Local lad on top of the world
2011-05-26
Lise Beyers
A LOCAL man recently ascended Mount Everest in his final quest to conquer the seven highest summits of the world. Rob Hart (who matriculated at Paarl Boys’ High), set out to climb the Seven Summits, the highest mountain on each continent, in 2003, completing a peak each year. He kicked off with Kilimanjaro (5892 m) in early 2004 together with his father Pat. Then followed Aconcagua (Argentina, 6962 m) in late 2004, before attempting Everest (Asia, Nepal, 8848 m) for the first time in 2005, only to be blown off the mountain by gale force Arctic winds. He picked up the mantel again in 2006, climbing Elbrus (Azerbaijan, 5642 m), again with Pat, then Denali (Alaska, 6194 m) in 2007, then Carstensz Pyramid (Indonesia, 4884 m) in 2008 and Mount Vinson (Antarctica, 4892 m) in 2009/10. And on 14 May, his dream became true when he completed the gruelling task of ascending the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest. “These may not all be the hardest climbs in the world, but they surely are the most diverse. “I have dreamed of climbing Everest since I can first remember and that dream morphed to include the highest mountain on each continent. “The attraction of frozen digits, howling winds and inedible food eludes many, but to me the draw is that such an adventure and challenge is still available in modern times.” Hart was already a keen sportsman at high school. He matriculated in 1989 and went on to study at the University of Cape Town where he achieved a degree in business science. Hart now lives and works in Singapore as a hedge fund operator. He participates in ironman marathons, and was placed second in Action Asia, which is one of the most prestigious in the Far East. He and his wife Anna have three children, Zoe (5), Max (4) and Guy (2). But Rob’s endeavours have not only been a personal quest. Through his adventures he has been raising money for a charity organisation, Room to Read. Room to Read is an international charitable organisation which seeks to transform the lives of children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. “What attracted me to Room to Read was that 87% of the money raised goes to children’s education. “Being born in Africa and having seen the amount of money wasted by NGO’s on Land Rovers and the like, it was heartening to find a charity that does not waste money. “I have also taken a mercenary view that providing food to hungry people is not sustainable – rather teach a person how to fish.”
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