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Late last year, legendary British adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and his team of explorers set off to conquer the last great polar challenge – crossing Antarctica in winter.

Struggling across the planet’s last untouched continent in almost perpetual darkness through temperatures as low as -95°C, all in the aid of charity and scientific research, may be far beyond most people’s imaginations, let alone capabilities. But that doesn’t mean Antarctica isn’t a viable destination.

During the summer conditions are vastly more favourable – temperatures sometimes reach above 4°C. At this time of year, the endless white wilderness makes, if nothing else, a great place to spot penguins, seals and whales.

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The Norwegian expedition voyage company Hurtigruten offers a number of different Antarctica itineraries aboard its state of the art polar cruiser, the MS Fram.

They’ve just added a new feature to their itineraries. Guests now have the option to pitch a tent and camp overnight on the frozen landscapes of the White Continent, capturing a glimpse of what it’s like being a polar explorer like Fiennes, Roald Amundsen or Ernest Shackleton – albeit with the perks of modern equipment and safeguards.

The bad news? This once-in-a-lifetime add-on costs £310 ($500) per person. That’s on top of the already eye-watering expedition cost – varying between £3,110-£11,200 ($5,000-18,000).

 

 

Hurtigruten’s Antarctica voyages:

• 10-day “Classic Expedition” focuses solely on Antarctica, sailing through the Drake Passage to landings that immerse guests in the remote landscape and exotic wildlife of The White Continent

• 13-day “Polar Circle Expedition,” similar to the 10-day experience, spends its extra days travelling as far south as the Antarctic Circle

• 13-day “Weddell Sea Expedition” follows the path forged by British Captain James Weddell, who reached 74º latitude in 1823 – a first for explorations

• 19-day “In the Realm of the Great Explorers” explores the areas visited by Ernest Shackleton, and takes in the sub-Arctic eco-system of the Falkland Islands, and South Georgia

Cheap Flights To Antartica

Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…

 

(Featured image: Marsel von Oosten)

About the author

Brett AckroydBrett hopes to one day reach the shores of far-flung Tristan da Cunha, the most remote of all the inhabited archipelagos on Earth…as to what he’ll do when he gets there, he hasn’t a clue. Over the last 10 years, London, New York, Cape Town and Pondicherry have all proudly been referred to as home. Now it’s Copenhagen’s turn, where he lends his travel expertise to momondo.com.

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