Peter Treseder?

[kjbeath]

I worked for a short while at Westmead Hospital in 2008 and he was the fundraising manager for research. When he left there was a barbecue, all the research groups were invited and it was said that he had been very successful. Now doing something similar in Queensland.

I remember in the nineties talking to someone who was one of Dot Butler's tiger walkers and had done the Three Peaks in 20+ hour time and his opinion was that Treseder's 14 hour claim was impossible. Given that nobody has beaten the 18 hour something time from the sixties it looks correct.

[ribuck]

I remember seeing a photo of him in Wild Magazine, heading off down Claustral Canyon in the dark, naked except for a head torch, volleys, rope and abseiling gear.

Whether or not he really did it in the ridiculously fast time that he claimed, it made for a great photo.

[Xplora]

I know some people who would never allow you to speak ill of this man because of the amount of money he has raised for cancer. He certainly can do that job well. He was and probably still is a very fit man which saw him push the other two on the Antarctic expedition to the south pole to near breaking and it seems, after reading the book, he caused considerable tension. As to the many claims and solo exploits, I too have to take them with a huge lump of salt as he will refuse scrutiny. He will not compete in the six foot track marathon but claims to have the fastest time, so much faster than the best known time that it calls his integrity into question. His run over the Barrington Tops unsupported is also quite fanciful. The account of the rescue in Claustral canyon has also been debunked. Nobody has witnessed these claims and if reasonable then people would believe them but they stretch reason to the super human. I still respect the work he has done raising money for causes and that nobody can deny.

[WarrenH]

He was my "hero" for a long time there (though I take things a lot slower).

He was my hero too, absolutely. I really admired PT.

The first time that I heard about him was during a walk in the Blue Mountains. I had done a couple of day walks along river banks with the Canberra Bushwalking Club and I was looking for something a tad more intrepid. A bloke called Nick BrIndelli (sp?) was leading an exploratory walk into a little visited part of the Blue Mountains. This place was even too wild to have a walk rating, so I tagged along to see what it was like.

We stopped to brew-up a gum leaf in tea, and I was thinking what am I doing on this walk into hell and I was wondering if anyone would ever find our bones, and this guy pulls from his pack a copy of Wild magazine and starts reading about Peter Tressider. From that day on I started exploring alone, nowadays less alone. The article about PT, that was read that day, was inspirational. I thought that if someone could do this caper in this type of country at speed, I'll take my time and the bush will become a good friend.

It has been over twenty years since I last heard or read anything about PT, until today. What ever bullshipt has happened since then (I read several of the links), I'll view as being alternate facts. One doesn't want to lose one's heroes.

There appears to be one thing PT didn't get from his friendship with John Howard ... the ability for shipt not to stick.

Warren.

[TerraMer]

This thread was disappointing until I read Warren's comment today.
It is too easy to pull someone down, and too common in our culture.
As fellow adventurers,outdoor enthusiasts and intrepid travellers we should be supporting others no matter what trouble they are going through. Criticising helps neither them or us. It is far harder to hold your head up and move forward when you have made a mistake once you become a public figure.
Let it be

[Mark F]

TerraMer, I am afraid I disagree. Yes, I believe Australians do tend to cut down tall poppies and it is not always a good thing. When it is the "tall poppy" making the claims that are pretty much unbelievable then it is only right that those claims are held up to scrutiny. Supporting Peter is one thing, condoning his apparent lies is another. If we don't call out lies when we hear them we are allowing those lies to become the truth.

I knew Peter very casually in the day and found him a likable person. I am glad that he is now doing good things and I hope he continues to do so. Sorry to others that their hero has been exposed but it is no different to the disappointment felt by all those fans of Lance Armstrong.

[north-north-west]

Warts and all, please.
If you can't bear to see your heroes tarnished, that says more about you than the 'hero'. Truth is always the best.