Winter has crept in and whilst some regular adventurers are using the colder months to recover, fatten up, perhaps write some books and start planning their summer explorations, a few of the most hardcore are ploughing on with their expeditions as the snow begins to fall.
Alex Hibbert commences The Dark Ice Project in just a few days. We caught up with him to ask him about the expedition, which aims to make an unsupported return attempt on the Geographic North Pole in the darkness of polar winter. Read the interview here. Students Jamie Sparks and Luke Birch are on a mission to become the youngest pair to row the Atlantic Ocean. They left La Gomera, North Africa on the 4th of December as part of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. The 21 year olds are aiming to travel the 3000 nautical miles in fifty days. They are hoping to raise £100,000 for Breast Cancer Care. The 3000 expedition is Karl Bushby’s brainchild to walk 3000 miles from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. His target destination is the Russian Embassy where he will attempt to convince the Russian government to give him a visa so he can continue the 36,000-mile journey around the world.
Regular adventurer Jamie McDonald’s latest expedition is his biggest yet. McDonald is currently running across Canada. He began the 5,000 mile solo journey on March 9th 2013. It will be a world first if he succeeds. Parker Liautaud set off on December 3rd to trek from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole. The nineteen year old is testing the limits of resilience in the face of adversity and to help understand our changing world for the Willis Resilience Expedition with daily updates via a live YouTube expedition channel.
The Pole of Cold expedition is also underway. The three-person team consisting of Felicity Aston, Gisli Jonsson and Manu Palomeque will spend three months crossing Northern Europe and Siberia to reach their final destination, Oymyakon, the coldest inhabited place on the planet. Will Copestake is undertaking the Macnair to Munroe challenge, to kayak, bike and hike his way across Scotland. During the journey he will ascend all 282 munroes, sea kayak around Scotland and use a bike to travel in between.
And finally, an upcoming expedition. Explorers Bert Poffé and Kiki Nárdiz have revealed their latest challenge, the Atikamekw Snowshoe expedition. In February 2014 the pair will trek for three weeks using traditional mukluks, snowshoes and wooden toboggans. These techniques are ones honed by the Atikamekw people, an indigenous tribe who reside in harsh environments in a remote part of Quebec, Canada.
For some serious extreme cold adventure and expedition inspiration, check out our Frozen Lands special edition.
Written by Orla O’Muiri for Sidetracked News