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Adventure Travel to the Poles

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What is a day like in Antarctica?

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Our lovely expedition leader welcomed the day with her enthusiastic morning call at 7:00am through the PA system informing us about weather conditions outside: Temperature: 1ºC, Wind: 29 knots. A little windy, but still safe to make our first landing. Even though it was cozy and warm in the cabin, we were so ready to start our adventure outside that getting out of bed was not a difficult task. A delicious buffet breakfast was served from 7:30 to 9:00 am in the restaurant – everything from scrambled eggs, salmon and bacon, oatmeal and cereals, French toasts and fresh fruit and much more.

The day before, our expedition team had organized all the passengers in two different landing groups. This would ensure that not more than 100 passengers would be on land at the same time (in accordance with IAATO regulations) and guarantee that all passengers would have the chance to participate in both landings and zodiac excursions. While one group (the yellow +blue) was geared up and ready for the landing, the other group (red+ green) would be starting their zodiac cruising excursion. After an hour, groups would swap.

As we finished breakfast, announcements indicated that we should be ready for our first excursion of the day in Wilhelmina Bay. In the mudroom, geared up with our expedition parka, snow pants and waterproof gloves and boots, we were ready to get into our zodiacs, start cruising the gorgeous bay and encounter the first creatures that call these latitudes home. We marveled at the presence of blue icebergs all around us, while spotting blue-eyed shags, Gentoo penguins and a few Antarctic skuas. Our zodiac driver was the ornithologist of the expedition team, and he was more than happy to answer all our questions regarding these fantastic birds. Our whale whisperer (a marine biologist) was driving a zodiac close to us when a minke whale playfully got close to our zodiacs. No need to say that we were all amazed to witness the whale’s presence so close to us.

Wilhelmina Bay is a bay 24 km wide between the Reclus Peninsula and Cape Anna along the west coast of Graham Land on the Antarctic Peninsula. It was discovered by the Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897-99 led by Adrien de Gerlache. Wilhelmina Bay is dubbed “Whale- mina Bay” for its large number of humpback whales. It is a popular destination for expedition ships to Antarctica due to its abundant whale population and spectacular scenery.

After an hour of zodiac cruising the bay, we went back to the vessel, grabbed a cup of coffee and delicious cookies (free of charge 24/7) and went to the main lounge to enjoy one of the many interesting lectures from our expedition team. This time, we had the opportunity to learn about the polar explorers Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott and their stories and relevance on the “Battle for the South Pole” more than 100 years ago during the “Heroic Age” of Polar Expeditions.

At 12.30pm we all headed to the Restaurant were an appetizing lunch was waiting for us. Mouth-watering desserts tempted more than one passenger! Waiters were always attentive and ready to fill our glasses of water or whatever we had chosen to drink!

Right after lunch some of the passengers who have chosen to participate in the snowshoeing adventure option headed to the bistro to have a short briefing!

At 2:30pm passengers were once again called by groups to go down to the mudroom and get ready for our second excursion. This time we headed to Danco Island. We had to wait a little in the mudroom as it started snowing copiously, but about 10 minutes later, we were out with our experienced zodiac drivers. The scenery was beyond words. We landed in Danco Island where our expedition leader was waiting for us and helping all of us to get out of the zodiacs safely. Along with other expedition team members we were guided to follow the red flags along the path we were to follow to visit our first Gentoo penguin rookery. A beautiful pristine land awaited us with the most welcoming birds. IATOO regulations establish that visitors should be at least 5 meters apart from these creatures in order not to disturb them on their natural habitat. Nevertheless, as you may imagine, these birds do not know about distances and limits and they were free to approach us while we were sitting on the snow, speechless and marveled for about an hour. A wondrous 45-minuted zodiac excursion followed this landing and as snow continued to fall, we were all ready for a hot chocolate and teatime back on the ship!

Danco Island is a 2 km island lying in the southern part of Errera Channel, off the west coast of Graham Land. It was charted by the Belgian Antarctic Expedition under Adrien de Gerlache, 1897-1899. Danco Island is a breeding ground for Gentoo Penguins and gulls. Danco is home to approximately 3,000 pairs of Gentoo Penguins and boasts a bit of ice free land on the north slope that can offer us a chance to stretch our legs and hike to the island’s 150m low summit. A clear day will offer glorious views of the nearby Rongé Island and Danco Coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. We had some free time to put on some comfortable dry clothes and were invited to the main lounge for a recap following a “plans for the next day”! Two of our expedition team members also gave a brief presentation on Ancient Cartography and Glaciology! At 7.30pm we were all ready to enjoy another plentiful dinner, this time á la carte.

