Al Hinkes has topped off a remarkable 2005 with the award of an OBE in the New Year Honours List, all we can say is well done fella, you deserve it :-)
Congratulations to Alan Hinkes who topped off an incredible 2005
by being awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours List.
Hinkes, 51, became the first Briton to summit all 14 of the
world's 8,000-metre peaks when he topped out on Kangchenjunga in May
last year. To his quiet satisfaction, he was also named as one of the
top 50 Yorkshire men of all time.
"I'm over the moon to receive an OBE," says Alan. "My Challenge
8000 aim has taken me over 18 years to achieve and to receive
official recognition like this is a dream come true. I just want to
thank everyone who has supported me throughout."
The OBE underlines what a remarkable feat the Northallerton man
has achieved. He climbed the first of his 8,000ers, Shisha Pangma
(8027m), back in 1987. Everest was ticked off in 1996 followed
immediately after, in the same year, by Gasherbrum I (8068m) and
Gasherbrum II (8035m).
In 2002 Alan climbed Annapurna, 8091m, in record time to minimise
his exposure to hazards on a particularly dangerous mountain.
Through it all he's received stalwart support from his sponsors
Berghaus, who've even released a limited edition Hinkes signature
jacket to mark his success.
Berghaus brand president Lewis Grundy comments:
"Alan is an amazing individual, he has worked with Berghaus since
the early 1980's and is not only one of our sponsored athletes but
also a good friend. We are all delighted that he has received this
OBE as we all know the sheer grit and determination it has taken him
to achieve his objective. He is a very skilled mountaineer and he
truly deserves this recognition."
We'd like to add our congratulations on a fantastic achievement,
nice one Alan, next stop, a knighthood we reckon...
You can find out more about Alan from www.berghaus.com
where there's a video profile of the man himself and from previous OM
articles linked below.
