Antarctica
Ski Mountaineering in Queen Maud Land
| Outfitter |
Price |
Accommodations |
ϳԹ Network International
011-44-1494-671-808, www.adventure-network.com |
$25,000 |
camping |
Cascade Alpine Guides & ϳԹs
800-981-0381, www.cascade-alpine.com |
$30,000 |
camping |
Geographic Expeditions
800-777-8183, www.geoex.com |
$22,750 |
camping |
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The Route: A pioneering — and pricey — 21-day expedition to the recently opened Holtedahl Mountains. You’ll fly from Capetown via C-130 to an ice runway at Blue One Camp and then ski among, or scale, mostly unclimbed, daggerlike peaks that rise up to 10,000 feet above this snow-blanketed Mars.
When to go: November through January
Difficulty: Difficult
Travel advisory: Alpine aficionados should opt for ANI’s climbing-only trip; intermediates and nonclimbers should choose GeoEx’s easier peaks and ski-touring alternatives. Either way, temps hover between minus 10 and 30 degrees — excluding the windchill.
High/low points:
- Being among the first people to stand at the summit of Ulvetanna Peak, one of a dozen spires that, had they been open to commercial expeditions before, would already be classics.
- Packing your waste back to Capetown to keep the Antarctic environment pristine.
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