# Gerry van der Walt

> Performance coach, keynote speaker, corporate advisor and polar expedition athlete. Honours in sport psychology, 25 years leading teams and expeditions from the African bush to the Arctic, and an unsupported crossing of the Greenland ice sheet with a team (553km, 29 days).

Gerry van der Walt helps individuals, teams and organisations perform under pressure using mental fitness frameworks tested in extreme environments. This site covers his coaching, keynote speaking, corporate advisory, photography, hosted travel, writing and podcast, and the road to a solo South Pole attempt in 2030.

## Core
- [Home](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/): Overview of the work and the journey.
- [About](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/about): Background, credentials and the road so far.
- [The Rules](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/the-rules): Ten rules he holds himself to across the photographs, the words, the trips, the coaching and the claims.
- [Contact](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/contact): Start a conversation; replies within 48 hours.

## Work With Me
- [Coaching](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/coaching): One-on-one performance coaching built on 25 years in high-pressure rooms and tested on the ice.
- [How the Coaching Works](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/coaching): The coaching page carries the system in brief: six human needs and the RAPG framework, one tap deep.
- [Basecamp for Men](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/basecamp-for-men): One-on-one performance coaching for men.
- [Speaking](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/speaking): Keynotes on resilience and performance built from the unsupported Greenland crossing with a team.
- [How the Keynotes Are Built](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/speaking): The speaking page carries the three keynotes and the method behind them.
- [Corporate Advisory](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/corporate-advisory): Leadership burnout and team performance advisory, South Africa and international: a diagnostic Pressure Audit, a twelve week programme and retained advisory for leadership teams under sustained pressure.
- [Photography](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/photography): Wildlife and expedition photography, creative coaching, presentations and portfolio work.
- [The Creative Approach](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/photography): The photography page carries the creative work: vision first, then the craft.
- [Wildlife Image Intensive](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/wildlife-image-intensive): A two-day live online intensive for wildlife photographers, built on creative vision rather than camera basics or Lightroom fundamentals: four live sessions across two days covering field vision, catalogue, editing and what comes after, with two private one-on-one creative coaching sessions included with every seat. 15 seats per intake; the first intake ran 3 and 4 October 2026. Next intake 6 and 7 February 2027 at $1,250 USD; bookings open 5 November 2026 and the waitlist hears first. A June 2027 intake follows.
- [Travel](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/travel): Safaris, immersions and polar trips, hosted personally.

## Immersions
- [The Svalbard Immersion](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/svalbard-immersion): A polar expedition in Svalbard for people with no experience: nine days on the ground and five on the ice with Icetrek guides, maximum eight and it runs from six, arriving 25 March 2027 and flying home 3 April, 4,750 euros all-in on the ground, enquiries open; no money moves until six people have confirmed.
- [The Kenya Immersion](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/kenya-immersion): One week at Enkishui camp in the Masai Mara, November 2028, maximum six guests, with the mental fitness work woven through the safari days; price being finalised, waitlist open and hears it first.

## Expeditions
- [Greenland 2026](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/greenland): The unsupported crossing of the Greenland ice sheet with a team, 553km in 29 days, May 2026: the data, the updates from the ice and what it took.
- [The Road to the South Pole](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/road-to-the-south-pole): The solo unsupported attempt on the South Pole from Berkner Island, around 1,400km, in 2030, documented in public from day one.
- [Svalbard 2026 Trip Report](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/svalbard-2026): The full report from the Svalbard trip he hosted in 2026, eleven nights on the ice.

## Writing, Podcast and Media
- [The Feed](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/the-feed): Everything he publishes in one place: writing, video and podcast episodes.
- [The Road To The Pole (podcast)](https://gerryvanderwalt.substack.com): The podcast from the road to the South Pole, published on Substack alongside the weekly writing.
- [Press and Media](https://gerryvanderwalt.com/media): Interviews, keynotes, imagery and a press kit on request.