Absolutely thrilled and grateful to be the 2026 recipient of the Geographical Award presented at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) in London last night.
It is awarded each year to “individuals or organizations that have made the greatest contribution to helping, encouraging, and inspiring others through expedition activities.”
The biggest thank you to those who nominated me - do let me know who you are so that I can thank you properly!
This will be our 7th summer on Vigur Island and it looks set to be a landmark year! We continue to develop the work of the Vigur Island Foundation to maintain the island as a Nature Reserve and Bird Sanctuary.
The summer season 2026 has begun at pace with visits from expedition ships, the arrival of a dedicated Vigur ‘ferry’ boat from Norway to bring guests to and from Isafjordur, eider ringing and recapture with researchers from University of Iceland, black guillemot counts with researchers from NAVE, bird census activity and oystercatcher nesting surveys with our two resident Vigur Island Foundation volunteers, hosting of a wildlife documentary crew from Japanese national broadcasters NHK, and the arrival of new volunteer accommodation - and it is not yet June!
Lots more is to come this year, including the launch of a new Artists Residency initiative, the annual visits from the Puffin Rally, projects focusing on fulmar, arctic tern and black guillemot, new exhibition spaces and of course - the eiderdown harvest!
International Women’s Month Summit to Sea in the Sinai Expedition with 360 Expeditions
Ever since I read the story of Scottish twins Agnes Smith Lewis and Margaret Smith Gibson who discovered the Codex Sinaiticus in the library of St Catherine’s Monastery, I’ve been intrigued by this most secretive of places. So it was a special thrill to start our journey here - and particularly appropriate for our team … St Catherine was a Greco-Egyptian noblewoman who was - according to legend - a scholar and philosopher who stood up for her beliefs, inspiring those around her to do the same. We took the scenic route to the summit of Mt Sinai, including the 750 ‘steps of penitence’, reaching the top in time to watch the sun set and descended in the dark.
Next day we met our camels and Bedouin team near St Catherine’s. The first rain in four years fell hard and our first night under the stars saw us in our sleeping bags lined up in a row like fat sausages under a rock overhang enlarged with a tarp and stacked brushwood. It was cosy and (mostly!) dry. During the night dramatic lightning and thunder flashed and roared unleashing icy hail that covered my sleeping bag like snow! The irony made me laugh - It seems I take the snow with me wherever I go….!
The Bedouin lead us along ancient trading and pilgrimage routes that criss-cross the Sinai connecting Cairo, Jerusalem and Mecca. We followed the camels down from the rocky plateau into sand-filled valleys between curvaceous red sandstone sculpted by wind and water. It started to look like the desert we had imagined. As we moved through the most spectacular desert scenery, we began to fall into the routine of our Bedouin companions. The campfire was lit just before first light and we would start moving early. After a couple of hours we’d stop for a break and have tea. After a couple of hours more we’d stop somewhere with shade for a long lunch to sit out the heat of the day, before a last trek to reach a sheltered spot to camp. We always stopped in time to set up camp and for the camel drivers to sort out the camels for the night before it got dark.
What has struck everyone about the trek is how different the scenery has been from one day to the next. We started among snow-capped mountains and have already crossed rocky plains, sandstone jebels, sand-filled valleys and a palm-forested oasis. Today was different again, the stand-out section being a canyon with chalk-white cliffs and sand as soft as flour. Another surprise has been the camels - it was wonderfully unexpected to find that travelling with camels, being surrounded by their characters and falling into the routine centred around them was as magical as the landscape. Riding them, however, was not an easy option - it’s hard work! Total core work out and pressure points in all sorts of unusual places….!
Woken this morning by a group of camels wandering through the ravine we were camped in. They were female camels with young so it caused a bit of havoc with our mostly male caravan. Our seventh day gave different landscape again. Our route to the sea is blocked by a dramatic mountain range of bald rock - but we were led to a hidden gorge, in places as narrow as a few metres wide, which cuts through the mountains. It felt miraculous that it should exist.
