Felicity Aston
Polar Explorer and Meteorologist · 1977
Who is Felicity Aston?
Felicity Aston MBE is a British polar explorer, meteorologist, and writer who became the first woman to ski alone across the Antarctic continent, a journey she completed in January 2012. Trained as a meteorologist, she spent three years working at the British Antarctic Survey's Rothera Research Station before turning to polar expeditions, including leading the first all-female international team to ski to the South Pole in 2009. Her solo crossing covered approximately 1,084 miles over fifty-nine days, using only classic cross-country skiing technique without the kites or parasails that earlier solo crossers had relied on for assistance, making her only the third person and the first woman to complete an unassisted solo crossing of the continent. She endured extreme isolation, unpredictable crevasse fields, and punishing weather throughout the journey. Aston recounted the expedition in her memoir Alone in Antarctica (2013), reflecting candidly on the psychological toll of prolonged solitude alongside the physical demands of polar travel.
Sources: Felicity Aston, Alone in Antarctica (2013)