Race against time for intrepid explorer Felicity Aston
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Picture: Felicity Aston,
before her bid to become the first to complete a solo ski trek
across the Antarctic
A Kent explorer looking to become the first woman to complete a
solo ski trek across the Antarctic faces a race against time to
finish.
Felicity Aston, from Birchington, set off in October
- reaching the South Pole just before Christmas.
But the 33-year-old has to reach her destination of Hercules
Inlet by the end of the month, or miss the last flight off the
continent before winter.
The 1,700km trek to the South Pole followed a previously
unexplored route, with Felicity pulling a sledge heavier than her
own bodyweight.
She reached the South Pole on December 21 and spent a day
resupplying and resting.
She was back on the ice soon, with some special treats to enjoy
in her tent on Christmas Day.
New Year's Day saw Felicity skiing through a crevass field.
There have been two resupply points along the route
and she checks in with her support team daily via satellite
phone.
But Felicity has had no human - or animal - contact until the
end of the trip.
Speaking before the trip, she said: "I won't see any life, not
even a bird or a fly, during the trek. It's quite a thought.
"People who have done long solo trips tell me their friends and
family say they are different when they come back and that is my
biggest worry at the moment.
"Thoughts of crevasses are what make me wake up with sweaty
palms though.
"If I fall in one of them there's a chance my beacon won't be
able to send a signal and I'll be completely alone, with no one
even aware of a problem for up to 24 hours."
But when she set off she knew medical help or back-up could take
several days to reach her, depending on the weather. However, she
has been to the Geographical South Pole before.
In 2009, she led the largest team of women to ever make the
900km trip.
Most of her eight-woman team had little or no previous
expedition experience, and all were from a different Commonwealth
country.
She also lived there for three years while working as a
meteorologist for the British Antarctic Survey, so she should be
well equipped to predict the elements, and how to deal with
them.
Friday, January 13 2012
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