We camped in the miraculous wadi to celebrate our last night under the stars with music and dancing (badly on our part!) Lit by a nearly-full moon, surrounded by slumbering camels, it was a perfect evening in the desert.
We lingered over our last breakfast around the campfire, no one wanting it all to end - but that didn’t diminish the excitement when we eventually caught our first glimpse of the sea! We said goodbye to the camels and Bedouin, who had looked after us so generously, who turned back to the desert while the rest of us continued to the sea. A leisurely afternoon enjoying the reef just offshore ended with a boat taxi to nearby Dahab. As we celebrated the sight of flush toilets and freshly made beds, it was also strange to be indoors again and not to see the sky. I woke up early the next morning and sat outside my Dahab hotel room to watch the sun rise - I didn’t know it but others from the team were doing the same. It’s hard to let go of the desert!
A huge THANK YOU to my fellow team - your stories, laughter and shared conversation made the journey such a joy. But extra special thanks to Hermione Tailyour who so generously shared her passion for the Sinai to gift us the perfect desert adventure. You are all amazing and I miss you (camels included!) X
What a joy to spend time sailing on this magnificent three-masted topsail schooner (1917) around the Atlantic islands of Cape Verde.
We’ve hauled halyards, eased the peak, scrubbed the decks, heaved, heeled and even climbed the mast. We stopped in six of the nine inhabited islands that make up Cape Verde and were struck by how distinct they were from each other.
Brilliantly, our trip coincided with Carnival season on the islands - we party’d on the beach in Sal, watched the competition in Espargos, witnessed the ‘funeral’ of carnival in Sao Vincente and even found ourselves part of the procession at one point. Awesome times x
Last week I delivered clothing and equipment from 20 years of expeditions (2004 - 2024) to the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) archives where they will be kept along with records and images of the expeditions they are associated with as a lasting record of materials and design in polar expedition clothing as well as trends in expedition support.
We get very few opportunities in life to leave something lasting behind for posterity, so I am extremely grateful to the RGS for accepting the donation and particularly to Joe Smith and Eugene Rae for championing it.
Before I left, Eugene asked if it was hard to let the items go. I did feel nostalgic as I gathered the items together, each one bringing to mind memories that hadn’t surfaced in years. But as I looked at them all together as a collection, what I felt most was pride - because the clothing traces the journey of women in polar exploration, from the days of the ‘pink it and shrink it’ attitude of outdoor clothing manufacturers right the way to contemporary and highly innovative kit manufactured using recycled marine plastics and sequestered CO2 by a company founded and led by women (here’s to you Groundtruth) …how far we have come!
I was also allowed a privileged glimpse into the treasure trove of the archives and some of the items relating to women explorers of the past - In this increasingly virtual world of ours, it was such a pleasure to celebrate that special connection with the past that we can only get from the material and tangible.
So delighted to be invited back to the IMC - this time for an episode all about the North Pole which was broadcast on Chirstmas Day!
Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and spent most of the recording trying not to lauch too much. The subjects discussed ranged from how difficult it is to track down Father Christmas, signs a polar bear is stalking you, the number of legs a polar sea spider has, whether cryo-stasis will be possible in our lifetime and the criteria that defines a record-breaking cocktail party.
We also proved, once again, that Robin Ince makes the most deadly cocktails on radio...
Back in May I found a lump and was diagnosed with breast cancer. It meant letting go of my plans and projects for the summer to focus instead on surgery and treatment - but I’m beyond grateful to say that six months later I’m now cancer free and on medication to reduce the possibility of it returning.
I’ve been incredibly fortunate; not only was it caught early but I had access to expert and prompt care. My grandmother and great grandmother died of breast cancer not much older than me but I’ve benefitted from decades of research that have revolutionised treatment outcomes. I get to return to my life.
To say I am grateful feels inadequate.
The summer wasn’t all hospital appointments and bedrest though. I’ve managed some small adventures with family. Taking care to appreciate precious time with loved ones has always been a priority - but a brush with the big C makes these memories even sweeter.
