Alain Hubert (born September 11, 1953, in

Schaerbeek (French and archaic Dutch, ) or (contemporary Dutch, ) is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the north-eastern part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Etterbeek, Evere and S ...

) is a Belgian explorer.State, P. F., ''Historical Dictionary of Brussels'', 2nd ed. ( Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2015)
pp. 209–210
He is a certified mountain and polar guide, a civil engineer, and the founder President of the

International Polar Foundation Based in Brussels, Belgium, the International Polar Foundation (IPF) communicates and educates on polar science and polar research as a way to understand key environmental and climate mechanisms.Princess Elisabeth’. This station is the first ‘Zero Emissions’ station in Antarctica, designed under the spirit of the Madrid protocol system establishing in 1992 the strictest environmental rules to date for a continent through the Antarctic Treaty System.

Biography

Alain Hubert obtained his Civil Engineering diploma from the University of Louvain (UCLouvain) in 1974. As an adolescent, he became an avid practitioner of outdoor sports: mountaineering, marathon, back-country ski and para-gliding. Professionally, he founded a cooperative specialized in carpentry and joinery (CHERBAI) and established himself in the Belgian Ardennes. Alain Hubert has been going on major polar and mountaineering expeditions. His achievements include being the first Belgian to ever reach the North Pole in 1994 with Didier Goetghebuer, a world record crossing of the Antarctic continent (3924 km in 99 days) with Dixie Dansercoer in 1998 and 5 attempts at summitting

Mount Everest Mount Everest (; Tibetic languages, Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is List of highest mountains on Earth, Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border ru ...

. The Arctic Arc expedition with Dixie Dansercoer in 2007 was the First ever Siberia-Greenland crossing via the North Pole. During his expeditions, Alain Hubert witnessed the pace and magnitude of

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

first hand and dedicated himself to that cause. He collaborates with scientists and collects ground data for them during his expeditions both in Antarctica and the Arctic (for example snow depth ground data for

Cryosat CryoSat is an ESA programme to monitor variations in the extent and thickness of polar ice through use of a satellite in low Earth orbit. The information provided about the behaviour of coastal glaciers that drain thinning ice sheets will be key t ...

during his Arctic Arc Expedition). He is the founders of the International Polar Foundation, with the scientists

André Berger André Léon Georges Chevalier Berger (born July 30, 1942, Acoz) is a Belgian climatologist and professor. He is best known for his significant contribution to the renaissance and further development of the astronomical theory of paleoclimates a ...

and Hugo Decleir. The International Polar Foundation supports polar scientific research and promotes informed action on climate change and the development of a sustainable society. During the 2004-2005 and 2008-2009 BELARE Campaigns, the International Polar Foundation built the first-ever "Zero Emissions" Antarctic Research Station: Princess Elisabeth Antarctica. The project was initiated by Alain Hubert and funded by private partners and the Belgian government.

Distinctions and awards

* 2003: "Georges Lemaître International Award" - for services to science, University of Louvain (UCLouvain), Belgium. * 2003: " Grand Officier de l’Ordre de la Couronne", Belgium. * 2005: "European

Descartes Prize The Descartes Prize was an annual award in science given by the European Union, named in honour of the French mathematician and philosopher, René Descartes. The prizes recognized Outstanding Scientific and Technological Achievements Resulting f ...

" Nominee – for excellence in science communication. * 2008: "Climate Change Award" by the Prince Albert II de Monaco Foundation - for his clairvoyance and commitment towards climate change-related issues, Monaco. * 2009: "Doctor honoris causa", University of Hasselt - for his general merits as explorer and scientist who encourages more care for environment in economic development, and in particular for his merits on disposal of the neutral Princess Elisabeth Station in Antarctica, Belgium. * 2009: "Harvard Leadership Award" – for having provided a means to address climate change through an innovative and scientific approach, Belgium. * 2015: "Geographical Award", Royal Geographical Society - for furthering the understanding of polar scientific research in Antarctica, UK.

Publications and films

* "L’Enfer Blanc" - "De 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. * "antarctica.org", 1998, a 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 prize of the Mountain Film Festival held in Trente (Italy) in 2001. * "Chaos sur La Banquise", 2002, a 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. * "The Base", documentary film (multilingual) on the construction of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, the first zero-emission scientific station in Antarctica. * "Princess Elisabeth Antarctica" – (with N. Amin as author), Racines / Lanoo, Brussels, 2012.

Expeditions

Mountaineering expeditions

Ama Dablam Ama Dablam is a mountain in the eastern Himalayan range of Province No. 1, Nepal. The main peak is , the lower western peak is . Ama Dablam means "Mother's necklace"; the long ridges on each side like the arms of a mother (''ama'') protecting her ...

(6858 m) – First ascent of the East Ridge and first crossing (with André Georges), Nepal, 1983, and winter ascension of the Southwest face, Nepal, 1992. * Kanchenjunga South (8491 m) – Attempt at a solo 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 Gasherbrum ( ur, ) is a remote group of peaks situated at the northeastern end of the Baltoro Glacier in the Karakoram mountain range. The peaks are located within the border region of Xinjiang, China and Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. The ...

I & II (8064m & 8130m), Pakistan, 2001, Attempt. * Musthag Ata (7550m), China (Xingjang), 2003. *

Denali Denali (; also known as Mount McKinley, its former official name) is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. With a topographic prominence of and a topographic isolation of , Denali is the th ...

(6187m), Alaska, 2004. *

Aoraki / Mount Cook Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. Its height, as of 2014, is listed as . It sits in the Southern Alps, the mountain range that runs the length of the South Island. A popular tourist destination, it is also a favourite ...

(3754m), solo ascent of the East face, New Zealand, 2004. * Various climbs in the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...

, the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

, Antarctica,

Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and g ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...

, 1989–2015.

Arctic and Antarctic expeditions

* Geographic North Pole, Polar expedition – first Belgian (with Didier Goetghebuer) 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, 1995 and 1997. * World record crossing of the Antarctic continent, 3924 km in 99 days in autonomy (with Dixie Dansercoer), Antarctica, 1997–1998. The longest crossing ever made on foot and ski, using innovative new power kites. *

Queen Maud Land Queen Maud Land ( no, Dronning Maud Land) is a roughly region of Antarctica claimed by Norway as a dependent territory. It borders the claimed British Antarctic Territory 20° west and the Australian Antarctic Territory 45° east. In addi ...

, - First ever ascent of the south summit of Holtanna Peak and a dozen of other rock peaks. International expedition, Antarctica, 2000–2001. * The Arctic - Compaq Pole II - an 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 Vinson Massif () is a large mountain massif in Antarctica that is long and wide and lies within the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains. It overlooks the Ronne Ice Shelf near the base of the Antarctic Peninsula. The massif is located a ...

(4897m), Antarctica, 2003. * North Pole guiding treks - The last degree, Arctic Ocean, 10 expeditions from 2001 to 2014. *

Sør Rondane Mountains The Sør Rondane Mountains are a group of mountains about 100 miles (160 km) long with main peaks rising to 3400 m, between the Queen Fabiola Mountains and Wohlthat Mountains in Queen Maud Land. They were discovered and photographed from t ...

- first ascent of Mount Widerøe (2998m) and a dozen of other peaks, Antarctica, 2004–2014. * 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, Expedition leader of all summer seasons since 2007.

References

External links

First contact with Emperor Penguins colony
- National Public Radio, 2013
Interview with International Innovation about the role of science in the Polar Regions
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hubert, Alain 1953 births Living people Belgian explorers Université catholique de Louvain alumni