Dubai climber aims high after scaling highest volcanic peak in Antarctica


Patrick Ryan
  • English
  • Arabic

Most people who decide to take up a challenge in the new year resolve to give up a bad habit such as smoking or decide to join a gym.

A Dubai climber went a step further than that though when she spent January climbing the highest volcanic peak in Antarctica.

Australian Caroline Leon, 37, endured freezing cold temperatures and treacherous conditions on her way to climbing Mount Sidley.

Along the way, she had to contend with the dangers of frostbite and her hair and limbs freezing.

“It was challenging because it was so cold and was minus 30ºC on a good day,” said Ms Leon.

“If you exposed any part of your body to the air there was a real risk of frostbite and there was a risk of your eyes getting snow blindness.

“Each member of the team had to pull a 25kg sledge all the way up the mountain, which was another challenge.”

Mount Sidley is the highest volcanic summit in Antarctica, standing at about 4,300m high.

Only 77 people have climbed it, with Ms Leon being the 18th woman to do so.

“The scariest thing that happened to me on the climb was I ended up freezing my hands solid and our guide made me swing my arm around to get the blood flowing again,” she said.

“I burst into tears because it was so painful. I was really mindful to make sure that didn’t happen again.

“Some of us had our hair frozen in parts and the guys had their beards frozen too at times.”

Ms Leon was undertaking the climb as part of a challenge to complete all seven of the volcanic summits in the world.

The other peaks are Mount Giluwe (4,367m) in Papua New Guinea, Mount Damavand (5,671m) in Iran, Picos de Orizaba (5,636m) in Mexico, Elbrus (5,642m) in Russia, Kilimanjaro (5,895m) in Tanzania and Ojos del Salado (6,893m) on the Argentina-Chile border.

She is not resting on her laurels as she plans to travel to Mexico in the coming days, then to Papua New Guinea and Tanzania.

“I’ve already done some of the seven summits but I want to set a speed record by climbing them all within a six-month period,” said Ms Leon.

“I don’t believe there are any records of it being done in that time so far.”

The journey to the highest summit in Antarctica was not all about endurance and overcoming the odds, she said.

“When you get to the summit and look to the opposite side, you see it’s all blue ice and snow and it’s just beautiful,” said Ms Leon.

“You can see baby volcanoes too and it’s all so pristine and breathtaking.”

Ms Leon’s achievements are all the more impressive given that she broke her back in a horrific fall in 2015.

Doctors told her she was unlikely to walk again after she fell while climbing a wall in Dubai.

Despite being confined to a wheelchair for six months, as well as undergoing 14 operations and 23 blood transfusions, she was able to slowly regain her ability to walk.

“The accident gave me the courage to put the best of me forward as I felt like I owed that to all the people who helped me recover,” she said.

“It has driven how I act and given me the purpose to move forward.

“It provided me with an understanding of who I am, which has helped in so many facets of my life.”

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Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed

Power: 620bhp

Torque: 630Nm

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Toilet cleaner

1 cup baking soda 

1 cup castile soap

10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice) 

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1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.

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Air Freshener

100ml water 

5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this) 

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Brief scores:

Day 1

Toss: South Africa, field first

Pakistan (1st innings) 177: Sarfraz 56, Masood 44; Olivier 4-48

South Africa (1st innings) 123-2: Markram 78; Masood 1-4

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

Continental champions

Best Asian Player: Massaki Todokoro (Japan)

Best European Player: Adam Wardzinski (Poland)

Best North & Central American Player: DJ Jackson (United States)

Best African Player: Walter Dos Santos (Angola)

Best Oceanian Player: Lee Ting (Australia)

Best South American Player: Gabriel De Sousa (Brazil)

Best Asian Federation: Saudi Jiu-Jitsu Federation

THE SPECS

Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6

Power: 416hp at 7,000rpm

Torque: 410Nm at 3,500rpm

Transmission: 6-speed manual

Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km

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Disposing of non-recycleable masks
    Use your ‘black bag’ bin at home Do not put them in a recycling bin Take them home with you if there is no litter bin
  • No need to bag the mask
LEAGUE CUP QUARTER-FINAL DRAW

Stoke City v Tottenham

Brentford v Newcastle United

Arsenal v Manchester City

Everton v Manchester United

All ties are to be played the week commencing December 21.

Volunteers offer workers a lifeline

Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.

When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.

Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.

Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.

“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.

Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.

“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Did you know?

Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.

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GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

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Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

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Mica

Director: Ismael Ferroukhi

Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani

3 stars

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Director: Jon Favreau

Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

MATCH INFO

Newcastle United 1 (Carroll 82')

Leicester City 2 (Maddison 55', Tielemans 72')

Man of the match James Maddison (Leicester)

Results

2pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: Mouheeb, Tom Marquand (jockey), Nicholas Bachalard (trainer)

2.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Honourable Justice, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer

3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi

3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dark Silver, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash

4pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Dark Of Night. Antonio Fresu, Al Muhairi.

4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Habah, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

The%20Killer
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Updated: February 14, 2023, 4:00 AM