The big success story of the week is endurance swimmer Diana Nyad with her hugely impressive completion of the 110-mile passage from Cuba to Florida. After four attempts over 35 years, this, the fifth attempt saw Nyad exit the shark and jelly fish infested water with a smile on her face. The 64-year-old spent 53 hours in the ocean in the two-day, two-night epic swim, becoming the first person to do so unaided by the protection of a shark cage. The successful expedition emits a strong message of hope; that one is never too old to give up on their dreams.
10,000 miles without a hint of hostility is still pretty good going, yet it is still disheartening to report negative news from the field. The cycling adventurer Charlie Walker has unfortunately experienced a meanness of sorts in the world, when he passed through Ethiopia as part of his 40,000 mile cycle trip to the four corners of the Earth. He had dust kicked in his face, stones thrown at him, and was relentlessly hassled by beggars. It is a sad note in an otherwise very happy and positive journey. A quick update on a previously featured challenge, the story of Ben Clark and his attempt on the Nolan’s 14 challenge. 100 miles, 14 peaks, in under 60 hours. Unfortunately, the weather showed its strength and after completing five peaks in the first 24 hours, Clark was thwarted and forced to abandon the rest of the attempt.
In mountain news, last week a team of three made the first ascent of the 6046m Cha Ri in the Jammu and Kashmir Himalaya. The record was completed in a single 13-hour scramble. Another team made up of Susan Jensen, Divyesh and Vineeta and Victor Saunders recently made the first ascent of Chamsen, a previously untouched 7,000m peak in India. A blast from a nearby avalanche blew one of the teams tent into a deep crevasse and its occupant Parkin fell through the floor of the tent and down into the crevasse. He was rescued by the Indian Air Force and luckily walked away with only a minor fracture to his spine. The remainder of the team held out for another week and on the 21st of August summitted.
In two months time Team Glenfiddich, including team mate Prince Harry, will begin the Walking With The Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge – a race to the South Pole. The team which is made up of former soldiers, all injured in the line of duty, aim to cover 200 miles through brutal and dangerous weather conditions.
Finally, Jon Beardmore has reached the halfway mark on his 25,000 mile drive to China / South East Asia and back. After 126 days on the road, 19 countries, and 14,000miles, he will pull a U- turn and begin the journey home to London.
Written by Orla O’Muiri