I look forward to picking up all the wonderful projects and conversations so abruptly abandoned back in May and June - but it might take me a little time. I hope to be back up to speed by the new year….
Thank you to the Judging panel and those who nominated me for the 2025 Shackleton Medal for the Protection of the Polar Regions.
It can be a lonely effort at times, so the knowledge that the effort has been noticed and appreciated is hugely validating.
Reading about the work of all those on the shortlist is a wonderful source of inspiration - all these amazing talents working so hard to achieve solutions, to protect, conserve and understand. It has given me renewed determination to keep going.
Thank you again - and congratulations to all those on the shortlist, you are heroes!
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1EZTrt2KtN/
When I’m not being Felicity the Explorer or Felicity the student scientist, I am Felicity i Vigur, managing a small island in a large fjord in NW Iceland that I own with my husband Gisli and my brother Spencer. Vigur is a pretty special place, famous for its cake (yes, really!), it’s historic structures, as a centre for the traditional harvest of eiderdown but primarily for its birdlife.
We’ve been responsible for Vigur for five years now and have made conservation and research the heart of what we do - be it research that leads to understanding of Vigur’s nature or conservation of the heritage on the island. This year we formalised all our efforts under one banner, the Vigur Island Foundation, a non-profit NGO registered in Iceland.
We are so excited to be a part of this next stage in the history of Vigur, a history that stretches back a thousand years, and to ensure this increasingly rare European Arctic wilderness remains as intact as possible for future generations.
Some great opportunities to speak to an Australian audience recently with the BIG expedition being featured in Forbes and Remix. Australia, as a nation with deep links to the ocean, is very engaged in the issue of marine microplastic, so I hope that there will be interest in our work with atmospheric microplastic too. Australia is also a nation that might feel itself to be extremely distant from the Arctic (it is!) but due to the very present consequence of environmental issues like the Ozone Hole, I imagine Australians will already be more aware than most of the interconnectedness of our global ecosystem and therefore conscious - as everyone should be - that what happens in the Arctic is very relevant to us all, wherever we spend our time on planet Earth.
https://www.forbes.com.au/life/watches/felicity-astons-race-against-time-in-the-arctic/
https://www.remixmagazine.com/fashion/polar-explorer-felicity-aston-interview/
Come celebrate International Women’s Month in the Bedouin Sinai with me in March 2026…!
March is Women’s History Month and the month of International Women’s Day (8th), a time to celebrate all that women have achieved - and to reflect on what still needs to be done. What better time to embark on a meaningful journey with a like-minded group of women to a very special part of the world...
Marni Oostra of 360 Expeditions has spent the last 27 years getting to know the soulful Sinai and has generously lent her knowledge and contacts to craft an all-women’s trekking expedition (rooted in supporting local communities and culture) to celebrate International Women’s Month in March next year:
Soulful Sinai: Summit to Sea, 28th March – 04th April 2026
Supported by a dozen camels carrying our supplies, we will trek some 100km through the jebels, dunes and gorges of the Sinai, led by a team from a local Bedouin community who relish sharing their traditions, music and hospitality. Wild camping in the open wadis around a fire, falling asleep under a canopy of stars, the simple rhythm of days in the desert offer plenty of opportunity to take a restorative moment for ourselves while enjoying some of the most incredible scenery and nature. The journey will begin with a sunset summit on Mount Sinai, a spiritual place for so many global religions, and end in the thriving, colour-filled waters of the Red Sea.
Sound good? Then I double dare you to read Marni’s account of a recent trek in the Sinai ( https://www.360-expeditions.com/timelessbeautyofsinai/ ) and not be immediately booking days off work!
If you would like to be a part of it, the team is open to women over the age of 18, and to both UK and International participants. For costs of joining the trip and detailed information on everything from itinerary to kit to environmental and social responsibility please go to:
https://www.360-expeditions.com/exp.../desert-trek-sinai/...
