South Atlantic Islands and the Antarctic… Antarctic Discovery

Antarctic Peninsula Basecamp

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12 days (Ushuaia)

Destinations visited: Ushuaia, Antarctica, World

Grading:

Discovery and Cruising level

Grading Definitions

Discovery & Cruising

These are our least demanding trips. These journeys of discovery and cruises involve little or no extended activity and are suitable for people with a basic level of fitness and good health. The itinerary may take place in remote areas (with basic facilities) and may involve long travel days on various types of transport. Sightseeing may be conducted on foot and all participants should be capable of carrying their own luggage from vehicle to hotel rooms. These adventures do not go above 2500m and rarely involve camping.
Suggested preparation: Once or twice a week, we recommend you walk on undulating terrain for an hour, for at least 2 -3 months prior to departure.

Adventure Touring

Suggested preparation: Two or three times a week, we recommend you walk on undulating terrain for an hour or more, for at least 3 months prior to departure.

Introductory

These trips involve trekking or walking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to five or six hours a day at a slow but steady pace and should never be misinterpreted to mean they are easy trips. These trips do not spend time at altitudes above 4000m and are usually a week in duration. You will need a reasonable level of fitness and good health.
Suggested preparation: 30 minutes of aerobic type exercise, (either cycling or jogging) three times a week for three months leading up to your trek. For trekking, hill walking with a daypack in variable weather conditions is also recommended. For a cycling adventure, road cycling twice a week for three months prior to departure is recommended.

Introductory to Moderate

These trips involve a combination of what is described in our INTRODUCTORY and MODERATE levels. The emphasis is on introductory activity with several moderate stages

Moderate

These adventures involve trekking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to 6 or 7 hours a day at a steady pace. These trips may spend successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 5,500m and are usually between 10 and 15 days in duration. You will need a good level of fitness and be in good health.
Suggested preparation: 45 minutes of aerobic type exercise, three to five times a week for the three months leading up to your trek. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or road cycling is also recommended depending upon the activity you plan to undertake.

Moderate to Challenging

These adventures involve trekking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to 6 or 7 hours a day at a steady pace. These trips may spend successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 5,500m and are usually between 10 and 15 days in duration. You will need a good level of fitness and be in good health. Suggested preparation: 45 minutes of aerobic type exercise, three to five times a week for the three months leading up to your trek. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or road cycling is also recommended depending upon the activity you plan to undertake.

Challenging

These adventures involve trekking, cycling or rafting in remote areas in variable weather conditions for up to 8 to 10 hours a day (possibly more subject to weather conditions and altitude). This may include spending successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 6000m. These trips may often be over three weeks in duration. You will need an excellent level of fitness, be prepared to carry a daypack weighing up to 8kgs (and in some cases a full pack) and be completely comfortable in adverse weather conditions.
Suggested preparation: One hour of aerobic type exercise, four to five times a week for three to six months prior to departure. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or on/off road cycling is also recommended.

Entry Mtn/Exploratory Treks

These adventures are classed as expeditions. They involve either extreme trekking and or basic mountaineering. Expect remote and poorly defined trails in variable weather conditions for up to 12 hours a day (possibly more subject to weather conditions and altitude). This may include a number of demanding high pass crossings and evacuation may be difficult from remote areas. Suitable for first time mountaineers wishing to take the step from trekking into the realm of mountaineering. Prior experience trekking at altitude is preferable but not essential and you should be comfortable in adverse weather conditions. Prior technical mountaineering experience is not necessary. Terrain will involve low angle snow slopes. Ropes may be used during treks for glacier travel and steeper sections of ice and snow. When mountaineering, basic mountaineering instruction is given by our mountaineering guides.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

Intermediate Mtn Expedition

Participants should be competent and self sufficient in the outdoors and have experience in multi day trekking at altitude. Prior experience on an entry level mountaineering expedition is highly recommended. The terrain will involve low to moderate angle snow slopes and traveling on crevassed glaciers. Experience using ice axe and crampons is preferred but not essential.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

Advanced Mtn Expedition

These are our most challenging expeditions. Clients must have prior mountaineering experience. Most are participatory expeditions & involve load carrying, setting up of camps, cooking and campcraft. Altitude is generally greater than 6500m. Some of these expeditions also involve “technical” climbing and are for experienced alpine climbers / mountaineers only. Technical expeditions involve steep climbing at high altitude (including rock climbing). Participation on one of these expeditions is subject to acceptance by one of our high altitude mountaineering guides.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

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Spectacular voyage to the Antarctic Peninusla with a floating 'basecamp' for our varied activities

We will cross the Antarctic Convergence into the Southern Ocean, via the fabled Drake Passage, to explore this remote continent with its spectacular wildlife. This program is unique, as it provides the opportunity to explore a pocket of the Peninsula with varied active means, including kayaking, snowshoeing, climbing and zodiac cruising. Our vessel will become our floating basecamp, a warm and comfortable haven to return to after adventuring ashore. There is no shortage of photographic possibilities along the Antarctic Peninsula, and our workshops will help you to reflect the natural beauty of this ice-bound land to best effect. Whether enjoying the surreal landscapes, or participating in one of the activities on offer, the wonder of the Antarctic is yours to discover. Ever popular is the option to camp on the ice, an experience which will create memories to last a lifetime. Those who prefer a more relaxed journey have plenty of options, and can utilise the ship’s fleet of zodiacs to explore the rich diversity of wildlife that flourishes in the sheltered bays, and clustered castles of icebergs and steep glaciers that characterise the shoreline.

