ADVENTURE NEWS
LUCY BARNARD
AGS-sponsored long-distance walker Lucy Barnard has passed the halfway point of her epic 30,000km trek from the southern tip of South America to Utqiagvik (Barrow) in Alaska. She is currently in San Cristóbal de las Cases in Mexico and her beloved blue heeler dog, Wombat, has clocked 10,000km of his own. Lucy began the expedition in 2017 and, after a break during COVID, resumed her journey a year ago. She’s well on her way to becoming the first woman to complete the trek. To track her daily progress, or donate to her journey, visit tanglesandtail.com
TOM ROBINSON
Tom Robinson has now settled back to life on terra firma after spending more than 15 months rowing across the Pacific Ocean and exploring some key South Pacific Ocean nations likely to be affected by rising sea levels. Tom was setting out from Vanuatu on the final leg of his epic ocean adventure when a rogue wave flooded and capsized his boat Maiwar. He clung to the upturned hull for 14 hours before a cruise ship came to his aid. Tom will be in Sydney to recount his amazing journey in February, where he will share the stage with Richard Barnes, our 2023 Adventurer of the Year. See event listings on the next page for details.
PROJECT ZERO
In late 2023, Geoff and Kitale Wilson attempted to break the speed record for a pole-to-coast ski traverse of Antarctica as the third leg of their two-year expedition, Project Zero. It’s a call to action for the adventure community to commit to carbon-neutral exploring by offsetting their own impacts. The team sails aboard Nanook X, a yacht retrofitted with solar, hydro- and wind-powered generators, a hybrid engine and a recycled water system to ensure it’s as sustainable as possible. While attempting their traverse, they encountered severe weather, including 60-knot winds that cut short the land-based expedition. They were disappointed not to have gained the record, but agreed they had sailed from home to Antarctica, achieved a remote drop-off and traversed one of Antarctica’s great glaciers – all while being carbon neutral. “Project Zero is about change and it’s a story of hope. Stay tuned for more to come!” Geoff says.