Runner, Climber, Adventurer - John Gluckman
John first discovered his love for tramping in 1968 after completing a 23 day Outward Bound course. As a member of his University tramping club he then dove into a two-week mountaineering course at Mount Cook in 1972. Taking a brief hiatus it was ten years before John completed a solo ascent of Orizaba, Mexico’s highest peak, before he settled in Matakana and truly embraced his passion for climbing.
Joining an Australian expedition to climb a minor Himalayan peak near Mount Everest
is what set the stage for more ambitious climbs. In 1990, after reading an article about a commercial expedition to Vinson Massif, Antarctica’s highest peak, John accepted the challenge and surprised himself by reaching the summit. This achievement, which he initially thought would be his last major climb, caught the attention of renowned climbers Rob Hall and Gary Ball. They invited him to join their 1993 commercial expedition to Mount Everest, where John once again triumphed, reaching the summit much to his surprise and delight.
It was then, inspired by these successes, that John set his sights on climbing the highest points on all seven continents; a goal he completed in 2000 with the ascent of Mount Elbrus, Europe’s highest mountain. His climbs included Denali (Mt. McKinley) in North America in 1996, Aconcagua in South America in 1997, Kilimanjaro in Africa in 1999, and Kosciuszko in Australia also in 1999. Additionally, in 1998, he summited Gunnbjorns Fjeld, the highest peak in both Greenland and the Arctic.
John's climbing career faced a significant challenge in 2003 when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He underwent surgery to remove the prostate gland, and fortunately, the cancer had not spread. Remarkably, just three months after surgery, John joined a ski expedition to the highest point on the Penny Ice Cap in Baffin Island, Canada. He puts his successful recovery and achievement down to his unwavering determination, maintained fitness levels, and the early detection and treatment of his cancer.
Throughout his climbing career, John has never sought accolades or medals, though he has been invited to share his experiences in numerous public talks. While he says, "all my climbs are memorable in different ways”, he notes Vinson Massif, his first major climb, Mount Everest, and Mount Elbrus, as some of the standouts. Among the most challenging, Denali due to the need to carry all of his own equipment, and build protective snow walls around tents for protection from high winds.
“On Everest I needed to be fit but not physically strong. On Denali I had to be both strong and fit,” comments John.
His love for fitness and outdoor adventure extends beyond climbing, having run marathons on every continent and participated in four World Masters Games as a middle- distance track runner and four World Winter Masters Games as a cross-country skier. In 2015, John won a bronze medal in the 4 x 5,000-meter relay at the World Winter Masters Games. His adventurous spirit also led him to ski across Greenland from west to east in 2018 and ski the last degree of latitude from 89 degrees south to the South Pole in 2019.
John Gluckman's experiences are a testament to the power of perseverance, fitness, and a relentless pursuit of adventure. Though not always recognised with formal accolades, his achievements speak volumes about his dedication and passion for exploring the world’s most challenging terrains.