Sharing the adventure...

Felicity has written five books about exploration and her experiences in some of the coldest places on the planet. As an established freelance feature writer, her work also regularly appears in a number of publications around the world, often accompanied by her own photography.

Polar Exposure: An All-Women’s Expedition to the North Pole (2022)

When British Explorer Felicity Aston put out an open call for women with little to no experience willing to brave the elements on an expedition to the North Pole, she was stunned to have over 1000 applicants. Narrowing it down to ten women from ten different countries, the team spent the next two years training for this unique opportunity.
Each member of the team tells part of the story in her own words, chronicling their grueling preparation in Iceland and Oman, the anticipation for the journey, and the terrifying conditions of the Arctic. Aston beautifully weaves each woman’s account into the greater expedition narrative, reminding readers of the teamwork needed to complete such a feat. Set against a backdrop of Arctic pack ice that is thinner, newer, and less stable than ever before due to climate change—the team face the reality that anything and everything could go wrong at any moment.
Over 60 stunning photographs illustrate the journey, illuminating the breathtaking landscape along with the joy, pain, and determination of these ten women. Polar Exposure is a powerful celebration of the perseverance of women in science, sports, and exploration that sheds light on all that it takes to reach the top of the world.

“What sets the book apart is the enriching firsthand accounts from the team members interspersed throughout…The result is a page-turning tale of adventure.” - Publishers Weekly, Starred Review.

“A wonderful collaboration both on the Arctic ice and onto the page. Each team members voice arises to offer a view beyond the physical giving us the essence of a unique adventure.” - Ann Bancroft (First woman to reach the North Pole)

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Life Lessons From Explorers: Learn how to weather life’s storms from history’s greatest explorers (2021)

Resilience, innovation, humanity, leadership, creativity, self-sufficiency … the character traits honed by the world’s most intrepid explorers are just as empowering whether you are scaling a mountain or battling the challenges of everyday life. Polar explorer, Felicity Aston, is the first woman to have traversed Antarctic alone. In Life Lessons From Explorers, she shares compelling accounts of the achievements of 15 celebrated pioneers from throughout history. Examining the qualities each possesed to triumph over adversity, she distils these into golden rules that can be applied to overcome any obstacle. From Sir Ernest Shackleton via Nain Rawat Singh and Amelia Earhart to Neil Armstrong and Junko Tabei, each story is accompanied by stirring images of these legendary figures and the extraordinary places they explored.

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Chasing Winter: A Journey to the Pole of Cold (2014)

"What does it sound like when breath freezes? How do you start a car when it is so cold that fuel turns to wax? How do people live without the sun for half of the year? What is it like to use river ice as a road and what happens when it melts? Curiosity about the day-to-day reality of life at the extremes of climate inspired a 36,000 kilometre journey that chased the onset of winter from London, across Scandinavia and Siberia, to the Pole of Cold - the coldest permanently inhabited place in the world. This collection of stunning photographs and evocative stories gathered during the journey provides insight into the social, cultural and physical implications of winter as perceived by communities that live in some of the harshest environments on the planet."

"This is an amazing book which, in words and pictures, reveals the incredible beauty of Siberia's frozen north, the harshest inhabited environment on earth." - Robin Hanbury-Tenison

“I was literally freezing when reading the book. Felicity Aston describes this harsh, yet fascinating part of our planet in an engaging and entertaining way. A must-read, not only for cold lovers.” - Mark Kugel, Editor, ADVENTURE PLANET

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Alone in Antarctica (2013)

"What would it feel like to be out there alone in that empty vastness? Just before midnight on 24 November 2011, 34-year-old British woman Felicity Aston is left completely alone on the coast of Antarctica. The isolation is instant and devastating. Only three people in the world have crossed Antarctica alone. The first two were men and both Norwegian. Felicity was to become the third. Within days, frozen into her facemask and reflecting on what had drawn her to such a place, she was battling desperate weather as she towed her heavy sledges. Every morning she wakes believing she cannot face another day as the expedition becomes a race against time to reach the coast before the last flight out. This gripping and inspirational account of personal endurance shows what you can achieve when you grit your teeth and decide just to get through the day ahead."

Originally published in the UK by Summersdale with a foreword by Joanna Lumley, ‘Alone in Antarctica’ was released in the US by Counterpoint Press in 2014 with the subtitle ‘The first woman to ski solo across the southern ice’. It has also been translated into Korean.

National Geographic, Best New Travel Read of Fall 2014

'moving and inspirational' - The Mail on Sunday

'An extraordinary journey of solitude and determination' - Ben Fogle

'A brave and often terrifying account of a record-breaking journey' - Sir Ranulph Fiennes

'...her achievement is remarkable' - Daily Mail

'...destined to become a classic of the genre.' - Spectrum Culture

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Call of the White: Taking the World to the South Pole (2011)

"Could YOU Ski to the South Pole? That was the challenge that British adventurer Felicity Aston put to women from around the Commonwealth as she set out to create the most international all-female expedition ever to ski to the Pole. The team would not be experienced explorers but 'ordinary' women who wanted to inspire others to follow their dreams or make a change for the better in their lives. She received more than 800 applications. 'What is skiing?' asked someone in Ghana.

At the close of 2009, Felicity led a team from places as diverse as Jamaica, India, Singapore and Cyprus - some of whom had never even seen snow or spent the night in a tent before joining the expedition - on one of the toughest journeys on the planet."

‘Call of the White’ was a finalist in the 2011 Banff Mountain Festival Book Competition and has also been translated into Mandarin.

'Enthralling' - Woman's Weekly

'A unique expedition...this story is true inspiration to venture beyond your comfort zone' - Wanderlust Magazine

'An inspiring tale which will stir the hearts of women and men around the world' - Benedict Allen

“I almost had a tear in my eye and I'm not usually a crier ... Uplifting stuff.'' - Adventure Travel Magazine

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A selection of Felicity’s published articles online (click on the image to read):