desert from West to East from Old Andado to Poeppel Corner and passing through the center.^{[57] [58]}

Challenges

• 2020 - The Everest Bueren Challenge, climbing up and down the stairs of the Montagne de Bueren 135 times with a 15 kg backpack.^{[59] [60]}
• 2021 - Confined in my Tent, living 1 week on a 5m² platform hanging 10m above the ground.^{[61] [62] [63]}
• 2022 - Unsupported speed record on the GR 70 Stevenson hiking trail.^{[64] [65]}

Films

From 2021, he started to produce films about his expeditions and challenges. The films are released online or screened at festivals.

• 2021 - The Mad Belgian: Keep walking^[66]
• 2022 - The Mad Belgian: Confined in My Tent^[67]

Awards and recognition

• In 2009, he was awarded young talent of the year^[68] by the Baillis of Mouscron.
• Outer Edge magazine has selected in its February–March 2011 issue Loncke's Simpson desert crossing being in the top 10 Australian expeditions to the edge of reason.^[69]
• Accepted as member of the Explorers Club in 2010^[70] and elected to Fellow in 2014.
• Becoming Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society in 2011
• In September 2011, the Jane Goodall Institute Belgium nominates him as goodwill ambassador for the Roots & Shoots program.^[71]
• Selected by the LOCOG to carry the Olympic Flame through Choppington on 15 June 2012.^[72]
• Finalist Photoshoot Awards contest OCEAN 2013, category Pollution.^[73]
• At the European parliament in Brussels, on 7 May 2014, Jane Goodall made him Jane Goodall Institute Knight for Youth, Animals and Plants in the Order of the Iguana.
• A the ISPO fair in Munich, he is awarded European Adventurer of the Year 2016.^{[74] [75] [76]}
• He is enthroned Honorary Bailli of Mouscron in October 2017^[77]
• Ranked #3 of the Top 10 expeditions of 2018 according to ExplorersWeb^[78]

