Explorers Weekend @EPFL 2025

The Explorers Club (Switzerland Chapter) will host for the third time a series of events kindly supported by Switzerland Innovation West EPFL (switzerland-innovation.ch) in the Lake Geneva Region during the weekend of Thu 19th to Sun 22th Jun ‘25 open to all those interested in learning more about Exploration.


Morning Star Missions to Venus (live talk)

https://www.morningstarmissions.space/


Virgin Galactic’s former Chief Astronaut (via Zoom)

inkedin.com/in/davidwdmackay


A Moleskine National Geographic Traveller’s Journal worth CHF55 will be gifted to a randomly chosen registered participant attending the event on Friday 20/06.


Event Details


ExplorationFilmFestival.org



https://www.explorers.org/grants/

mensjournal.com/adventure/how-to-become-a-member-of-the-explorers-club-w487146

BBC on TEC

bbc.com/travel/article/20190116-the-secret-travel-club-thats-been-everywhere

Observer on TEC


16:00 – 17:00 PURSUIT OF ENDURANCE: Shackleton in Antarctica (by Luc Hardy, 2015, 52 mins)


17:00 – 18:00 ARKTIKA INCOGNITA: DeLong expedition in Siberia (by Luc Hardy, 2018, 53 mins)


18:00 – 19:45 FIRST AROUND AFRICA Circumnavigating the continent with a 2700 years old Phoenician ship replica (by Yuri Sanada, 2012, 1h45m)


19:45 – 20:00 Sneak preview of “On the Edge of the Amazon” (Zoom talk with filmmaker Yuri Sanada)


linkedin.com/in/yuri-sanada-79077721

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5691920



linkedin.com/in/christinakorp

The “Astronaut Wrangler”


Morning Star Missions to Venus


Analog Astronaut Training


Virgin Galactic’s former Chief Astronaut


We are collecting names of participants potentially interested to learn skills related to exploring high mountain environments with qualified accredited professionals.

Payment for the training is done directly to the guides and transportation to/from Glacier 3000, food etc are not included in their fee.

For more details please email switzerland <at> explorers.org

https://www.glacier3000.ch/en

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Below is our lineup on Friday 07/06/24 at EPFL – all speakers were members of the Explorers Club NGEN Next Generation community:



linkedin.com/in/toby-wright-7585162b

Description of the “Workshop with a Ghost” initiative and future expedition plans in the Chamonix Region (tobywrightfineart.com).

Workshop with a GhostGlacier Expedition


Arctic & Antarctic Expeditions and Polar Activism. Chair of the Explorers Club NGEN Initiative.

Presenting the Explorers Club NGEN initiative


Searching for Life on Mars


Chief Curiosity Officer and Fjällräven Global Ambassador.

Navigating the Future: Curiosity and the Art of Tracking Lions


CEO & Co-founder of Plastic Odyssey. Forbes 30 Under 30.

Plastic Odyssey’s Henderson Island Expedition: The Impossible Cleanup



Founder & Executive Director, Endangered Rainforest Rescue.

The Darién Gap – The Ecological Corridor of the Americas


Photographing 1% of Argentina


Gardens of the Lost World – Carnivorous Plants of Mount Roraima


Nature & Community-led Approaches to Understand Plant Climate Resilience



Speakers Jun’24

The Explorers Club (Switzerland Chapter) organized a series of events in the Lake Geneva Region during the weekend of Fri 1st to Sun 3rd Sep ‘23 – for free and open to all those interested in learning more about Exploration. 60+ speakers from around the world will gave live and online “TED Style” lectures on Friday.


The Explorers Club (TEC) Talks @ EPFL Rolex Learning Center

“TEC Talks” about expeditions hosted in partnership with EPFL Club Montagne at the prestigious Rolex Learning Center, one of the most remarkable buildings in the world (rolexlearningcenter.epfl.ch).

The Explorers Club (explorers.org) members present in Switzerland and club officers online will have 30 minutes long conversations with EPFL stakeholders, as well as with guest speakers from other institutions active in Field Sciences. In parallel a series of mini-lectures “TED Style” will be presented by winners of our EC50 Award in thematic Zoom Rooms accessible via tiny.cc/ExplorersWeekend.

