This website illuminates my life and adventures. My longing for freedom has led me to over 2600 of the world’s 3978 provinces, to every country on earth and to the summit of the highest peak on each continent (thank heaven for good weather!). In my travels, I learned to respect the intelligence and ingenuity of people of all races and callings both past and present. Come see the world as I see it: as a peaceful place, full of nature and beauty. With the right spirit and intent, we can make our world a virtual Garden of Eden.
DISTINCTIONS: BBC 2017 Travel Pioneer • Journal Articles • Explorer’s Club Flag Expeditions
World Parks Project • Walk Across South America • Jeff Shea Travel Map
UK, Torfaen Prov, Horse Face
Antarctica, Jeff Shea Completes the Seven Summits Atop Mount Vinson, 1997 (with flag) - This summit was my completion of the Seven Summits: Climbing the highest mountain on each continent: Asia (Everest), Europe (Elbrus), South America (Aconcagua), North America (Denali), Australia (Kosciusko), Africa (Kilimanjaro) and Antarctica (Mount Vinson). It was so cold that when I pulled my film to load it into the camera, it snapped in two. The Flag was designed by Banner Arts' John Dugger for my project Seven Summits for a Free Tibet. The Dalai Lama wrote a letter of commendation for my project. He later spoke in front of a banner made of this design.
Papua New Guinea, Long Houses, Lake Kutubu, 1983 - In a 'primitive' village, a child has the equivalent of fifty aunts and uncles. Although it was hard to have privacy, still, a person seldom felt alone. This village is near Lake Kutubu, New Guinea Highlands.
Vietnam, Yen Bai Prov, Covered Fishing Boat
Pakistan, Forty-Eight Hour Bus Ride From Quetta To Iran Border, 1984 - Armed with my Iranian visa, I set off from Dehi towards Egypt. In Quetta, Pakistan I caught a bus ride that lasted forty-eight hours and landed me at the border with Iran.
Slovenia, Vodice Prov, Field
Greenland, Warming Island, off coast of Liverpool Land, New Strait and Pinnacles After Storm, 2006 - This photograph shows the three pinnacles and the strait below, formed by the breakup of the glacier leading down to the water on the mainland side. The storm left everything covered in white on the morning of September 9, 2006.
Peru, Inti Raymi At Sacsayhuaman, 1979 - The stone work at Sacsuaman is amongst the most incredible I have seen. As visible in this photograph, enormous stones are fitted one on top of the other. What is not visible here is that, even though the stones are sometimes on the order of 3 meters across, you cannot fit a quarter in between some of them, so fine is the workmanship! This is incredible considering it was made centuries ago. This vintage photograph was taken with a Kodak Instamatic on my second international trip, a six month journey overland across Central and South America. (Photo 110 format from Jeff Shea Travel Archives)
Slovenia, Jesenice Prov, Landscape
Slovenia, Ribnica Na Pohorju Prov, Landscape