External links

• of Louis-Philippe Loncke

Notes and References

1. Herald Sun, "If the desert doesn't get you, the camels might", 23 August 2008
2. News: 'Mad Belgian' attempts world-first unaided winter traverse of Tasmania. 2018-09-06. ABC News. 2018-10-10. en-AU.
3. News: Belgian adventurer returns from historic Tasmanian traverse cut, bruised and 15kg lighter. 2018-09-25. ABC News. 2018-10-10. en-AU.
4. http://www.linkedin.com/in/lonckelph "Resume on Linkedin"
5. http://www.louis-philippe-loncke.com/4Bio/bio-EN.htm "Short Biography"
6. Icenews, "Walking alone across Iceland not enough: Belgian explorer to try again in winter", 9 August 2010
7. Icenews, "Belgian explorer inspired by Inspired by Iceland", 17 October 2010
8. Grapevine Interview "This Man Crossed Iceland With No Outside Help And He'll Do It Again", 31 March 2011
9. Alice Springs News, "Hill after Hill", 21 September 2006
10. Fraser Island expedition mentioned, "Belgian explorer takes on Australia’s Dead Heart", 31 August 2016
11. Unsupported Fraser Island expedition mentioned, "Walking the Globe with Louis-Philippe Loncke", 14 September 2017
12. 49 days Tasmanian walk mentioned, "Belgian explorer takes on Australia’s Dead Heart", 31 August 2016
13. Unsupported Tasmanian walking expedition mentioned, "Walking the Globe with Louis-Philippe Loncke", 14 September 2017
14. The Monitor, p7, "36 days alone in the desert", 28 August 2008
15. Sudpresse Archive, "800km en 35 jours", 17 November July 2008
16. Morgunblaðið, "Walked across the country in 19 days", 31 July 2010
17. FastestKnownTime, "FKT - Route: Iceland N-S Traverse (Iceland)", Published le 3 May 2024
18. Sudpresse Archive, "Le tour de Belgique en kayak", 9 July 2011
19. L'avenir, "Un tour de Belgique à la rame", 11 July 2011
20. http://wiadomosci.wp.pl/kat,8311,title,Belgijski-podroznik-Louis-Philippe-Loncke-pokonal-1200-km-przez-Polske,wid,14544978,wiadomosc.html?ticaid=1e9ff&_ticrsn=3 Belgijski podróżnik Louis-Philippe Loncke pokonał 1200 km przez Polskę
21. http://www.wprost.pl/ar/326290/1200-km-przez-Polske-pieszo-tratwa-i-kajakiem-Belg-zakonczyl-wyprawe/ 1200 km przez Polskę - pieszo, tratwą i kajakiem. Belg zakończył wyprawę
22. http://gdansk.naszemiasto.pl/artykul/galeria/1429841,belgijski-podroznik-doplynal-do-gdanska-przemierzal-polske,id,t.html 1200 km przez Polskę - pieszo, tratwą i kajakiem. Belg zakończył wyprawę
23. http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Slowly-Down-the-Vistula-Louis-P Slowly Down the Vistula: Louis-Philippe Loncke at TEDxWarsaw
24. PAT Bolivia, "Hola Pais, Louis-Philippe recorrio el lago Titicaca", 25 September 2013
25. Save The Frogs, "Frog conservation in Bolivia"
26. LeVif.be "Une expédition sur le lac Titicaca", 16 August 2013
27. 7sur7.be "Expédition sur le lac Titicaca", 16 August 2013
28. http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Adventure-Louis-Philipp-Loncke Adventure: Louis-Philippe Loncke
29. L'avenir, "Un Mouscronnois a réussi à traverser la Vallée de la Mort en autonomie", 16 November 2015
30. Le Vif, "Un Belge a traversé le plus grand désert de sel", 21 October 2016
31. Le Soir, "Le premier homme à traverser le plus grand désert de sel à pied est belge", 21 October 2016
32. HLN.be, "Belg is eerste die grootste zoutvlakte ter wereld volledig autonoom oversteekt", 21 October 2016
33. News: 'Mad Belgian' attempts world-first unaided winter traverse of Tasmania. 2018-09-06. ABC News. 2018-10-10. en-AU.
34. News: Belgian adventurer returns from historic Tasmanian traverse cut, bruised and 15kg lighter. 2018-09-25. ABC News. 2018-10-10. en-AU.
35. Web site: L'avenir.net - Un explorateur belge traverse les Pyrénées sans assistance. fr.
36. Web site: 7sur7.be - Un explorateur belge traverse les Pyrénées sans assistance.
37. Web site: Le Mouscronnois Louis Philippe Loncke a atteint le toit des Pyrénées.
38. Web site: Louis-Philippe Loncke Completes Another Monster Pack Marathon. Explorersweb. 7 September 2020.
39. Web site: 'Mad Belgian' trekt samen met KuifjePyreneeën over. nl.
40. Web site: Belgische avonturier Louis-Philippe Loncke steekt Pyreneeën over zonder externe hulp. nl. 8 September 2020.
41. 7sur7, "Un Belge, premier au monde à parcourir le Kungsleden en autonomie complète en Suède", 4 September 2021
