Call of the white : taking the world to the South Pole : eight women, one unique expedition

Could you ski to the South Pole? That was the challenge that British Adventurer, Felicity Aston put to women from around the Commonwealth as she set out to create the most international all-female expedition ever to the South Pole. The team would not be experienced explorers but 'ordinary' women who wanted inspire others to follow their dreams or make a change for the better in their lives. She received more than 800 applications and embarked on a three-month journey around the world to interview candidates. 'What is skiing?' was the question that greeted her in Ghana. At the close of 2009, Felicity led a team from places as diverse as Jamaica, India, Singapore and Cyprus - some of whom had never even seen snow or spent the night in a tent before joining the expedition - on a 900 km skiing trek across the Antarctic, one of the toughest and most notoriously hazardous journeys on the planet. Eighty-mile-an-hour winds ripped through base camp; frostbite and injuries were an everyday occurrence; and, deadly crevasses emerged from the cracking ice beneath their feet. But they also shared beliefs, ideas, philosophies and laughter, made lasting memories and broke no less than six World Records. The Ho Chi Minh Trail is one of the greatest feats of military engineering in history. But since the end of the Vietnam War much of this vast transport network has been reclaimed by jungle, while remaining sections are littered with a deadly legacy of unexploded bombs. For Antonia, a veteran of ridiculous adventures in unfeasible vehicles, the chance to explore the Trail before it's lost forever was a personal challenge she couldn't ignore – yet it would sometimes be a terrifying journey. Setting out from Hanoi on an ageing Honda Cub, she spent the next two months riding 2,000 miles through the mountains and jungles of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Battling inhospitable terrain and multiple breakdowns, her experiences ranged from the touching to the hilarious, meeting former American fighter pilots, tribal chiefs, illegal loggers and bomb disposal experts.The story of her brave journey is thrilling and poignant: a unique insight into a little known face of Southeast Asia. The Ho Chi Minh Trail is one of the greatest feats of military engineering in history. But since the end of the Vietnam War much of this vast transport network has been reclaimed by jungle, while remaining sections are littered with a deadly legacy of unexploded bombs. For Antonia, a veteran of ridiculous adventures in unfeasible vehicles, the chance to explore the Trail before it's lost forever was a personal challenge she couldn't ignore - yet it would sometimes be a terrifying journey. Setting out from Hanoi on an ageing Honda Cub, she spent the next two months riding 2,000 miles through the mountains and jungles of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Battling inhospitable terrain and multiple breakdowns, her experiences ranged from the touching to the hilarious, meeting former American fighter pilots, tribal chiefs, illegal loggers and bomb disposal experts. The story of her brave journey is thrilling and poignant: a unique insight into a little known face of Southeast Asia At 2,922 miles, the Congo is the eighth longest river and the deepest in the world, with a flow rate second only to the Amazon. Ex-Marine Phil Harwood embarked on an epic solo journey from the river's true source in the highlands of Zambia through war-torn Central Africa. With no outside help whatsoever he faced swamps, waterfalls, man-eating crocodiles, hippos, aggressive snakes and spiders'webs the size of houses. He collapsed from malaria, and was arrested, intimidated and chased. On one stretch, known as ‘The Abattoir'for its history of cannibalism and reputation for criminal activity, the four brothers he hired as bodyguards were asked by locals, ‘Why haven't you cut his throat yet?'But he also received tremendous hospitality from proud and brave people long forgotten by the Western world, especially friendly riverside fishermen who helped wherever they could on Phil's exhilarating and terrifying five-month journey. 'Each day as I pulled the oars in for the night, watching the water droplets drip off the blades and back into the ocean, I wondered at all the strokes they had taken and all the ones left ahead of us before we reached land. Thousands. Millions, perhaps? Each one was quite literally a dip in the ocean.'4,000 miles of unpredictable ocean500 Chocolate bars124 days of physical exertion3 Guinness World Records set1 incredible journeyOn 1 April 2009, twenty-three-year-old Sarah Outen embarked on a solo voyage across the Indian Ocean in her rowing boat, Dippers. Powered by the grief of the sudden loss of her father and the determination to live life to the full, Sarah negotiated wild ocean storms, encounters with whales and the continuous threat of being capsized, losing 20 kg of her bodyweight before arriving in Mauritius. She became the first woman and the youngest person to row solo across the Indian Ocean.