In the main lounge, we were invited to participate in a Sing or Dance game. The bar was open and some of us enjoyed the cocktails prepared by the amazing bar staff. The midnight pitch black night as we know it in other latitudes of the world doesn’t exist in Antarctica during the summer, so it is easy to go to bed late at night without even noticing. After a full active day, we were ready to take a shower and rest and reenergize for another day on the White Continent!

 

 

 

 

What to pack when traveling to Patagonia

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Planning to visit Patagonia along with your Antarctica expedition? One of the most important details to have in mind if you want to enjoy this experience to the fullest is how to dress and what to pack – without packing too much! Weather changes all the time (just like in Antarctica), so you do not want to forget your raincoat or your trekking shoes.

Temperature can drastically change depending on how windy or humid the day is so it is always advisable to dress in layers as air between these layers ensures more insulation. While traveling for many days or months it can be tiresome to carry a heavy backpack, but you also need to be prepared for the weather of these latitudes to truly embrace the outdoors adventure. Here is a list of what we recommend you bring:

  • Water-resistant trekking pants
  • Trekking shoes
  • Insulated socks
  • Thermal liners /Fleece liner
  • Rain coat/ windbreaker
  • Gloves
  • Beanies/ Headband
  • Sunglasses & Sunscreen
  • Bottle of water/ thermos
  • Backpack

Notice that in some Patagonian cities/towns there are rentals where you can find water resistant/waterproof gear in case you are planning to participate in a specific activity such as skiing, snowshoeing or kayaking.

If you have a little spare space, do not forget to pack:

  • Gaffer tape: in case your backpack tears this can help you fix it temporarily!
  • Waterproof bag cover: chances are you’ll meet all kinds of weather so if you do not have a waterproof backpack, a cover will help you keep your stuff dry!
  • A Padlock

A Must!

  • Insurance: For when things do not go exactly as planned, we strongly recommend you get a baggage & cancellation insurance as well as a medical insurance while you are traveling!
  • Medicine: It is always a good idea to travel with some basic medicine for allergies, headaches or diarrhea

 

 

Transitioning to Antarctica: What It’s Like to Sail the Drake

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Author Melissa Goldin on a zodiac excursion in the white continent.

It was the raviolis that broke me.

“If I have to throw up, where should I do that?” I asked Andy, one of the three crew members aboard our 19-day sailing expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Nonplussed, he pointed outside. I nodded, but didn’t get up. It seemed unlikely that I’d be able to get my coat on, wriggle into my lifejacket, and attach myself to the deck before my lunch ended up all over Icebird, our six-passenger, high-latitude sailing yacht. Andy seemed to sense this in my hesitation.

“Do you have time?” he asked. I shook my head. “Go, just go,” he urged me, and I stumbled out the door, onto the deck of the pitching vessel.

As I emptied my stomach over the port side, Andy grabbed the back of my sweatshirt so I wouldn’t follow my upchuck into the waves. Once the nausea had subsided, I sat on the deck, staring vacantly at the horizon, my lifejacket finally on and hooked to the boat.

The Icebird on its way to Antarctica across the Drake.

This is life on the Drake Passage — 600 miles of tempestuous waters connecting Cape Horn, the southernmost point of South America, to Antarctica — one of the roughest bodies of water in the world. It’s unavoidable for most tourists unless they fly round-trip to the great white desert. In a large cruise ship, a crossing typically takes two to three days. It took us six — six days of hardly anything but ocean, birds, and sky; six of the most tedious, most soul-sucking, most uncomfortable days of my life. But it was worth it.

In the midst of a solo, five-month journey through South America, I’d shown up in Ushuaia, Argentina on the off-chance I would be able to find a discounted, last-minute trip to the seventh continent. Luck was on my side: I scored a spot on Icebird, sight unseen, with just three other passengers.