42. NOtele, "L'aventurier Louis-Philippe Loncke a vaincu le Kungsleden en Laponie", 1 September 2021
43. L'avenir, "519 km en Laponie en solo pour Louis-Philippe Loncke: «J’aime être en autonomie complète»", 11 August 2021
44. FastestKnownTime, "FKT - Route: Kungsleden (Sweden)", Validated on 3 September 2021
45. GVA, "Belg breekt breekt wereldrecord met langste solotrektocht in Zweden", 4 September 2021
46. HLN, "Belgische avonturier legt als eerste Koningspad in Zweden volledig autonoom af", 4 September 2021
47. France3 Info, "Première mondiale : un Belge traverse les Alpes en autonomie en moins de 24 jours", 11 August 2023
48. NoTele, "Nouvel exploit pour Louis-Philippe Loncke qui a traversé les Alpes en totale autonomie", 13 August 2023
49. LeSoir, "Un explorateur belge bat un record dans les Alpes", 11 August 2022
50. FastestKnownTime, "FKT - Route: Grande Traversée des Alpes via the GR5", Published on 9 May 2024
51. 7sur7, "Une dégustation de chocolat belge aura lieu début mai sur l'Everest", 8 April 2009
52. http://www.cordell.org/CI/ "Cordell 2013 Clipperton expedition"
53. CBS News San diego, "Boaters return to San Diego after island exploration", 19 March 2013
54. ICvolunteers, "GreenVoice a Voice for the Clipperton Expedition", 18 February 2013
55. Nord Eclair, "Louis-Philippe Loncke vaincu par le désert de sel", 27 November 2013
56. L'Avernir, "Après l'assaut du lac Titicaca, il abandonne dans le désert", 27 November 2013
57. News.com.au, "Belgian explorer takes on Australia’s Dead Heart", 11 August 2016
58. La Libre, "Un Belge parcourt 300 km seul à travers le désert de Simpson en Australie", 16 September 2016
59. News: Défi réussi pour Louis-Philippe Loncke: pour simuler l'ascension de l'Everest, il a gravi 135 fois la Montagne de Bueren à Liège . fr . A successful challenge for Louis-Philippe Loncke: to simulate the ascent of Everest, he climbed the Bueren Mountain 135 times in Liège . . 2020-07-21 . 2020-09-14.
60. News: Climbing Mount Everest… in Liège! . Sarah . Crew . . 2020-07-20 . 2020-09-14 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200721102403/https://www.thebulletin.be/climbing-mount-everest-liege . 2020-07-21.
61. DHnet, "Vivre en autonomie pendant 1 semaine suspendu sur une plateforme de 5m², le défi fou de l’aventurier Belge Louis-Philippe Loncke", 23 December 2021
62. NOtele, "Tournai : Louis-Philippe Loncke a réussi son pari de rester pendant une semaine à 10m de hauteur", 22 December 2021
63. SUDinfo, "L’aventurier Louis-Philippe Loncke livre son expérience dans les airs pour Viva For Life derrière la Cathédrale de Tournai", 21 December 2021
64. Midi Libre, "Cévennes : il parcourt le GR 70, soit 276 km depuis Le Puy-en-Velay jusqu'à Alès, en 4 jours et 20 heures", 26 August 2022
65. Nord Eclair, "Mouscron: Louis-Philippe Loncke a fait le GR70 (276km) en 5 jours et en autonomie", 30 August 2022
66. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15929106/ "The Mad Belgian: Keep walking"
67. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21481704/ "The Mad Belgian: Confined in My Tent"
68. L'avenir, "L'ordre des Baillis s'élargit", 6 October 2009
69. Outer Edge, "The Top 10 Craziest Expeditions Ever to Touch Australia", 23 December 2010
70. http://www.explorerswesteurope.org/pages/member_lonke.htm "Loncke's Explorers Club page"
71. http://www.janegoodall.be/en/page.asp?pageid=36 Roots & Shoots ambassador
72. Web site: London 2012 . 8 October 2012 . 4 January 2013 . https://archive.today/20130104022637/http://www.london2012.com/torch-relay/torchbearers/torchbearers=louis-philippe-loncke-6193/ . dead .
73. https://web.archive.org/web/20180226194100/http://koken.photoshootawards.com/albums/oceans-2013-pollution/ "Photoshoot Awards OCEAN 2013"
74. RTLinfo, "Un Belge désigné aventurier européen de l'année", 17 February 2017
75. La Voix du Nord, "Un Mouscronnois élu « aventurier européen de l’année »", 22 February 2017
76. Focus on Belgium, "EUROPEAN ADVENTURER OF THE YEAR COMES FROM BELGIUM", 10 March 2017
77. L'avenir, "43e convent des Baillis", 3 October 2017
78. Web site: Top 10 Expeditions of 2018: #3: First Winter Crossing of Tasmania. Explorersweb. 29 December 2018 . 2019-07-23.