John Blashford-Snell

Who is John Blashford-Snell?

Colonel John Nicholas Blashford-Snell OBE is a former British Army officer, explorer and author.

Blashford-Snell was educated at Victoria College, Jersey and at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, then commissioned into the Royal Engineers.

Amongst his expeditions were the first descent of the Blue Nile during which he invented white water rafting 'by accident'; crossing of the Darién Gap and overseeing the first north–south vehicular journey from Alaska to Cape Horn; and a complete navigation of the Congo River.

In 1969, he founded the Scientific Exploration Society.

In 1978 he established Operation Drake, which later developed into Operation Raleigh, an educational initiative for young people, of which he was Director General until he retired from this post in 1991.

He was awarded the Segrave Trophy in 1974 and in 1993, he was awarded the Patron's Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society.

In 2006 Blashford-Snell helped the London hatmakers James Lock to design a hat especially to meet the needs of explorers. Since 2001 he has been the Hon. Life President of the Centre for Fortean Zoology. He is also a member of the Ghost Club. In 2010 he was made an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University