Highlights

The most wildlife-rich part of Antarctica - penguins, whales, seals, sea birds
Narrow sheltered waterways and fjords
Spectacular mountains rising directly out of the sea
Historic sites
Active scientific stations
Great variety of terrain over short distances
Icebergs and active glaciers
Opportunity to camp on ice (optional)
Hiking excursions with snowshoes (optional)
Kayaking through Antarctic waters (optional)
Climbing glaciers and higher view points (optional)
Photography Workshop (optional)

Itinerary

Day 1 Embark Ushuaia

You will be warmly greeted by the crew and expedition staff as you embark Plancius in the afternoon. Sailing down the Beagle Channel, we will settle into shipboard life and enjoy our first meal on board.

Days 2-3 Cross the Drake Passage

During these two days, we will sail across the Drake Passage. When we cross the Antarctic Convergence, we will arrive in the circum-Antarctic up welling zone. In this area we may see Wandering Albatrosses, Grey Headed Albatrosses, Black-browed Albatrosses, Light- mantled Sooty Albatrosses, Cape Pigeons, Southern Fulmars, Wilson’s Storm Petrels, Blue Petrels and Antarctic Petrels. Near the South Shetland Islands, we will glimpse at the first icebergs.

Days 4-9 Antarctic Peninsula Basecamp

We will sail directly to “High Antarctica”, passing the Melchior islands and the Schollaert Channel, between Brabant and Anvers Island. We will sail to the Neumayer Channel, where we will position our ship for the multi-activity base camp. The protected waters around Wiencke Island will become our playground for all activities. In this alpine environment there will be great opportunities to scout the region on foot, by zodiac and during kayak trips. Walkers will find opportunities to use snowshoes on hikes near the shore lines, and the mountaineers will find their challenge by climbing hills and view points further inland, ie. Jabet Peak (540 m). All climbs and excursions can only be conducted in good weather conditions. We plan to stay for two nights at anchor, in order to implement two camp nights and two full activity days. We will visit the British research station and post office, Port Lockroy, on Goudier Island. Close to Port Lockroy, we may also offer a landing on Jougla Point, with Gentoo Penguins and Imperial Shags. We will sail through the spectacular Lemaire Channel to Pleneau and Petermann Island, where we can find Adelie Penguins and Blue-eyed Shags. In this area there are good chances to encounter Humpback Whales, Minke Whales and Fin Whales. Our second Basecamp night will be erected near the continent, where we will choose a camp site which is suitable and close to the next day's activity. The mountaineers will hope to reach the summit of Mt Demaria (640 m) at Waddington Bay. A visit to one of the scientific stations in Antarctica, will give you an insight into the life of modern Antarcticans working on the White Continent. Further south, we may have time to visit the Ukrainian Vernadsky Station, where we will receive a warm welcome from the station crew. When sailing to Paradise Bay, with its myriad icebergs and deep cut fjords, we will have the opportunity for zodiac cruising and kayaking between the icebergs in the inner parts of the fjords. In this area we will have good chances to see Humpback Whales and Minke Whales. Hikers, mountaineers and photographers will spend time ashore in this area. In the afternoon at Neko Harbour, we will have the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic Continent in a magnificent landscape of huge glaciers; and enjoy the landscape during zodiac cruises, hikes and kayak excursions. A small group of mountaineers may climb up on the higher grounds of the glacier. We will spend the night at Neko, or near Paradise Bay, with a camp erected ashore. We will leave Neko Harbour in the early morning, after breaking our last camp. We will sail via the Melchior Islands, towards the open sea of the Drake Passage.

Days 10-11 Drake Passage

In the Drake Passage, we will have again a chance of seeing many seabirds, and to take advantage of the knowledge of our lecture team.

Day 12 Disembark Ushuaia, where trip concludes

During the early morning we will cruise up the Beagle Channel, before quietly slipping into dock in Ushuaia. It is a busy time, with people saying farewell to our crew and others who have shared the intensity of being in a magnificent white wilderness. We will head off in our different directions, hopefully with a new found sense of the power of natural forces.

Additional Information

Inclusions

11 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 11 dinners
Comfortable cabin accommodation and use of all public areas on cruise
Specialist expedition staff
All shore excursions from the ship including the use of Zodiacs
Lectures, videos, slide and film shows and guide services
Medical services (there is a resident medical officer and infirmary on board)
Port taxes and port charges imposed by government authorities
Pre-departure information
Pre-scheduled group transfer from the vessel to the airport in Ushuaia (directly after disembarkation).
All activities (camping, hiking, kayaking, climbing and photography) are complimentary, however pre-booking is required due to limited numbers.

Summary

11 nights aboard the Plancius

Trip Main Activities

Optional Camping, Hiking, Kayaking, Climbing and Photography

Group Size Min

Group Size Max

N/A

Accommodation Summary

Equipment Required

A comprehensive gear list is provided in the pre-departure information supplied on booking.

What You Carry

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Book this trip with World Expeditions on their site

from
USD$7,390

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