You think it’s cold outside? This is nothing compared to what Polar explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes is about to experience. Waved off by Prince Charles, he set sail on SA Agulhas from London today – the start of the world’s first ever attempt to cross the Antarctic in winter. The 2,000-mile Coldest Journey expedition (www.thecoldestjourney.org) across the continent has always been seen as too perilous to attempt but, on March 21, Sir Ranulph (above) will lead the six-man “Ice Team” in temperatures as low as -90c and mostly in darkness.
The six-month journey to reach the Ross Sea will take them from the Russian base of Novolazareskaya (‘Novo’) to Captain Scott’s base at McMurdo Sound – via the South Pole. And the team’s amazing feat will raise $10 million for the Seeing is Believing charity, to help fight blindness around the world.
You might not be able to follow in Sir Ranulph’s footsteps but you can follow the paths of early explorers and their legendary treks with World Expeditions, which offers more than 40 cruises to the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
On the 32-day Antarctica – Ross Sea voyage, you’ll encounter wildlife including penguin rookeries and whale sightings, stop at the research bases of Ross Island, follow the fringe of the pack ice through the Amundsen Sea and step back in time to visit the huts of famed British explorers Ernest Shackleton and Robert Falcon Scott. You’ll also be joined by Greg Mortimer, a pioneer in Polar tourism, who has worked as a geologist in Antarctica. The voyage departs on February 18 and costs from £12,068.
On Antarctic Peninsula Basecamp, you can explore a pocket of the Antarctic Peninsula the active way – kayaking, snowshoeing, climbing and zodiac cruising! The trip also includes Port Lockroy on Goudier Island, Paradise Bay or Neko Harbour, the Lemaire Channel and Vernadsky Station to learn about life on a scientific base. Departs on February 26 and costs £4,590.
Click here to book with www.worldexpeditions.co.uk
- Learn more about the polar world by seeing the award-winning movie Chasing Ice released in cinemas on Friday December 14. It follows environmental photographer James Balog who headed to the Arctic for National Geographic to capture images and help tell the story of the earth’s changing climate.
