The White Desert
About this Adventure
Fact File:
Duration: 10 days
Cost: TBC
Explore one of the least explored areas of the planet in surprising luxury.
Despite the fact the South Pole has been explored, and yearly missions go to the Antarctic it is a place that hold a great amount of mystery, and a huge draw for those of us with a passion for adventure. The vast white emptiness, the alien landscapes, it all too much to resist.
Visiting this barren landscape has traditionally been a hugely arduous and rough & ready experience, but now it is becoming possibly to experience this in comfort and even luxury.
The area is fabulous for ice pursuits such as abseiling into ice caves, skiing down huge desolate slopes and even for wildlife spotting – there are great colonies of Emperor penguins living on the final continent.
How can this be comfortable you may well be asking, well it is possible now to fly larger planes into the continent on specially designed ice runways, which means greater comfort. Accommodation can be organised in special eco camps which offer the chance to visit this wilderness without leaving a trail of destruction which has to be one of the goals of this type of travel.
This is the opportunity to experience an amazing series of adventures in an environment that only a privileged few have ever seen.
SUGGESTED ITINERARY
Day One, Flight across Southern Ocean into the polar circle with 24hr daylight and land on the specialist ice runway Day Two, Set up camp and do as little or as much as you like with a range of activities from kite skiing, treks to the ice waves, to abseiling into crevasses.
Day Three, Trek up to the high point of the Oasis and picnic on the summit, offering unrivalled views of Antarctica’s infinite horizons. Day Four, Explore the ice waves beneath the camp, delving into a series of ice tunnels. End the day with a visit to the nearby Russian science base to learn more about their work then finish of with a sauna.
Day Five, Flight two hours across Antarctica to visit the Emperor Penguin colony and get up close and personal with the infamous penguins and wildlife. Day Six, At camp, guides will take you on a picnic in a very unique location called the ’The Balcony’ where you will have a BBQ overlooking what seems to be the whole of Antarctica.
Day Seven, Drive 4×4’s to a largely unexplored mountain range about 3hrs from camp. Amongst towering formations of rock and guided by an expert team of polar explorers, you can ski where no one has been before and the summit of previously unclimbed mountains.
Day Eight, You will drive 90Kms to the beginning of the open water. Here at the 200ft ice barrier you will see surreal icebergs and a completely different type of arctic landscape.
Day Nine, A more relaxing day as you will learn some of the lesser known history of Antarctica and of the polar explorer’s world record breaking expeditions.
Then it will time for some kite skiing and a giant abseil down the nearby Nuntak mountain.
Day Ten, You will flight out of Antarctica where you will pass the unforgettable scenery for one last time. Then you will be transferred back to your hotel, have a hot bath and reflect on your Antarctic adventure.
For information and help organising your adventure to the Antarctic contact Quintessentially Escape.
