At 18-years-old Alex Staniforth wants to become the youngest Briton to climb Mount Everest via its south-east ridge. This Spring, the Chester youth will embark on a 70-day expedition to climb the 8,848m peak. Seasonal climber Tim Mosedale will lead the expedition, which will set off on March 29, 2014. It seems age is no longer a factor in the world of adventures, as 71-year-old Andre Boyer is also in pursuit of a record. Boyer aims to make aviation history by carrying out a complete flight, blindfolded. The Canadian will take off in his Feather Powered Parachute, fly 500ft and land. Details are still been negotiated but the stunt is rumoured to be taking place in either Las Vegas or Dubai. Boyer says: “It’s never late to do something in your life, it’s never late to be inspired, and by doing it you get a reward that no money can buy.”
The South Pole Season has officially ended, which means the North Pole Expedition Season is about to kick off. The explorers are already gathering at the starting line. The team of Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters the travel from Northern Ellesmere Island to the North Pole. The pair hope to ski 500 miles in under 49 days, so as to break the current speed record. Mike O’Shea and Clare O’Leary are also prepping for the off on their expedition. It’s the fourth adventure of their ‘Ice Project’ – a plan to cross as many of the worlds icecaps as is possible. This is a return journey to the Pole for the two, after failing to succeed in 2012. With renewed vigour, the team have the potential to become the first Irish man and women in history to reach the North Pole.
A strong team of ultra-runners have assembled to cross Baffin Island in Winter. Ray Zahab, Ryan Grant, Stefano Gregoretti and Ferg Hawke start their unsupported run on Sunday. They will cover a distance of approximately 140km, pulling their supplies on sleds behind them. This is Zahab’s fourth Baffin Island crossing, but his first in winter. Meanwhile, Greg Hill continues to push the limits of humans capabilities, with his latest challenge. To ski 100,000 meters in a single month. Hill has already began the challenge, climbing and skiing up in the Canadian backcountry. Another adventurer putting a time cap on his challenges is Russell Smith. He has set himself a goal to climb Britain’s three peaks, cycle twixt them and to top it off he will run the Brighton marathon, all in seven days: 10,000ft hike, 850 miles cycle, 26.2 mile of running.
In other news, a new law is set to come into play to clean up Everest. Mountaineers on expedition will now have to bring down 8kg of rubbish from their climb or face a penalty.
Finally, start getting really excited because the Sidetracked Print Edition is coming out very soon…
Written by Orla O’Muiri | Photo ©Ryan Waters