Regular readers will recall that Ripley is in the midst of his Mongolia 2010 Expedition, in which he is attempting to walk solo and unsupported across the entire length of that country. He has already left the Eastern Steppe behind, and crossed the Gobi as well, and according to his most recent blog report, the Altai Mountains are looming in his path. That change in terrain will make it difficult for him to pull his custom built cart, which carries all of the adventurers gear, but he seems more than up to the task at the moment.
As of today, Ripley has covered more than 853 miles on his planned 1700 mile expedition. If he is successful in completing that trek, it'll be the longest solo and unsupported walk in history. Reading his updates from the field, it seems that he remains in good spirits and upbeat about the challenges ahead, even as he knows that he is just halfway to the finish line.
An update to the expedition's Facebook page today tells us that the former British military man has moved into some rather steep canyon areas, with the gorges there providing a respite from the sun. The temperatures have been a bit cooler, but the narrow passages are filled with scree and other obstacles.
On another note, Ripley is also falling pray to another malady that often befalls explorers on long distance journeys like this one. His toenails have started to fall off! One of his large nails is already gone, while others have turned black and are threatening to follow suit soon as well. If that wasn't enough, he's also dealing with a very sore and swollen ankle that has been bothering him for some time. Still, he soldiers on and keeps making great progress.
No comments:
Post a Comment