British Explorer Finally Begins Epic Antarctic Voyage

The 33-year-old British explorer Felicity Aston has at last set off on her epic and historic voyage, as she hopes to become the first woman to cross the frozen continent alone. With no more than a pair of skis, rather a lot of outdoor clothing and her supplies, Aston is attempting a journey of over 1,000 miles, which is expected to take around 70 days. After waiting in her base camp for the weather to improve, the conditions have finally relented, allowing the voyage to begin. Aston announced via her Twitter feed that the epic journey had begun, “having breakfast looking at the mountains. The quiet will take some getting used to. With the first step of my journey, I start the long road home.”

Historic Trek

If she completes the trek, Aston will become the first person to have crossed the continent using muscle power alone, in doing so setting the record for the longest solo polar expedition carried out by a female explorer. In 1997, Norwegian explorer Boerge Ousland took 64 days to cross Antarctica, but harnessed the power of the wind when it blew in his favour using a large parachute style sail.

Heading for the Transantarctic Mountains

Aston’s first challenge on her long journey will be to tackle the Transantarctic Mountains. This will lead her onto the continent’s central plateau. Aston is an experienced adventurer, having previously explored the Canadian Arctic, and crossing the Greenland ice sheet, but this is by far her largest and toughest challenge yet.

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Head East for Skiing Bargains

Holidaymakers heading towards the slopes this winter are being advised to head east in order to keep costs down, avoiding pricier destinations such as Switzerland. As the pound has slumped against the Swiss franc, this already-expensive country for skiing has become dearer still for holidaymakers. Resorts in countries such as Bulgaria are likely to benefit from this situation, offering top quality skiing, and much more bang for your buck.

Costs of Skiing
The Post Office’s annual Ski Resort Report assesses European resorts against a number of criteria, ranking them in order of cost. Various elements, including lift passes, equipment hire, ski tuition, food, and drink are used to determine the most economical ski resorts by the report. Top of the pile is the Bulgarian resort, Bansko, which was £100 cheaper than its nearest rival, Arinsal in Andorra was. Both of these resorts have seen their prices decrease by five per cent since the last report, whereas Swiss resorts have endured a 26 per cent increase, mainly due to currency fluctuation as well as resort charges.

Go East, Skiing’s Cheaper There
If your idea of a great holiday is putting on your ski wear and heading for the slopes, your most economical route is therefore going to be to head away from some of the more established Swiss resorts. Sarah Munro, Post Office’s head of travel money thinks that as pressure on budgets increases, “resort costs are likely to be a key factor in determining resort choice this year.”

Columbia Sportswear Skiing Expert Zach Crist

Shark Attack Victim Receives Emotional Farewell

Those in the surfing community will be well aware of the fate met by the unfortunate Kyle Burden last weekend. Whilst surfing in Bunker Bay, the 21-year-old was fatally mauled by a shark. By way of a tribute, over 100 of Burden’s friends, family and members of the wider surfing community attended his memorial service, before around 50 surfers donned their wetsuits and took part in a paddle-out, joining hands at the spot where he was attacked on Sunday.

A Good Time to Cry

Sharon Burden, Kyle’s mother paid tribute to the police and emergency services who had helped the family deal with their loss, as well as thanking friends and the local community for their support. The occasion was labelled a “good time to cry” by police chaplain Keith Carmody, before stressing that it was also “a good time for people to laugh and share memories.” As well as remembering Kyle, the paddle-out also served a reminder of the constant presence of the ocean’s inhabitants.

Vigilance is Key

The paddle-out was joined by sea rescue craft, as there were shark sightings on Monday afternoon around 50 kilometres south of the area. A great white shark is thought to be responsible for the attack on Kyle last weekend. Surfers signed a surfboard in memory of Kyle, whilst all those present felt that the send-off was fitting for a young man who loved the ocean so much.

“Sick Jumps” Capture the Imagination

The rise of freestyle ski and snowboard events that has culminated in the addition of new events for 2014’s winter Olympics is built on the audience’s insatiable desire for thrills. When a competitor has hurtled down a slope to catch “the big air”, the audience usually descend into a silent rapture, which only erupts once the jump has been landed. These so-called “sick jumps” are the cornerstone of events in the Winter Games New Zealand, which concluded last week, and are sure to be among the standout images when the Olympic roadshow touches down in Sochi in 2014.

Courage and Skill

Two of the biggest attributes of a successful freestyle skier are courage and skill. A quick and agile mind is almost as useful as a quick and agile body, as calculations of speed, wind, and distance are needed to ensure the jump is not only landed, but the required tricks and combos are pulled off. Such is the importance put on such events nowadays that nations such as China are providing former divers and gymnasts with ski goggles and ski wear to try to get their hands on some Olympic medals.

Have a Go Yourself

For those of us not fortunate, brave or mad (delete as appropriate) enough to be taking part in the Winter Games, the prospect of strapping on a pair of skis and having a go yourself is not too daunting. With quality ski facilities up and down the country, including flagship centres at Milton Keynes and Manchester, there is no excuse not to blast down a couple of slopes.

Teen’s Hiking Death Latest in a Long Line at Yosemite

A 17-year-old boy, Kao Kue, was last week rushed to hospital with severe head injuries after taking a plunge in his walking boots at Yosemite National Park – the world famous nature reserve in California, USA.

He was out hiking last Saturday when he lost his footing on the steep, rocky Mist Trail, which is renowned for its difficult terrain, despite its popularity amongst visitors.

After four days of fighting for life, the young man passed away at Doctor’s Medical Center in Modesto, Central California the following Wednesday.

Before Kao, 14 outdoors enthusiasts have died this year alone at Yosemite National Park. There have been six drownings, two falls resulting in death, a car accident that led to a death, and five deaths of natural causes, according to a park ranger.

Controversially, Yosemite will not be including the teenager’s death in its annual statistics for Yosemite fatalities as, although the accident took place within the park, the death itself occurred in hospital and not inside park boundaries, so the official total for 2011 still stands at 14 so far. The official total of deaths within Yosemite park boundaries in 2010 was 15.

Perhaps even more controversially, when interviewed, park officials say they do not feel it is necessary to install more warning signs and/or protective measures to safeguard their visitors.
"We are adamant about educating all of Yosemite's visitors about potential dangers, as well as ensuring that it remains a wild place," said the park ranger.