28 day expedition plan

This is your chance for an ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME – to not only see and experience the dazzling landscapes and incredible wildlife of Antarctica….but to Ski it as well. As one of only 5 guests on a comfortable expedition sailing yacht we have the freedom and flexibility to tailor make Adventure! From skiing virgin slopes to sea kayaking amongst ice and penguins you’ll be immersed in the grandeur of a natural environment like no other place on earth. This is not an Adventure for just anyone. Only real Adventurers need apply! Participants must have a reasonable level of fitness, be capable of skiing blue or black runs in resorts and will undertake some training in roped glacier travel and crevasse rescue with our mountain guide. Also team members must be equipped with an ‘expedition mentality’. This is no package cruise! Team members are invited to help in sailing the yacht, take a watch at sea and generally muck in with chores around the yacht from anchoring to domestic duties. Everyone is a team member.

In return you will have the satisfaction of Rounding the Horn on our way back to Ushuaia, knowing that you have really earned it! If you haven’t sailed before you’ll be given instruction and come back a seasoned southern ocean sailor and Antarctic Skier! The following Itinerary is a typical plan, however in the Antarctic plans can and often do change due to weather and ice conditions. The Antarctic Peninsula is a wonderful cruising ground with a smorgasbord of tiny coves and shallow anchorages where one can enjoy the magnificent solitude of one of the remotest places on earth, while watching close- up the antics of the local inhabitants, curious leopard seals, playful humpback whales, or frenetically busy penguins. We have the freedom to get out in the hills and ski virgin snow slopes under the guidance of our experienced Mountain Leader.

Days 1-3
Sailing the Drake -Come aboard, meet the crew, stow your gear, take in the briefings, and we set off to sail down the spectacular mountain lined Beagle Channel in relatively calm water. Your Captain and crew will have been carefully watching the weather for a few days prior, so we may either visit an anchorage to wait…. or we may head out into the Drake Passage to commence our 560nm ocean passage, where landfall will be the snow, rock and ice of the Antarctic Peninsula. We are sailing the "furious fifties" with landfall in the "screaming sixties", but thankfully modern weather systems aboard Icebird enable us to negotiate the deep lows the Drake Passage is legendary for. Often we are able to choose weather windows that provide a safe comfortable and fast passage across and you’ll find that with the routine of watches at sea, the time passes quickly.

Icebird is a tough purpose built aluminium high latitude expedition yacht with creature comforts like central heating and a climate controlled pilot house that allows you to take in the 360 degree views while insulated from environmental extremes. Her powerful Aerorig, a freestanding rotating carbon rig, facilitates fast, simple and exhilarating sailing, an exhilaration matched by the soaring flight of the albatrosses as they lift off the wave tops and soar above the yacht. As we arrive at the Antarctic Convergence, our albatross companions leave us, - there’s a definite chill in the air, and excitement mounts as we start to look for our first iceberg.

Day 4
Landfall in Antarctica High jagged peaks, overhanging seracs, huge glaciers dropping newly formed ice bergs into the ocean…… and everywhere life abounds in this icy paradise. Perhaps your first impressions of Antarctica will make you feel that you have entered an alternative reality! …and that impression will be amplified as we sail into a Volcano! As we enter Port Foster on Deception Island through the narrow Neptune’s Bellows the sunken caldera opens before us and we sight the remnants of what was once a bustling whaling industry at the turn of last century, with fleets of whale catchers and factory ships anchored in the harbour and more than a few interesting anecdotes and shenanigans to relate!

Day 5
Time to SKI ! We land on the black volcanic sand beach where steam rises eerily and habituated penguins enjoy a warm bath! Skinning up the snow slopes rewards us with stunning views of the sea cliffs and “Sewing Machine Needles” rock formations…..and the incredible sight (and smell!) of penguins as far as the eye can see. Deception Island is home to half a million Chinstrap penguins.

Day 6
We make an early start in the Antarctic dawn, thread our way back through Neptune’s Bellows and out into the Bransfield Strait. We head south for Two Hummock Island, sailing through iceberg littered waters and dodging humpback whales. On arrival we tuck into a tiny cove surrounded by towering ice cliffs and tie the yacht securely in to rocks on shore.

Day 7
A morning of spectacular skiing up both summits with views over to the jagged mountain range of the peninsula. In the afternoon we pick up our lines and make the short sail over to Portal Point on the mainland, where we lift the keel to make our way into a shallow anchorage and tie in securely for the night.

Day 8
Today you Ski the Seventh Continent with an ascent of Igloo hill and a fast ski back to the yacht. Perhaps an afternoon kayak among grounded icebergs, seals and penguins.

Day 9
We sail south through Wilhelmina bay, dodging humpbacks, and make a ski ascent of Spigot Peak, a dramatic rock spire, flanked by a snow slope behind. The exertion is rewarded by unbelievable views ranging from the interior mountain chain of the Antarctic Peninsula, across the Gerlache Strait to Brabant and Anvers Islands. Evening finds us tucked into another shallow anchorage on Cuverville Island which is home to a frenetically busy Gentoo penguin colony.

