Alain Hubert curriculum vitae

Personal details

Nationality:	Belgian
Occupation(s):	Polar explorer, civil engineer, entrepreneur, mountain guide (UIAGM), public speaker, good-will Ambassador for UNICEF, co-founder and Chairman of the International Polar Foundation.
Date of Birth:	11/09/1953
Languages:	French, English and Dutch
Awards:	"Georges Lemaître International Prize" - for services to science, Belgium, 2003. "Climate Change" Prize by the Prince Albert II de Monaco Foundation - for his clairvoyance and commitment towards climate change-related issues, Monaco, 2008. Doctor honoris causa at the University of Hasselt, Belgium, 2009. Harvard Leadership Prize, Belgium, 2009.
Honours:	Grand Officier de l'Ordre de la Couronne, Belgium, 2003.

Activities

• 1966-1971: Secondary Education - humanities (Greco-roman options) - Brussels.
• 1973-1977: Civil Engineer - Catholic University of Louvain (UCL).
• 1960-1977: Académie de Dessin et des Arts Décoratifs & Académie de Musique.
• 1965-1978: Athletism, Basketball & Handball competition, running activities in several youth movements.
• 1979- : Founder & partner of "Cherbai", a building-carpentry company, specialized in joinery, kitchen and contemporary furniture.
• 1983-1998: Founder & partner of "Plantar", an agricultural company specialized in "Seed potatoes selection".
• 1980- : Long distance running, mountaineering, canyoning, skiing (downhill, back-country, telemark). Holds a pilot's licence for paragliding.
• 2002: Qualified Mountain guide (UIAGM).
• 2002- : Co-founder of the International Polar Foundation, to raise awareness of the importance of Polar science and climate change. The IPF also promotes innovative and multifaced responses to the complex challenges raised by the need for action on sustainable development - will set up the Polaris Climate Change Observatory in Brussels, USA and Middle-East.
• 1998- : Public Speaking - Climate change, Education and Environmental issues; Exploration and Expeditions, Management and Human resources (more than 1000 various conferences in Belgium & abroad.
• 1998- : Technical consultant for the conception of material for extreme conditions in mountainous and polar terrain.
• 1997-98: Originator and co-designer of the exhibition "The Last Continent" (The Antarctic, past present and future - what is at stake), Brussels. The exhibition attracted more than 300 000 visitors.
• 1997-98: Collaborated in the "European Polar Snow Research" project in the Antarctic for the LGGE (Laboratoire de Glaciologie et de G´ophysique de l "Environnement de Grenoble (France) and the Institut d'Astronomie et de Géophysique Georges Lemaître at Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium).
• 2007: Conduct a field research for the CRYOSAT II Program of ESA (European Space Agency), Arctic Ocean Transec.
• 2004-2009: Originator and responsible with Nighat Amin & the IPF of the construction of the first "Carbon Zero Emission" scientific station (Princess Elisabeth Antarctica), Sor Rondane Mountains, Antarctica, IPY 2007-2008.
• 2008- : Scientific coordinator of a new degree on Sustainable development (Environmental & Energy challenge), ICHEC-Enterprises Business school, Brussels.
• 2009- : Co-founder of "Extreme Planet R&D", an outdoor equipment company based in Chamonix (France).

