“In theory, a latter-day adventurer like Sir Ranulph Twistleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd Baronet, first man to cross the Arctic by foot, amputated his own frostbitten fingertips with a fretsaw, etc., ought to be a fascinating chap. Yet whenever he pops up on TV to talk about his life, I find it hard to stay interested after the bit 40 years ago where he gets discharged from Britain’s SAS after sneaking out from barracks one night and blowing up, for aesthetic reasons, the set of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. That seems more than enough excitement for any man.
“As for the other great challenges the planet has to offer, these days an expedition to Mount Everest attracts less attention than an expedition to mount Paris Hilton.”
