The Highest Challenge

The Highest Challenge is an ongoing Challenge to climb the highest mountain in as many of the 193 countries of the world as possible.

Already holding the World Record for being the first person to climb the highest mountain in every country in Europe (47 countries) and 52 out of the 53 countries in Africa, Ginge Fullen also holds the record for scaling the highest mountain in more countries than anyone else to date, presently 149 countries.

Climbing the 47 countries in Europe took seven years and saw many problems and hardships including muggings, knife attacks, having to avoid landmines in Croatia, avoiding Palace Guards in the Vatican City, being robbed by Chechen bandits, and bribing his way to the top of Mount Ararat in Turkey which had not been officially climbed in over 10 years.

In Africa Ginge saw wars, conflicts and military coups, the threat of landmines, the danger of snakes, lion and crocodiles, plus other occasional life threatening moments such as being held at gunpoint in Somalia, being arrested and taken for a mercenary in Liberia, being mugged by a gang of five in Kenya, and coming within ten metres of a wild elephant blocking the path on Gabon's highest peak.

At 36 years of age Ginge has spent 16 years as a Clearance Diver in the Royal Navy. A Leading Seaman (Diver), he has been a member of many different diving teams with a wide variety of roles including underwater engineering, Explosive Ordinance Disposal and deep and experimental diving. He has also taken part in some of the world's toughest courses such as the Commando Course for the Green Beret, and he has also twice taken part in the Royal Navy Field Gun Competition, generally regarded as the toughest team sport in the world.

A broken neck in 1990 whilst playing rugby and a heart attack in 1996 on Mount Everest has not stifled his zest for life, nor stopped him pursuing anything he sets his mind to.