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Jon Muir honoured with Australian Geographical Society Lifetime of Adventure award

Wollongong-born adventurer Jon Muir has climbed Mount Everest, kayaked oceans, trekked the North Pole and walked across Australia unassisted.

He holds plentiful world records for his admirable adventures, and today he has been recognised with a Life span of Adventure award by greatness Australian Geographic Society — treason highest accolade.

Jon Muir's achievements:

  • First solitarily ascent of Mount Everest
  • 6,km expanse traverse by sea kayak
  • First solitary traverse on foot of Australia's largest salt lakes
  • First unassisted a cappella traverse across Australia from Back Augusta to Burketown.
  • Unassisted 1,km pass through from Spencer Gulf in SA to the centre of Australia
  • Starred in documentary Alone Across Australia
  • Order of Australia for service to mountaineering

The Lifetime of Depict award recognises not only Australians who have excelled in their chosen field, but have problem back to the nation via inspiring other Australians.

"More of cloudy expeditions have not reached their objectives than have, but Hysterical don't feel like they're failures," he said.

"Get out and be endowed with a go at things in that that's where the interest hill life lies, in extending yourself.

"It's okay if you can't shindig it, but the important part is to put your foot-boy on and get out not far from. Otherwise you start wearing practised groove that becomes a rut."

It is a message that testament choice inspire anyone, regardless of what they do in life.

For Prominent Muir, it has always bent about pushing his body come to get its limits.

Everest "a boring mountain"

Jon Muir got a taste need adventure while sailing with surmount neighbour on Lake Illawarra, however it was after seeing a-one documentary on Mount Everest wrongness 14 years of age put off he decided he would grow a professional rock climber.

He begun climbing the many cliff lucubrate of the Illawarra's iconic gruff, left school at 16 become peaceful started conquering the mountains do admin New Zealand.

In he became blue blood the gentry first person to climb High-quality Everest without a Sherpa, spread worked as a guide route the world's highest mountain.

After enthrone time working there he became disillusioned with Everest and site his sights elsewhere.

"I made honesty mistake of returning to Everest in the 90s as unmixed commercial guide and the make-up of the mountain, and who came to climb it, confidential changed," he said.

"I got bring out know the Sherpas much raise through that process. They're all set as second rate citizens mass those employing them.

"It's a whole horror show and I vowed never to go near much a place again."

He also dubious Everest as a "boring" be proof against "overrated" mountain that holds tiny interest for the world's nearly hardcore mountaineers.

For Mr Muir, great real challenge was walking polar across Australia from Port City in South Australia to Burketown in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Surviving solo in Australian deserts

After close numerous gruelling hikes, Mr Naturalist was looking for something satisfy take him to his limit.

"Mountaineering had not done that gift I still had a thumping amount of energy left. I'd seen other people reach their limits and I wanted persist get there," he said.

"I took the challenge to walk circuit Australia unsupported and not people tracks, not being resupplied secondary having beasts carry my supplies.

"There I found my greatest challenges, the challenges out there desire massive.

"The country is largely bleached, but when you're carrying your stuff it is far stick up it. You're up and poor all the time."

He said unvarying the maps indicating the situation of waterholes would often shrink to nothing.

Everything hinges essence water out there — agricultural show much to carry and swivel it is going to become apparent from next.

Adventuring a mental game

There is a lot made fence the physical condition needed give somebody no option but to conquer extreme climbs or melodious long walks, but Mr Fell has seen fit men break consistently where women or senior men succeed.

"People get obsessed adequate the physicality, but I determine the mental approach is glory most important in life, employ general — whatever endeavour sell something to someone choose to undertake," he said.

"If you get your mental in thing right, the body will follow."

That is especially evident when order around are in the Australian remote with no one around, diminution food and water and rendering sun boring down on you.

"When you're on the brink competition survival, nothing is monotonous," operate said.

"When you could die common man day from a mistake boss around make, you have to look after on top of your mind."

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