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Nigel Vardy

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Nigel Vardy
Personal information
Main disciplineMountaineering
NationalityBritish

Nigel Vardy is an English mountaineer whose experiences of recovering from severe frostbite injuries led him to become a motivational speaker and author.

Vardy was rescued after being overtaken by darkness at high altitude on a climb of Denali in Alaska in May 1999,[1] facing temperatures of −76 °F (−60 °C).[2] He suffered severe frostbite[3] and his injuries led to the amputation of all his toes, fingers and his nose.[4][5] In 2006 a 45-minute documentary was broadcast of his party's incident on Denali for the TV series I Shouldn't Be Alive.[6]

Months of recovery followed his accident, but Vardy eventually returned to climbing, explored mountains across the world, and three years later successfully returned to high-altitude climbing by reaching Island Peak in Nepal.[7] In 2014, despite his lack of toes, Vardy reached Gunnbjørn Fjeld, the highest mountain north of the Arctic Circle, as well as undertaking a further mountaineering expedition in Nepal.[8][9] He also became the first Briton to achieve the "seven peaks-seven islands" challenge, summitting the highest peaks on the world's seven largest islands.[10]

Vardy uses his experiences of rescue, recovery and return to mountaineering as a motivational speaker, and is sometimes known as "Mr. Frostbite". In 2016 Mountain Rescue magazine announced that he had become an associate of the Buxton Mountain Rescue Team in the Peak District, helping to fund raise and train others.[5][11] Vardy was appointed a "Get Outside Champion" by the British Ordnance Survey in 2017,[12][13] and is an ambassador for the Mountain Heritage Trust.[14]

Publications

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  • Vardy, N. (2008). Once Bitten. Panoma Press, St Albans. ISBN 978-1905823277
  • Vardy, N. (2011). Seven Peaks – Seven Islands. Panoma Press, St Albans. ISBN 978-1907722271

References

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  1. ^ Beaumont, Peter (23 May 1999). "Lone hero plucked from stormy Alaskan peak". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ^ "The man who survived at -76 degrees [graphic images]". Shoulders of Giants. 16 July 2017. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  3. ^ Reichert, Joe (2000). "Exceeding Abilities - Off Route, Inadequate Equipment and Water, Hypothermia, Frostbite". Accidents in North American Mountaineering. 7 (53). The American Alpine Club: 19–22. ISSN 0065-082X.
  4. ^ "Touching the void". The Guardian. 20 October 1999. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Students encouraged to scale the heights of ambition". Nottingham Local News. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2020.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "Frozen at twenty thousand feet". MNTNFILM. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  7. ^ "Climber returns from Himalayas". BBC News. 7 November 2002. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  8. ^ "Explorer returns from latest trek". BBC News. 5 May 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  9. ^ "In pictures: Quest for the summit". BBC News. 21 June 2004. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  10. ^ "Frostbite climber Nigel Vardy to feature in Bear Grylls project". BBC News. 1 October 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  11. ^ "'Mister Frostbite' joins the Buxton Team" (PDF). Mountain Rescue. 55: 29–31. 2015. ISSN 1756-8749. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  12. ^ "Nigel Vardy". OS GetOutside. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  13. ^ Sills, Edward (21 February 2017). "Belper Mountaineer Selected As 2017 Ordnance Survey Champion". Nailed - Belper Independent News. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  14. ^ "Team & Careers - Ambassadors and Officers". Mountain Heritage Trust. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
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