Day 10
Today we sail to Paradise…Harbour! - .a spectacular cruise down Errera Channel which you may paddle if you wish, then across the head of Andvoord bay into the eastern arm of Paradise Harbour. Again the keen paddlers are invited to take to their boats and paddle through this beautiful waterway which often affords close encounters with humpbacks, seals and penguins…even orcas sometimes! Its a favourite spot for pods of orcas to hunt the crab eaters seals lazing on floating sea ice. We tuck into tiny Skonthorpe Cove for the night, a small amphitheatre in the ice cliffs and a favourite of the old Norwegian whalers who frequented these waters 100 years ago. The sense of tranquillity and overpowering majesty of the towering peaks is often broken by the roar of avalanches or cracking and crashing of ice falls as Avalanche Glacier continues its inexorable advance into the sea. As we go exploring in the zodiac or kayaks, it’s wise to be prepared for waves generated by the massive chunks of ice falling into the sea. Interestingly, the towering ice cliffs are actually floating on the sea as an ice shelf.

Day 11
Today’s objective is Mt Banck. As we skin up the 970m mountain we negotiate our way between deep crevasses and get a chance to peer into their mysterious neon blue depths. From the summit it’s a fast ski back to the waiting yacht, visible as a few pixels far below.

Day 12
An early morning start and we head to Bruce Island for a 3 hour 400m ski ascent with the reward being a fabulous ski back to the zodiac.

Day 13
We take a brisk sail across the Gerlache Strait to enter the Neumayer Channel and as we make our way down this narrow cut between Wiencke Island and Anvers Island we’re likely to see orcas who often range through this beat. Tonight we tie ourselves into the ‘Ice Marina’, the vestiges of winter sea ice which fill Port Lockroy at this time of the year. Using ice screws and other anchors we tie the yacht securely alongside the ice and enjoy some true ski in ski out yachting from ‘Base Camp Icebird’.

Day 14
We drop our skis straight off the yacht onto the sea ice and skin over to the tide crack from where we ascend onto Harbour Glacier and traverse across to the base of Jabet Peak. A three hour climb rewards us with spectacular views, Thunder Glacier to the north with the Fife Brothers range towering above, and across the Neumayer Strait snowy Mt Francais, the highest peak on the peninsula at 2760m, rises majestically above all else .A fast ski down to traverse the glacier once again, and back home to Icebird.

Day 15 A morning visit to historic Port Lockroy Base better known as the Penguin Post Office where the United Kingdom Heritage Trust has carefully preserved the historic base dating from 1944. Port Lockroy was pivotal to the early days exploration and of fascinating Operation Tabarin, a secret wartime initiative to counter nazi intelligence. The carefully preserved artifacts, even tins of food and antiquated risqué paintings of 1940’s temptresses, contribute to an acute sense of time warp. For the afternoon - a quick ski over to Dorian Bay and a visit to another historic hut which was used as a refuge for ski plane operations to Port Lockroy in the 1970’s.

Days 16 -17
We untie from the Ice Marina and as we steam towards Canty Point on Anvers Island the team prepare for a 3 day ski tour to Minaret Peak. This is your chance to experience Antarctic snow camping and the near 24 hour daylight with spectacular sunsets that merge into sunrises and keep the mountains glowing pink for hours.

Day 18
After three days in the mountains, the ski team breathe a sigh of relief as Icebird appears amongst the icebergs and the smell of fresh baked bread and delicious food wafts across to those waiting for pick up on the beach! After a hearty meal, back aboard base camp Icebird, a brisk sail across the Gerlache Channel takes us to Cape Reynard and the entrance to the famed Lemaire Channel where the dark waters of its narrow channel are overhung by precarious seracs and snow cornices that make us hesitant to sail too near the rocky cliffs. We tie ourselves into a tiny rock-pool at Port Circumcision on Petermann Island where the French explorer Charcot spent a winter on the ‘Porquoi Pas’ in 1909. From our anchorage we can study Mt Scott directly across the Penola Straits, although much of its ascent route is hidden from view.

Day 19
A day to explore Petermann Island and the resident Adelie and Gentoo penguin colonies. Perhaps a circumnavigation by kayak.

Day 20
Ascent of Mt Scott – We make an early start, land our gear and crampon up the initial ice slope to easier snow slopes. If conditions are right this is a 4-5 hour climb, and from the summit the yacht and climbers can see each other! Those who prefer sea kayaking can explore nearby Pleneau Bay often known as The Iceberg Graveyard where currents and shallow water combine to trap and break up the ice monoliths. It makes for interesting sea kayaking, when the spectacle of hundreds of tons of ice grinding on the sea floor is likely to explode into fragments. So it’s wise to observe the rules relating to iceberg approach!