Woman Begins Historic Solo Journey Across Antarctica
A 33-year old British woman commenced her attempt to be the first woman to cross the frozen continent of Antarctica alone.
Felicity Aston estimated her trek would cover over 1,000 miles and last approximately 70 days.
It is her first solo journey.
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"This is ... the first time I will have spent this length of time without company. It's part of the challenge of the expedition, to see how I'll cope with it," said Aston to The Associated Press shortly before embarking on her adventure.
The adventurer also said the trip will be a mental challenge.
"Your life reduces to eating, sleeping and skiing. It's a form of meditation. You get into a rhythm, and all you can hear is your own breathing, your own heartbeat, the sound of your clothes and your skis. It's kind of an altered state," Aston said.
"A trip like this is all about keeping going - the stamina, endurance, keeping going day after day after day," she added.
Some of the supplies Aston will be carrying include freeze-dried food, a camp stove, fuel, solar recharger, two MP3 players, two satellite phones and a GPS beacon to communicate with a support team.
Aston was a meteorologist for the British Atlantic Survey for three years. She has crossed the Greenland ice sheet and the Canadian arctic. She has also made her way across Lake Baikal in Siberia.
As she nears the South Pole, Aston will climb the Transatlantic Mountains to reach Antarctica's plateau.
If Aston completes the trip, she will be the first person to make it across Antarctica using only muscle power. She would also set the record for longest polar expedition completed alone by a woman.
