Australian_Geographic_-_February_2016_

buzz

January. February 19

I

T TOOK IAN VICKERS just 20 days to

cover 400km of the Simpson Desert.

He crossed west-to-east, starting his

journey at Old Andado station in the NT

and ending at Poeppel Corner, at the

intersection of the NT, SA, and Queens-

land borders. Months of training helped

prepare Ian for the effort of scaling

1100 sand dunes, each up to 40m in

height. “I’d get to the top of one dune

hoping that the valleys in between

might start to open up, but they didn’t

for some time, which was dishearten-

ing,” he says. “It was physically and

emotionally draining, but one of the

most enjoyable parts of the journey.”

For 16 days, Ian didn’t see anybody

else, but the biggest challenge was

pulling his cart, which weighed 160kg

when laden with food and water at the

start of the journey. On the western

edge of the desert, where spinifex

dominates the landscape and the

dunes are just 200m apart, dragging

this behind him was punishing, he says.

But the desert also had its perks.

“Most nights I’d get myself on top of a

big red dune, get my bed-roll out and...

then I’d just look up at stars,” he says.

Australian Geographic Society

Epic feats

AS AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC turns

30, we look back at 30 record-

breaking feats achieved by AG

Society adventurers since 1986.

1998

Sue Fear

First woman to

summit Cho Oyu,

China.

1998

David Mason

First solo, unsupported

walk across Australia

at its widest point.

1986/

Robert Swan

First person to walk

to both North and

South poles.

1988

Kay Cottee

First woman to sail

non-stop around

the world.

1988

Greg Mortimer

First Australian to

summit Vinson

Massif, Antarctica.

1988

Steve Tremont,

Barry Higgins

First traverse of the

Great Dividing Range.

1989

Gaby Kennard

First Australian

woman to fl y solo

around the world.

1990

Tim Macartney-

Snape

First ascent of Mt

Everest from sea-level

to summit.

1992

Val Taylor,

Ron Taylor

First to fi lm great

white sharks without

using a protective

cage.

1997

Sue Fear

Led fi rst ascent of

Makalu II by an

Australian team.

1997

Peter Treseder,

Ian Brown,

Keith Williams

First Australians to

trek to the South Pole

unsupported.

1996

Vera Wong,

First Australian

all-female ascent of

The Nose on El Capitan,

in Yosemite NP, with

Nik Woolford and

Kate Dooley.

2001

Jon Muir

First unassisted

crossing of Australia

from south to north.

2002

Christopher Harris

Younges t p er son to

summit Mt Cook.

1996

David Dicks

Younges t p er son to

sail solo, non-stop

around the world.

2001

Tammy van Wisse

First to swim the

entire length of

the Murray River.

2001

John Hoelscher

First circumnavigation

of Greenland, in

three stages, with

Lonnie Dupre.

2003

Jon Johanson

First solo fl ight

over South Pole, in

a single-engine

home-built aircraft.

2004–

Tim Cope

First to follow Genghis

Khan’s march in

modern times.

2004

Matt McFadyen

Youngest Australian

to reach North Pole

on foot.

2004, 2010

Linda Beilharz

First Australian

woman to reach

North and South

poles on foot.

2009

Andrew Lock

First Australian to

summit all 14 of the

world’s mountain

peaks above 8000m.

2008

James Castrission,

Justin Jones

First trans-Tasman

kayak expedition.

2012

James Castrission,

Justin Jones

First unsupported

team to ski to

South Pole.

2005

Rex Pemberton

Youngest Australian

to summit Mt Everest.

2013

Ryan Campbell

Younges t solo av iator

to circumnavigate

the world.

2014

Jason Beachcroft

First to navigate

Australia in a kayak,

incorporating

Ta s m a n i a.

2001

Tim Jarvis

First unsupported

crossing of the Great

Victoria Desert.

1997

Chris Hatherly

Youngest unsupported

cycle around Australia.

2010

Jessica Watson

Younges t to sail

around the world

solo and unassisted.

An AGS adventurer has completed a

gruelling challenge in record time.

SOLO SIMPSON

DESERT TRAVERSE

ILLUSTRATION: MIKE ROSSI; PHOTO: IAN VICKERS