AMOROUS MUSINGS

Last year I stumbled upon a blog depicting modern-day adventurer/explorer Ben Saunder’s attempt to reach the Geographic North Pole, unsupported aka SOLO in the fastest time ever. 

Note: Be sure to check out all the incredible videos that he created with his team in the lead up to the attempt 

Unfortunately for us all, Saunders was unable to complete his solo attempt at the North Pole — the weather was working against him and made it impossible to attempt.

I subsequently became utterly fascinated with the new faces and stories of the modern-day adventurer, as before coming across Saunder’s work — has assumed this sort of life was a thing of the past. (I also assumed incorrectly that the kind of brilliant travel writing that came back from said explorations was no longer occurring — but I think we all know there are some insanely wonderful memoirs out there). 

Other than Saunders, there is Alastair Humphries (who in 2011 encouraged us all to take some microadventures in our close-to-home environs) and who is also as you read, rowing across the Atlantic Ocean. (See blog here)

Saunders, Humphries as well as Martin Hartley (photographer) and Andy Ward will be attempting a South Pole expedition in 2012, see the expedition website to read up on it. 

For me, the beauty in the adventures that these men are embarking on is the ability to continue to see Earth as an incredibly unexplored, unknown planet (much like the Planet Earth series etc with David Attenborough do). That there are STILL places within our reach that can test the limits of what we understand and how we interact with it. 

I am missing some fabulous female adventurers though — and am going to track them down because I am sure they exist….