Haywards Heath young adventurer competing with Sir Ranulph Fiennes today

Young adventurer Tim Davies from Haywards Heath joins four of the world’s greatest explorers for an epic mountain adventure today.
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In the first event of it’s kind, Tim will pair up with the likes of Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Kenton Cool as he competes to win the title of Land Rover’s Next Generation Explorer in the Discovery Adventure Challenge. Marking 25 years of the Land Rover Discovery, the celebrated explorers will mentor Tim as one of four promising, young adventurers put forward by The British Exploring Society as they compete in the gruelling six-part challenge.

Against a backdrop of snow and mountains in Megève, France, The Discovery Adventure Challenge will push competitors to the limit over 24 hours of tense, testing tasks.

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Ben Saunders, who, with partner Tarka L’Herpiniere, recently became the first man ever to complete Scott’s notorious Terra Nova Expedition, will compere the competition, whilst Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Hannah White, Kenton Cool and Eric Loizeau will get fiercely competitive as they go head to head in the challenges.

The seasoned explorers will be paired with rising adventurer stars from the British Exploring Society, who they will mentor through the physically and mentally demanding tasks.

21-year-old Tim has already accomplished amazing feats having swum the English Channel and the Catalina Channel in California in relay races; climbed the Gran Paradiso and Mont Blanc in the Alps; competed in the Marine Coprs Washington Marathon and cycled from Geneva to Milan.

Tim has also been on an expedition to Nambia as a British Exploring Society Trainee Leader and hopes to take the next steps in his exploring career by becoming an Assistant Leader on the Summer 2015 British Exploring expedition to the Peruvian Amazon.

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Tim is going head to head with other young explorers Hannah Wright (aged 21), Cameron Mackay (aged 18) and Alex Woodford (aged 22) who will rotate amongst the Ambassadors as they battle it out for the title of ‘Next Generation Explorer’.

The decision lies with the Global Ambassadors who will cast votes for whom they think deserves the title.

The winner will be announced tomorrow, with full details in this week’s Middy (March 6, 2014).

The challenges:

1) Two Land Rover Discovery XXVs compete side-by-side through a slalom course down the slope. Two tense heats, one final.

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2) Precision and speed will be tested in the vehicle Biathlon: one team member will drive a Land Rover Discovery XXV around a purpose built course, whilst the other plays marksman, shooting a laser gun at a variety of challenging targets.

3) Physical stamina will be put to the test in this gruelling task: pulling one of Ben Saunders’s sleds in a race against time.

4) As night falls the contestants will be tasked with creating a fire from scratch and digging their own snow holes to sleep in. Points will be awarded for fastest build and warmest hole.

5) The grand finale will be an all-out skiff race across Lake Geneva.

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Jaguar Land Rover Global Brand Experience Director Mark Cameron said , “The Land Rover Discovery has been supporting and inspiring adventurers and adventures since 1989, therefore it’s very fitting to celebrate our 25th anniversary with the Discovery Adventure Challenge and a search for the Next Generation Explorer. We are delighted to be partnering with the British Exploring Society for this search and look forward to supporting the winner in their pursuit of becoming an established explorer.”