Solo Polar record was toughest challenge yet

newsdesk.times@KRNmedia.co.uk

POLAR adventurer Felicity Aston is no stranger to the harsh extremes of the frozen continent.

She has previously broken records by leading an all-women team to the South Pole and spent two years working in Antarctica as a meteorologist.

But when faced with 59 days of isolation in her latest record-breaking trek – making her the first woman to ski solo across the continent and the first person to do so by muscle power alone – she found herself facing a whole new challenge.

Felicity, who lives in Birchington with boyfriend Peter and is an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Chestfield, said: "The big difference between being with a team and being alone is the constant anxiety or stress. I was trying to anticipate what could go wrong.

"I had no back up.

"One of the things that makes it so stressful is the level of anxiety. If you found yourself in a crevasse, no one is there to raise the alarm. All these things were going through my mind."

The 34-year-old arrived back in Kent last week and celebrated a belated Christmas with her family.

She started her mission from the Ross Ice Shelf on November 25 and, using muscle power alone, pulled two sledges laden with supplies across 1,700 km of icy terrain.

On January 23, she became the first woman to ski across the Antarctic solo.

There were moments, however, when she felt it was all too much.

She said: "Every morning I'd wake up and think, 'I can't do this'.

"The challenge was to get out of that frame of mind and get out of the tent, back to thinking logically rather than emotionally. That's when you really find out what you're made of.

"I didn't contact my family at all, I promised myself I wouldn't because of the emotional toll.

"Against my better judgement, I phoned at Christmas and as soon as my mum picked up the phone I just blubbed."

But it was the small things, such as tasty freeze-dried meals or the sun making a rare appearance, that kept her going.

Felicity said: "It sounds quite decadent but it's a real morale boost.

"If you don't eat anything but a different coloured mulch everyday you don't look forward to it. But I found myself thinking while I was skiing, 'What am I having for dinner tonight?' – I had spag bol for Christmas dinner.

"A great moment was seeing the sun coming up after four days of bad weather. It was like a miracle.

"The sun became important to me. It was my companion. Talking to the sun was pretty crazy. I'd come out of my tent and say hello."

Felicity lost eight kilograms during her trip and said she would not plan another solo expedition, although extreme trips are her livelihood.

She said: "It was too much emotionally, but I'm looking forward to writing about the experience.

"I'm really aware of how lucky I am. Not an awful lot of people get the opportunity to do this."

Felicity Aston will talk about her experiences in An Evening With Felicity Aston at the Gulbenkian Theatre, Canterbury, at 7.30pm on March 9. The evening is being organised by The Rotary Club of Chestfield in aid of SERV, a charity which transports blood and supplies for the NHS. Tickets cost £12.50 from 01227 769075 or www.thegulbenkian.co.uk