I knew the Drake would be rough, especially on a small boat, but I saw it as a means to an end — a challenge on the way to our destination. Instead, it was a period of transition that set the tone for the entire trip. I was quickly removed from the modern world and transported to an alternate universe with no Internet, no distractions and no one but the strangers with whom I was traveling. My perception of reality slowed and I started to focus on minute details with unrelenting concentration — how the cape petrels would take a running start on the water before taking off and how the never-ending ocean made it feel like we were literally on top of the world (or perhaps the bottom). World War Three could have started and I wouldn’t have known.

After three days, we saw another sailboat. The mast was only a thin, black line on the horizon at first, but it was my top priority for half an hour as we watched it draw closer at an excruciatingly slow pace. I wondered who was on board and whether they were as excited to see us as we were to see them. It was my tether to the rest of the world, a much-appreciated break in the waves, until it disappeared to the north.

“That was the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me,” I said to no one in particular as it passed.

But the novelty of the Drake soon wore thin. I got so fed up with the nothingness that I started cursing out the bathroom every time a big wave threw me off the toilet and napping as much as I could so as to simply do something other than stare out the window in a stupor. We were tossed around so much I could barely read or write and my hair got greasier each day I had to go without a shower. The monotony was broken only by good meals and when idle chatter turned deep (or silly).

Arrival in Antarctica!

And then everything stopped. There was no more rocking, no more splashing, no more nausea. Gentoo penguins squawked no more than 30 feet away, the bright reds and blues of two small buildings contrasted with the pure white of the snow and a cruise ship lingered in the distance, obscured by fog. It had never taken me so long to get anywhere and I thought about the early Antarctic explorers who’d really had it rough what with scurvy, starvation, and countless other hardships. Compared to them, with our GPS, motor and fresh vegetables, we’d gone for a pleasant jaunt around the lake, but it still felt as though we’d earned our anchorage.

As our plane back to civilization landed in Punta Arenas, Chile two weeks later I marveled at the miracle that is modern air travel. It took us six days to get to Antarctica and only two hours to get back. I had no desire to return to the Drake and was grateful a hot shower was finally within reach, but our arrival felt like a non-event — merely a blip on the way to my hostel. We were getting convenience over self-reflection. The nausea, however, was not missed.

Melissa Goldin is a writer and editor from Brooklyn, N.Y. who just returned home from a five-month trip through South America and Antarctica. You can contact her at goldin.melissa@gmail.com or learn more about her at melissagoldin.com.

Antarctic Seasons

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Lemaire Channel sunset crossing

Summer has come to a close in the Southern hemisphere and autumn is beginning to color Southern Patagonia with its reds, oranges, and yellows.Meanwhile, in the Northern hemisphere, spring is in full bloom.

But what about Antarctica? Does the White Continent have seasons?

The earth’s tilt is what accounts for the seasons. When the northern hemisphere is closest to the sun, it experiences summertime and when the southern hemisphere is closest to the sun, it is summertime in the Southern hemisphere. However, everything is a little more extreme at the poles. There are only two seasons: summer and winter. In the summer, there are 24 hours of light. In the winter, there are 24 hours of darkness.  

Summer in Antarctica

Summer means 24 hours of daylight. Summer also signals the return of migratory wildlife like some whale species. Temperatures are warmer, but not too warm (The highest record Antarctic temperature was 59F or 15C). This is when the ice melts and human visitors can enjoy this extreme but beautiful place. 

 

Winter in Antarctica

With winter, comes darkness. No daylight for 24 hours. This is when the ice forms and expands. The ice formed in the winter more than doubles the size of Antarctica.

 

 

Camping in Antarctica

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Camping in Antarctica? Who would want to do that?

Camping in Antarctica? Wow, that sounds incredible! camping4We get varied reactions to the option of camping on the Antarctica Peninsula during ‘Classic’ voyages. The reality is, camping on the Antarctic continent appeals to a certain sort of traveler and is not for everyone. Let’s take a closer look at what’s really involved with camping on the Last Continent. As you are finishing a delicious dinner in the dining room and dessert is being served, the Expedition Leader comes on the PA system: “Campers, please meet staff in the lounge in 15 minutes. Be dressed and ready to spend the night on the Antarctica.” The small group, usually 20 or so (depends on the ship), scarfs down the last of their food jumps up from dinner to prepare. No food is allowed on Antarctica, per IAATO regulations, so make sure you’ve eaten your fill!  You layer long underwear, then ski pants, two pairs of socks and countless thermal shirts and then you begin to sweat in your cabin. Grab your outer layers – parka, warm hat and gloves and head to the meeting point. Everyone has cameras charged and extra layers on hand, ready for a night on Antarctica.

