Bruce Kirkby is a Canadian adventurer, photographer, and writer. Widely recognized for extended expeditions to remote wilderness areas, his achievements include a 40-day, 1000-kilometre crossing of Arabia's Empty Quarter by camel and the first contiguous descent of Ethiopia's Blue Nile Gorge from source to Sudanese border. The author of two best-selling books, Kirkby's writing has appeared in numerous publications, including The Globe and Mail, Canadian Geographic and The New York Times. National Geographic Channel featured his photography in the documentary Through the Lens. A member of the Mountain Equipment Co-op Envoy/Adventure Team, Kirkby makes his home in Kimberley, British Columbia.
Expeditions
2011: 80-day horse-supported traverse of Republic of Georgia's Caucasus Mountains, from Svaneti to Tusheti ; accompanied by his wife and two boys
2001: The Grand Cirque; a 1500-kilometer, 65-day circumnavigation of British Columbia's southern coast range. Traveled by up coast by sea kayak, across Coast Mountains by foot, and down the Fraser River system by raft. Climbed N.W. Summit of Mount Waddington en route, and navigated Hells Gate.
1999: Blue Nile Gorge; Forty-five-day descent of Ethiopia's Blue Nile Gorge by raft as part of National Geographic Expedition; marked by gunfights, hostage taking and crocodile attacks.
1999: Arabia's Empty Quarter; A forty-day, 1000-kilometer crossing of Arabia's southern sand desert.
1998: Mount McKinley, Alaska; 23-day expedition on West Buttress route, reached summit twice.
1997: Mount Everest, Communications Coordinator for Canadian Team; spent two months at base camp, involved with rescues of crashed helicopter and fallen Sherpa.
A travel correspondent with The Globe and Mail, Kirkby has acted as Editor-at-Large for Outpost Magazine, Contributing Editor to Explore Magazine, and photographic columnist for Up! Magazine. His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, enRoute, Huffington Post, and Canadian Geographic. Kirkby is the author of:
Sand Dance, By Camel Across Arabia's Great Southern Desert
The Dolphin's Tooth; A Decade in Search of Adventure
"Top 100 Canadians To Watch in New Millennium", The Globe and Mail, 1999
Banff Mountain Book Festival, Jury Member, 2012, 2013
Television and film
Kirkby hosted the CBC primetime adventure reality series, No Opportunity Wasted Three of his expeditions have been featured in National Geographic Documentaries
Above All Else: The Everest Dream
Assignment: Blue Nile
Off the Map: Crossing the Empty Quarter
Kirkby was featured in the National Geographic Channel documentary Through the Lens, and provided commentary for OLN "Twenty Five Most Dangerous Places." Kirkby has a television show on Travel Channel named Big Crazy Family Adventure. The show follows Kirkby and his family, wife Christine and their two sons Bodi and Taj, as they travel from British Columbia to Ladakh, India, by many modes of transportation except planes.