Publications & Films

• "L'Enfer Blanc" - "The Witte Hel", North Pole Expedition, Éditions Labor, Brussels, 1994.
• "In the Teeth of the Wind, the Great Antarctic Crossing", Bluntisham Books, London, 2001.
• "Cent jours pour l'Antarctique, La grande traversée", Éditions Labor, Brussels, 1998 - "In de tand of de wind", Van Hallewyck, Leuven, 1998.
• "Chaos sur la Banquise", the book of the 2002 Arctic Expedition, Labor, Brussels, 2002 - Chaos op het ijs, Van Hallewyck, Leuven, 2002.
• "Deux pôles, Un rêve", Arthaud (Flammarion), Paris, 2004.
• "La décision, entre passion et raison" - (with Jean Mossoux), De Boeck, Brussels, 2006.
• "L'Appel des glaces", Mardaga, Brussels, 2007.
• He has also written several articles as well as contributing articles to magazines and short documentaries produced by "michel de wouters productions" :
• "antarctica.org", 1998, documentary film (multilingual) on the Great Antarctic crossing, which won the Toison d'Or (first prize) at the Adventure Film Festival held in Dijon (France) in 1999, and the First Price of the Mountain Film Festival held in Trente (Italy) in 2001.
• "Chaos sur La Banquise", 2002, documentary film (multilingual) of the attempt at the longest Arctic crossing.
• "The Testament of Ice", multilingual DVD pack on polar expeditions with several original bonus (film music, pictures, topics and video animation on the International Polar Foundation activities), michel de wouters productions, 2005.
• "Beyond Silence", 2008, documentary film (multilingual) on the first arctic crossing from Siberia to Greenland (the Arctic Arc expedition 2007), which won a "Special mention" and the "Toison d'Or de l'Aventurier de l'Année" at the Adventure Film festival in Dijon (France), 2008.

Expeditions

Mountaineering Expeditions:

• Amadablam (6858 m) - First ascent of the East Ridge & first crossing (with André Georges), Nepal, 1983, and winter ascension of the Southwest face, Nepal, 1992.
• Kanchenjunga South (8491 m) - Attempt at a solitary ascent of the Southwest face, Nepal, 1987.
• Cho Oyu (8201m) - Attempt at the winter ascent of the Southeast face, Nepal, 1989; Ascent of the North-west face (polish route), Tibet, 1990.
• Everest (8846 m) - 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996 and 1999. Attempt at the ascension of the North face, Tibet (storm, altitude reached 7250m) -1991. South ridge, without oxygen, Nepal, (altitude reached 8450 m) -1992, 1994 and 1996. North Ridge without oxygen (altitude reached 8580m, climb stopped following fatalities in the group) -1999.
• Gasherbrum I & II (8064m & 8130m), Pakistan, 2001, Attempt.
• Musthag Ata (7550m), China (Xingjang), 2003.
• Mc Kinley (6187m), Alaska, 2004.
• Mt Cook (3754m), solitary ascent of the East face, New Zealand, 2004.
• Various climbs in the Himalayas, the Andes, Antarctica, Patagonia and Alaska, 1989-2009.

Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions:

• Various polar treks (Svalbard, Norway, Sweden, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Antarctic and Arctic Ocean - North Pole), 1984-2009.
• Baffin Island, Polar traverse expedition, 600 km, North Eastern Canada, 1991.
• Geographic North Pole (with Didier Goetghebuer), Polar expedition - first Belgians to ever reach the North Pole, 76 days on ski and in autonomy, 760 km, Arctic Ocean, 1994.
• Greenland, polar trek on ski and with kites, 620 km, Denmark, 1994 and 1997.
• World record crossing of the Antarctic continent, with Dixie Dansercoer, 3924 km in 99 days in autonomy, Antarctica, 1997-1998. The longest crossing ever made on foot and ski, using innovative new power kites.
• Dronning Maud Land, - First ever ascent of the south summit of Holtanna and a dozen of other rock peaks. International expedition, Antarctica, 2000-2001.
• The Arctic - Compaq Pole II - attempt at the longest crossing (over 2400 km) of the Arctic Ocean, in autonomy with Dixie Dansercoer, Arctic ocean, 2002. The Expedition was forced to abandon after 68 days because of poor ice conditions.
• Mount Vinson (4897m), Antarctica, 2003.
• North Pole guiding treks - The last degree, Arctic ocean, 2001-2008.
• Sor Rondane Mountains - first ascent of Wideroefjellet (2998m), Antarctica, 2004, 2005, 2006. Survey for the first "Zero Emission" station which will be set up in 2007-2008 during the IPY.
• The Arctic Arc - First ever Siberia-Greenland crossing via the North Pole. 106 days on the ice, 1800 Km (with Dixie Dansercoer), Arctic Ocean, 2007.
• Belgian Antarctic Expeditions (BELARE), Utsteinen, Antarctica, 2007-2009.