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.”
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
'Falling%20for%20Christmas'
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Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
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MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
AUSTRALIA%20SQUAD
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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
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
Results
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1hr 32mins 03.897sec
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull-Honda) at 0.745s
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) 37.383s
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) 46.466s
5.Sergio Perez (Red Bull-Honda) 52.047s
6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 59.090s
7. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) 1:06.004
8. Carlos Sainz Jr (Ferrari) 1:07.100
9. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri-Honda) 1:25.692
10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin-Mercedes) 1:26.713,
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
Results:
CSIL 2-star 145cm One Round with Jump-Off
1. Alice Debany Clero (USA) on Amareusa S 38.83 seconds
2. Anikka Sande (NOR) For Cash 2 39.09
3. Georgia Tame (GBR) Cash Up 39.42
4. Nadia Taryam (UAE) Askaria 3 39.63
5. Miriam Schneider (GER) Fidelius G 47.74
The specs: 2018 Renault Koleos
Price, base: From Dh77,900
Engine: 2.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 170hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 233Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.3L / 100km
Top 5 concerns globally:
1. Unemployment
2. Spread of infectious diseases
3. Fiscal crises
4. Cyber attacks
5. Profound social instability
Top 5 concerns in the Mena region
1. Energy price shock
2. Fiscal crises
3. Spread of infectious diseases
4. Unmanageable inflation
5. Cyber attacks
Source: World Economic Foundation
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Command%20Z
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