Adventurer Felicity Aston Skies Across Antarctica, Sets Record
Felicity Aston, a British adventurer, became the first woman to ski by herself across Antarctica and took just 59 days to complete the journey.
Aston arrived at her destination three days before she was scheduled to. She relied solely on her wits and own strength to traverse 1,084 miles from the Leverett Glacier on Nov. 25 to Hercules Inlet on the Ronne Ice Shelf.
"I'm not a particularly weepy person, and yet anyone who has been following my tweets can see me bursting into tears," Aston told The Associated Press on Monday.
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She had to overcome mind-numbing cold and traverse deadly crevasses all the while lugging two sledges full of supplies with her the entire way.
"When I saw the coastal mountains that marked my end point for the first time, I literally just stopped in my tracks and bawled my eyes out," she added. "All these days I thought there was no chance I was going to make it in time to make that last flight off Antarctica, and yet here I am with three days to spare."
Aston was also able to set another record with her trek across Antarctica, the first human to ski solo, across Antarctica using only her own muscles. There had been a male and female team who previously skied across Antarctica, but Aston is the first to do accomplish it alone.
She did offer some advice for those who find themselves faced with a daunting task.
"Keeping going is the important thing, persevering, no matter how messy that gets. I mean, for me, sometimes I'll be sitting in my tent in the morning bawling my eyes out, having tantrums,"revealed the British woman.
"It's not been pretty. But I've kept going, and that is the important thing because at some point in the future you'll look back and just be amazed at how far you've come," she added.