An inspirational account of eight women on one very unique expedition

 

Felicity Aston challenged women in many countries, asking if they could ski to the South Pole, as she set out to create the most international all-female expedition ever to the Pole. The team would not be experienced explorers but ordinary women who want to inspire others to follow their dreams. She received more than 800 applications and led a team from places as diverse as Jamaica, India, Singapore, and Cyprus-some of whom had never even seen snow or spent the night in a tent before joining the expedition-on one of the toughest journeys on the planet. Eighty-mile-an-hour winds ripped through base camp, frostbite and injuries were an everyday occurrence, and deadly crevasses cracked beneath their feet. This is their story of newfound strength, persistence, and friendships.

Four-thousand miles of unpredictable ocean, 500 chocolate bars, 124 days of physical exertion, three Guinness World Records, and one incredible journey On April 1, 2009, brave 23-year-old Sarah Outen embarked on an ambitious solo voyage across the Indian Ocean in her rowing boat, Dippers. Powered by the grief of the sudden loss of her father and the determination to live life to the fullest, Sarah and her tiny boat successfully negotiated wild ocean storms, unexpected encounters with whales, and the continuous threat of being capsized by passing container ships. Along the way she broke two oars, ate 500 chocolate bars, and lost 20 kg of bodyweight before arriving in Mauritius. She became the first woman and the youngest person to row solo across the Indian Ocean. Life-affirming, funny, and poignant, Sarah's salty tale of courage and endurance will inspire the taste of adventure in everyone An inspirational account of eight women on one very unique expedition Felicity Aston challenged women in many countries, asking if they could ski to the South Pole, as she set out to create the most international all-female expedition ever to the Pole. The team would not be experienced explorers but "ordinary" women who want to inspire others to follow their dreams. She received more than 800 applications and led a team from places as diverse as Jamaica, India, Singapore, and Cyprus—some of whom had never even seen snow or spent the night in a tent before joining the expedition—on one of the toughest journeys on the planet. Eighty-mile-an-hour winds ripped through base camp, frostbite and injuries were an everyday occurrence, and deadly crevasses cracked beneath their feet. This is their story of newfound strength, persistence, and friendships. Could You Ski To The South Pole? That Was The Challenge That British Adventurer Felicity Aston Put To Women From Around The Commonwealth, As She Set Out To Create The Most International All-female Expedition Ever To The Pole. The Team Would Not Be Experienced Explorers But ‘ordinary’ Women Who Wanted To Inspire Others To Follow Their Dreams Or Make A Change For The Better In Their Lives. She Received More Than 800 Applications. ‘what Is Skiing?’ Asked Someone In Ghana. At The Close Of 2009, Felicity Led A Team From Places As Diverse As Jamaica, India, Singapore And Cyprus – Some Of Whom Had Never Even Seen Snow Or Spent The Night In A Tent Before Joining The Expedition – On One Of The Toughest Journeys On The Planet. At 2,922 miles, the Congo is the eighth longest river and the deepest in the world, with a flow rate second only to the Amazon. Ex-Marine Phil Harwood embarked on an epic solo journey from the river's true source in the highlands of Zambia through war-torn Central Africa. With no outside help whatsoever he faced swamps, waterfalls, man-eating crocodiles, hippos, aggressive snakes and spiders' webs the size of houses. He collapsed from malaria, and was arrested, intimidated and chased. On one stretch, known as 'The Abattoir' for its history of cannibalism and reputation for criminal activity, t "Could you ski to the South Pole? That was the question that British adventurer felicity Aston put to women from around the Commonwealth, as she set out to create the most international all-female expedition ever to the Pole. The team would not be experienced explorers but 'ordinary' women who wanted to inspire others to follow their dreams or make a change for the better in their lives." -- Page 4 of cover. Ex-Marine Phil Harwood embarked on an epic solo journey on the Congo, the eighth longest river in the world. He faced swamps, man-eating crocodiles, snakes and spiders' webs the size of houses. He collapsed from malaria, and was arrested. But he also received tremendous hospitality from proud people long forgotten by the Western world. In 2009, Felicity Aston led a team of ‘ordinary’ women – some of whom had never even seen snow or slept in a tent before – on a 900 km skiing trek across the Antarctic, one of the toughest journeys on the planet. Despite eighty-mile-an-hour winds, deadly crevasses, frostbite and injuries, the expedition broke six World Records. 4,000 miles of unpredictable ocean 500 Chocolate bars 124 days of physical exertion 3 Guinness World Records set 1 incredible journey. On 1 April 2009, brave twenty-three-year-old Sarah Outen embarked on an ambitious solo voyage across the Indian Ocean in her rowing boat, Dippers.