Theodore Frederic Fairhurst

Theodore Frederic Fairhurst (born April 18, 1947) has had several careers as a fine artist, entrepreneur, high-altitude mountain climber and more recently public speaker. He has pursued a life of challenge in various disciplines. At 65 years old he has summited 6 of the 7 Summits (highest mountain on all 7 continents) and 5 of those summits at over 60 years old.

Born in Westmount, Quebec of Canadian and English descent, Fairhurst grew up in Montreal. He went to Elizabeth Ballantyne Elementary, Montreal West High and Concordia University. He began drawing and painting at age 4 and studied at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in his youth. At 22 years old, his desire to see and experience the world began and he travelled to Europe and Asia. In Nepal December 1969 and January 1970 he trekked for 32 days alone in the Himalaya Mountains to the base of Mount Everest at 5400m (17,500’). In the Netherlands (1972) together with the famous ‘Magic Bus’, Fairhurst owned the ‘Blue Goose’ bus and transported baby boomers around Europe and North Africa for several years. He continued producing art and exhibited at the Mensa in Amsterdam circa 1974. He returned to Montreal in 1976 to advance his artistic career. His paintings were exhibited in Montreal and Miami.

In 1983 Fairhurst successfully built a real estate development business in Montreal. He was recognized by the Ville de Montreal for several of his projects in 1992. He continues to manage these companies.

His interest in mountains was sparked(16,024 while living and working in Banff, Alberta in 1969. Later the same year he went to Nepal and succeeded to hike alone for 32 days over several hundred kilometers from Kathmandu to the Khumbu Glacier at the foot of Mount Everest. This experience installed in him a deep-rooted desire to return and climb the highest mountain in the world. It would be many years later, but in 2010 he summited Mt. Everest at 8:15am on May 23.

Successful Seven Summits climber, at 66 years of age he has completed the 7 Summits Challenge by climbing both Carstensz Pyramid and Kosciuszko.

ContinentMountainDate Reaching Summit 

1/ (South America) Aconcagua 6,960m (22,837’) January 23, 2006 2/ (North America) Denali (McKinley) 6,194m (20,320’) May 26, 2007 3/ (Antarctica) Vinson 4,892m (16,050’) January 19, 2009 4/ (Asia) Everest 8,850m (29,035’) May 23, 2010 5/ (Africa) Kilimanjaro 5,895m (19,341’) January 25, 2012 6/ (Europe) Elbrus 5,642m (18,510’) August 8, 2012 7/ (Oceania) Carstensz Pyramid 4,884m (16,024') March 19, 2014 and Kosciuszko April 10, 2014

Fairhurst has also climbed Cho Oyu 8,201m (26,906’) in Tibet and Mont Blanc in the Alps, among others.

Video and Photography

Fairhurst’s video Mount Everest ICE FALL.wmv (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moBJMGNSql4) has gone viral on YouTube with over 790,000 views to date. He shot it with a helmet-mounted camera (POV) in the perspective of the climber. It has powerful video images of the extraordinary Khumbu Glacier as it breaks up descending from the Western Cwm to Base Camp. Voted top 10 at Killarney 2011 Adventure Film Festival. Other video’s including: MOUNT EVEREST – Post Summit Interview (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phtmpztNtTE) Mount Everest Camp 3 Interview

• "YouTube - Mount Everest Camp 3 Interview". youtube.com. Retrieved 2014-02-28. 

Dare to Reach (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T6tJSDAH0o)

His mountain photography has been widely used over the Internet.

Fairhurst’s life has been written about (2011) by author and speaker Jean-Pierre Lemaitre http://jeanpierrelemaitre.com/a-propos-de-mon-livre/ in his book ‘Pas d’excuses’, who has said "I have been impressed by the way Ted Fairhurst managed his life. His philosophy of life is in harmony with the messages and techniques that I present in my book. That's why I decided to make him a key figure in my book. Page after page we discover how he managed to live his passions, and to have the life he always wanted. Ted is an example for our youth!"

"Le parcours de Ted Fairhurst m’a beaucoup impressionné, sa philosophie de la vie est en harmonie avec les messages et techniques que je présente dans mon livre. C’est la raison pour laquelle j’ai décidé d’en faire un personnage clé de mon ouvrage, nous découvrons page après page comment il a réussi à vivre de ses passions, et à avoir la vie qu’il a toujours souhaité avoir. Ted est un exemple pour nos jeunes!"

Fairhurst has served as the Honorary Chairman (2010) of the English Montreal School Board in its annual International Walk to School Day. http://www.emsb.qc.ca/en/pressroom_en/pages/onepressrelease.asp?id=735 http://www.emsb.qc.ca/en/pressroom_en/pdf/fieldingfocus/Focus2010-10.pdf

• "Press Releases". emsb.qc.ca. Retrieved 2014-02-28. 
• "Press Releases". emsb.qc.ca. Retrieved 2014-02-28. 
• "Press Releases". emsb.qc.ca. Retrieved 2014-02-28. 

http://www.emsb.qc.ca/en/pressroom_en/pdf/emsbexpress/EMSB_Express_Spring2011.pdf http://www.emsb.qc.ca/en/pressroom_en/pdf/fieldingfocus/Focus2010-9.pdf

July 19, 2012 The Gazette featured him on the front page of the Montreal newspaper with an exclusive article about his life, philosophy and accomplishments. See links for other articles, radio interviews and blogs.

• "Listen to your gut! | Montreal Gazette". blogs.montrealgazette.com. Retrieved 2014-02-28. 

http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/diet-fitness/Shaping+Fairhurst+reaching+dream+mountain+time/6953658/story.html