Passenger Matthew Fraser digging his "grave" (Ioffe)
Passenger Matthew Fraser digging his spot ( Ioffe)

At almost any time during the Austral summer, expect little to no complete darkness. As you land on a snow-covered beach in twilight, you grab you assigned sleeping bag and thermal pad. Depending on which ship you’re on, you might be sleeping out under or the starts in a bivouac bag, or you might be sharing a two-person tent with a fellow shipmate. If you’ve got a bivouac bag, start to dig “your grave,” a person-sized indent in the snow to place your bag and protect you from the wind during the night. If you’re in a tent, team together with your tentmate to get your tent pitched on level ground. As soon as it’s secure and checked by staff, jump in and get your sleeping bag ready. 1490723_10152076877048555_214689708_o Now the night is yours. Get warm in your sleeping bag and let your senses take over. Listen to the night sounds of Antarctica,:  ice crunching and vast silence. Watch determined penguins waddle by, inches from your feet. Smell the ice and the sea. Feel the dry cold that is the coldest, driest place on earth. Maybe you are lulled to sleep by this incredible atmosphere. Maybe you stay awake all night, watching the stars come out and soaking up every moment. Either way, morning comes quickly. Expedition staff awake you early, in time to break camp and be back onboard for breakfast.  You say goodbye to your sleeping spot and feel a special connection with this small piece of the Antarctic continent where you spent one night.. Passengers who have camped on Antarctica usually return to our office in Ushuaia and gush about the experience. These adventurous travelers  feel they have “really been on Antarctica” by spending an entire night on land.

campingantarcticaFREE
Freestyle passengers carry the “Bunker” sign on land to camp

If camping on Antarctica sounds like your cup of tea, then here are the nuts and bolts: Not all ships offer camping, so make sure you choose one of the below ships that does. Prices and equipment vary by ship, and it’s important to know that camping is based on weather suitability. As Antarctica weather changes quickly, expedition staff track the weather closely before deciding whether or not to spend the night. Camping should be booked in advance, as spaces are limited and usually fill up quickly. Here are the ships that offer camping with their equipment options & pricing:

Photo credits: Thanks to Matthew Fraser and Mike Ssykor for their camping photos

Early Summer on the Antarctic Peninsula: What to Expect

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Almirante Brown Base
Almirante Brown Base

The first ships are already arriving here in Ushuaia and passengers from all over the world are setting sail for the White Continent. So the most common question I get from travelers this time of year: what´s the weather like down there?

Weather in Antarctica is hard to predict, as it changes quickly. However, the general conditions, wildlife & daylight are easier to quantify.

photo 1The Antarctic Peninsula is the northernmost part of the continent, thus it is the most moderate climate and warmer temperatures than any other part of this white land. Millions of seabirds and hundreds of thousands of marine mammals make their homes here in the summer to breed and feed. While the Peninsula is warmer than southern areas, wind can be very strong and affects the temperatures greatly.

In November, the average temperature is -2.8 degrees Celsius.

We like to check weather daily & recommend a few sites below for accurate temperate and wind stats:

King George Island, South Shetland Islands

Port Lockroy, UK Base

10 pm excursion at Portal Point
10 pm excursion at Portal Point

Days are getting longer and longer during November and you can expect light until well past 11 p.m. during your trip.

Untouched.

The Peninsula has been void of visitors for more than eight months, so you will find a white wonderland, free of human footprints or evidence of any kind. Snow is deep and landing sites can be a challenge to dock zodiacs. But never fear, your expedition team will come prepared with shovels to make a place to land. Icebergs are in their best moment, not yet touched by summer melting.

Wildlife.

Chinstrap penguin building rock nest.
Chinstrap penguin building rock nest.

Penguins are building their rock nests and breeding is underway. Get ready to watch penguin flirting up close and even more. Rookeries are hidden by the deep snow, so it´s important to be aware of nesting birds and give them a wide berth. Seals are also in their mating season, not to mention feeding, so be on the lookout while on a zodiac cruise.

November is an amazing time to be on the Antarctic Peninsula. Animals are coming to life and working hard for their summer season.  Breathtaking icebergs, pristine icescapes and incredible scenery await you!

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