Don't hesitate to get in touch with me or with 360° Expeditions if you have questions or would like to talk through joining the team. I can’t wait!
Such a giggle to record this episode of BBC Radio 4 ‘s Infinite Monkey Cage. Laughed almost as much listening back to the final show which is now available on BBC Sounds and iPlayer - I would however just like to point out that Robin poured us the most enormous measure of gin to drink live on stage, so it really is no wonder we were laughing so much !
A while back I had a wide-wandering chat with Shelby Stanger which has been crafted into a podcast for the REI series Wild Ideas Worth Living. If you’d like a listen you can find it here: pod.link/1183017174, on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@rei or here: https://www.rei.com/.../skiing-solo-across-antarctica...
Watching this 5-minute film by ROLEX about The 'Before It's Gone' Expedition left me a little emotional. It has been such a wonderful but relentless project that seeing it in its entirety as one story was a reminder of just what was achieved and how far we’ve come. It was a moment of pride.
Thanks to the team at Proudfoot for the care with the film, it looks amazing. Thanks to all the team members over the evolution of the project and particularly Julie who was responsible for the majority of the epic footage used in the film. Special thanks to my supervisors National Oceanography Centre and thank you to all the sponsors and supporters who have helped us in innumerable ways and especially those at Rolex for their unstinting faith in us.
The MOST incredible evening at Buckingham Palace for the State Banquet…seeing masterpieces by Rembrandt and Titian on the walls, being presented to the King, having my dress complimented by Victoria Beckham (!), the most amazing food and wine, the sparkle of the Queen’s staggering tiara, a fabulous serenading of marching bagpipes, the kindness of fellow guests who made us feel so welcome and tottering down magnificent staircases on numb feet after standing too long in my best heels!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the invitation - we are very touched to have been thought of x
For those of you in the UK and able to watch BBC iPlayer, here is the link to The One Show episode featuring The 'Before It's Gone' North Pole Expedition:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b007tcw7/the-one-show
Getting Arctic stories, expedition stories or science stories on mainstream prime-time TV is near impossible, so to get all three on The One Show is completely amazing - huge thanks to Barbara and Paul at Screenhouse who put the short film together. This has been years in the making and they championed it all the way x
Very honoured to have been trusted with the role of host at this year’s Explore - the annual symposium of fieldwork and expeditions at the Royal Geographical Society in London.
I’ve been attending and benefitting from these weekends for twenty years, so I was very grateful for the opportunity to share some of what I have learned and help to encourage others on their journey towards making journeys with purpose.
So much fun, positivity and enthusiasm - it was the dose of inspiration I needed.
Last month I had a very fun conversation with the wonderful Alex Honnold (he of the very scary free solo climb up the big cliff in Yosemite) as part of his ‘Planet Visionaries’ podcast series from ROLEX
We chatted about expeditions, personal challenge, science, the environment and a whole host of other things that were a bit of a surprise - funny where a conversation can take you!!
Have a listen using the link below:
Me, Sacha Dench and Gina Moseley - all past recipients of a Transglobe Expedition Trust grant
Attended the ‘Ran’s Globe’ event at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) which celebrated the launch of the Ranuloh and Ginny Fiennes Award as well as Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ 80th Birthday and the legacy of the Transglobe Expedition Trust.
Wonderful to hear stories from the Transglobe Expedition team as well as thoughts from Borge Ousland, Erling Kagge, Sacha Dent, Gina Moseley, Steve Jones and other legends.
Loved the screening of the original Transglobe documentary which has aged gloriously with Richard Burton as narrator sauntering around Covent Garden in flares and a cardigan sipping tea - magnificent!
There are many reasons NOT to live on an isolated island in the north west of Iceland but then, the reasons we LOVE living here are far greater…for instance, this moment, returning home with groceries and bumping into a group of more than twenty humpback whales who didn’t seem to care a jot that we had temporarily gatecrashed their cetacean convoy…