Themes are Science, Conservation, Education, Humanities and Arts. A pdf with the background of the speakers can be downloaded via tiny.cc/EC50. This brochure’s pdf is available via tiny.cc/EW23.
After the main stage sessions wrap around 22:00, participants are most welcome to stay longer to continue their exploratory conversations and network with like minded peers until 22:30.

Capacity at the Rolex Learning Center is significant but still limited, so please book your free ticket via:




SESSIONS ON THE MAIN STAGE

SESSION 1: 17:00 – 17:30

Katrin Beyer
EPFL Associate Professor and head of the Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics Laboratory
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrin-beyer-78552069

Richard Wiese
Explorers Club President Emeritus
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-wiese-9a2aa8122


SESSION 2: 17:30 – 18:00

Richard Wiese
Explorers Club President Emeritus
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-wiese-9a2aa8122

Patrick Lahey
Co-founder and CEO of Triton Submarines (tritonsubs.com)
https://tritonsubs.com/whytriton/team


SESSION 3: 18:00 – 18:30

Johnny Waters
Former Chair of Geology Department and Explorers Club Board Member
https://earth.appstate.edu/faculty-staff/johnny-waters

Savvas Saloustros
EPFL Lecturer at the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering
https://www.linkedin.com/in/savvassaloustros


SESSION 4: 18:30 – 19:00

Mead Treadwell
Former Deputy Governor of Alaska and Explorers Club Board Member
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mead-treadwell-141672

Mark Dorey
CEO of StraightLine Aviation (straightlineaviation.com); Leading Airship Round the World Nonstop Record Attempt
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-dorey-b6a436


SESSION 5: 19:00 – 19:30

Matt Gohd
CEO and Chairman of Zero Gravity Corporation (gozerog.com)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-gohd-94014a1b

Benjamin Pothier PhD
Consultant and expert on space missions simulations in extreme environments; Swiss Chapter Member
https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-pothier-ph-d-30a04436


SESSION 5: 19:30 – 20:00

Mikkel Vestergaard
Founder of Sceye (sceye.com) and Explorers Club Board Member
http://www.weforum.org/people/mikkel-vestergaard-frandsen

Marushka Strah
Space Sustainability Rating Executive Manager
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maruskastrah


NETWORKING BREAK: 20:00 – 20:30


Two online “TEC Talks” in parallel (15 mins each):

Paul Niel
Flag expedition “Project Avenger” discovering US Navy WW2 wreck in the Chinese jungle
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulniel

Louis-Philippe Loncke
TitiKayak: First tour of Lake Titicaca by kayak
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lonckelph


SESSION 6: 20:30 – 21:00

Rob Smith
Cave and Wreck Diver; SAP Regional Vice President and Swiss Chapter Member
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertsmithuk

Samuel Gardaz
EPFL Project Coordinator Transnational Red Sea Center trsc.org
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gardaz-samuel-38947043


SESSION 7: 21:00 – 21:30

Royston Flude
PhD in Counselling and Swiss Chapter Member
https://www.linkedin.com/in/royston-flude-b40145

Pavo Orepić
Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience and Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Geneva
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavoorepic


SESSION 8: 21:30 – 22:00

Doug Scott
Founder of ROV Consulting and Swiss Chapter Member
https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-scott-b186a67

Joe Grabowski
Founder of Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants; Explorers Club Board Member
https://www.linkedin.com/in/grabowskiscuba


SESSION 9: 22:00 – 22:30

John All
Climate Scientists and author of “Icefall”; Survivor of Himalayan crevasse incident (2014): youtu.be/NZ4TWYoJIc8; Explorers Club Board Member and Chapter Chair
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-all-b867597

Marcelo Garcia
Founder of ExplorersWeekend.org and Swiss Chapter Chairman
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcelogarcia


SPEAKER ROSTER



The Explorers Club 50 Award is bestowed yearly to “50 People Changing the World That the World Needs to Know About” and was established in 2020 to amplify science communication that is “more inclusive and represents the many diverse voices in the global scientific community.”


