ALEX | HIBBERT

Image: Nanga Parbat’s Rupal Face.
A thought-provoking quote from a US climber, borrowed from ExpeditionNews :
“People’s perception is that the highest mountain is the most important. And it’s just simply not true, because the highest mountain isn’t necessarily the most difficult. You don’t get (climbing legend) Reinhold Messner calling you the best alpinist in the world [...]

In the latest of the BBC Natural History Film Unit’s exploratory documentaries, Land of the Lost Volcano, George McGavin and team venture to the Bosavi volcano crater in New Guinea. The previous series’ such as Lost Land of the Jaguar and Expedition Borneo are a rare example of visually documenting true exploration and scientific discovery. [...]

René Soobaroyen (photo)
On August 3rd, Sarah Outen, my university friend and fellow Biology student reached land after 124 days. She had rowed single-handed across the Indian Ocean from Australia to Mauritius and has seen a whole swathe of ocean rowing records fall as a consequence. She has had a rough ride – four months of [...]

I woke up this morning, still with swine flu, to a bit of a shock. Fellow polar traveller Ben Saunders pointed my attention to a news article in the Daily Mail. On further investigation the same story appeared to be in a variety of outlets, including the Telegraph Online.
It seems that an overimaginative press release [...]

Apologies for the lack of posts of late – training here at Commando Training Centre is ever increasing in tempo and the coming weeks will continue to do so. At the weekend I will deploy on the four week Commando Course, culminating in the four Commando Tests – all being well I should earn my [...]

The world loses the man who, along with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, stepped onto the highest point on Earth for the first time.
The BBC said:
Tributes have been paid to Sir Edmund Hillary, who made the first ascent of the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, after he died aged 88.
New Zealand PM Helen Clark said a state [...]

 
A breath of fresh air…two Russians have announced plans in the Arctic this winter. They plan to undertake the first full winter expedition to the North Pole.
“Today on Dec 21, the darkest day of the year, Russian Polar Explorers Matvey Shparo and Boris Smolin are ready to be flown out to Cape Arktichesky. The combination [...]

The major expedition heading South this season is a Slovak attempting the first solo and unsupported crossing of the Antarctic. Details below
Peter Valusiak’s Solo crossing – 2800 km
Slovak Peter Valusiak will attempt a solo, unassisted (no resupplies) crossing from Berkner island to McMurdo, via the South Pole. Peter is a true veteran; [...]

The number of expeditions heading for the Antarctic this season is comparatively large, partly due to the International Polar Year, and perhaps half a dozen teams will head South. What I think is sad however is that a few projects were planned but narrowly missed funding, including my own, which were set to make major [...]

The team and I are sorry to announce that our funding for the Journey South 2007 has fallen through due to our potential corporate partner withdrawing for business reasons. The team are now restructuring for a fresh and equally ambitious expedition to the Arctic in the Spring. The website is currently [...]