Science Channel



Education Channel


Humanities Channel


Arts Channel


Sponsors for this event would be most welcome to help us cover key organizational costs such as catering/tech/admin.


High Mountain Skills Building @ Les Diablerets Glacier (3’000m/10’000ft)

We will be heading up to a nearby glacier to practice High Mountain skills at 3000m and foster a series of discussions with participants, who can share their own expedition experiences. The cable car operates every 20 minutes from Col du Pilon (09:00 – 16:50). As the Friday event ends late, we will focus these activities in the afternoon but suggest that those who never visited arrive earlier to benefit from its majestic beauty. There are several activities around the summit, so please come equipped accordingly if you would like to attempt those – layered clothes, harness, sturdy boots, crampons, etc.

Please register your interest to participate in this part of the weekend program via eventbrite.ch/e/high- mountain-skills-building-les-diablerets-glacier-3000m10000ft-tickets-701660203557

More details on the activities proposed will be shared via email with those registering.


San Martín Cup Finals @ Geneva Polo Club (GPC)

The Geneva Polo Club (GPC) will be hosting the Finals of Copa San Martín and have kindly hosted us in past events with our own club tent. This is an opportunity to mingle with other exploration-minded individuals in a relaxing environment and get to meet the local equestrian community. No equipment is required other than a curious spirit and joie de vivre… plus a hat and sun lotion just in case.



EPFL Rolex Learning Center (RLC)

As the EPFL flagship venue, stunning Rolex Learning Center (RLC) is their most prestigious location with a famously unique architecture: single one-room space, floor undulations and curved patios.

EPFL is known as the “MIT of Europe” – a world class top 10 university specializing in Engineering and Natural Sciences. The mission of The Explorers Club significantly overlaps with the EPFL 2021–2024 Strategic Plan below, therefore one of our key goals is to identify potential areas of stakeholder synergy:


Geneva Polo Club (GPC)

The Geneva Polo Club was founded in 2008 near downtown Geneva on a 30-hectare estate and has hosted 100+ tournaments held from May to October in a very relaxed and casual atmosphere. The fallback activity in case of foul weather is the Geneva Natural History Museum (ville-ge.ch/mhng).


Les Diablerets Glacier (3’000m/10’000ft)

One of the most accessible glaciers in Switzerland just around two hours from Geneva Airport, making it an ideal location for High Altitude skills training with its safely groomed “Glacier Walk” slope and several Alpine Climbing routes providing multiple opportunities to consolidate lessons learned. If conditions are too dangerous, the alternative is to meet at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne (olympics.com/museum).


The Explorers Club (Switzerland Chapter)

The Switzerland Chapter is the national representation of The Explorers Club (TEC), an international multidisciplinary professional society with the goal of promoting Scientific Exploration and Field Studies.

The club was founded in New York in 1904 and has since served as a major meeting point for explorers and scientists worldwide. The club is proud of its famous firsts, as our members have been first to the North Pole, the South Pole, the summit of Mt. Everest, the deepest point in the ocean, and to the surface of the Moon.


Our “Famous Firsts” expeditions by TEC members – the last line was left blank for the upcoming Mars Landing

TEC HQ gala with the “Original Jedis”, our Apollo moonwalker members; ”virtual” lightsabers are jocular

A past TEC President served as an “Indiana Jones” inspiration; this is his whip on display at our NY Clubhouse



This is a nonprofit event co-hosted by EPFL Club Montagne, The Explorers Club (Switzerland Chapter) and WisdomAccelerator.org – a Swiss NGO



Event program and online links will be updated via: ExplorersWeekend.org (this website)


Lake Geneva Region and Online| Weekend of Fri 1st – Sun 3rd Sep ’23

Explorers.orgEPFL.chGlacier3000.chGenevaPolo.comWisdomAccelerator.org


© 2023-25 Marcelo Garcia – All Rights Reserved