‘Experience of a lifetime’ is a phrase easily overused. For RICHARD HOLMES, a seven-day adventure in deep-field Antarctica was the real deal.
Disbelief. Mixed, of course, with a generous dose of awe and wonder. Yet, as my heavy polar boots crunched down onto the graded blue ice of Novo runway, my overriding emotion was disbelief. After years of dreaming, months of planning and weeks of waiting to see if the travel arrangements would fall into place, here I was. Boots down on my seventh continent. A mile of ice beneath my soles and a week to explore a place I never imagined I would experience.
Antarctic tourism has boomed over the past two decades, driven largely by expedition ships that carry more tourists than ever to the Antarctic Peninsula. Sailing from Ushuaia in southern Argentina, ships brave the Drake Passage to explore the finger of Antarctica reaching north. During the 2023–2024 season, more than 120 000 tourists visited Antarctica, most aboard cruise ships skirting the Peninsula. Some 80 000 of them were fortunate enough to step ashore, but how many travellers had the privilege of visiting the ‘deep-field’ ice sheets of Antarctica?
Less than 1% of Antarctic tourists visits the interior of the continent, and though numbers will always remain low due to the remote and hostile environment, the launch of Ultima Antarctic Expeditions in 2024 looks to be a game-changer for deep-field Antarctic tourism.
White Desert pioneered the concept of fly-in adventures to Antarctica in the early 2000s, whisking affluent travellers south in a private jet. Ultima takes a slightly different approach. With decades of experience in Antarctic logistics as it helps to maintain national polar research stations on the continent, Ultima combines scientific programme support with sustainable tourism in an extraordinary new flying adventure that transports travellers from the Mother City to Antarctica’s Queen Maud Land in just six hours.
Which is how I found myself wrestling into cold-weather gear amid the roar of an Ilyushin-76 TD-90 as it descended through a clear blue sky towards Novo runway. Around us were dozens of Indian scientists all, like me, grinning broadly as we pulled on thermal layers, down jackets and heavy boots. Pavel, the indefatigable cabin attendant looking after what was something between a passenger plane and a cargo hold, rushed around assisting where he could. The burly Russian engineers up front sat eating pot noodles while checking their gauges.
And then we were down. The doors swung open and the ladder locked into place. One small step, and the ice crunched beneath my boots. I won’t lie; there were some tears. Antarctica will do that to you.
With runway photos taken and bags loaded, we set off for Ultima’s Oasis Camp, just a half-hour drive from the runway. Perched on the rocks of the Schirmacher Oasis – free of ice even in the depths of winter – this is an oasis of a different sort. It is also an oasis of comfort in the depths of the world’s driest, coldest and windiest continent. We would experience all three elements in the week to come, but upon arrival the welcome couldn’t have been warmer, with a friendly team of chefs, hosts and guides ready to help us settle in.
Ultima’s Oasis Camp is spread across three buildings that contain both sleeping and living quarters. While they may appear simple from the outside, hunkered down against the weather, they are remarkably comfortable indoors. Bedrooms come with warm down duvets – and hot water bottles too – while the communal lounge area boasts glorious picture windows for long hours of gazing out at the landscape. Bathrooms are shared and functional, but offer the Antarctic luxury of hot showers.
A few steps along snow-lined boardwalks take you to the dining area and communal lounge, where chef Jesse Wollenschlaeger creates a remarkable array of dining experiences throughout our days on the ice. When the weather is fine – which means the mercury’s near zero – it might involve a braai on the deck. When a storm rolls in and the temperature drops to -20°C with wind chill, expect hearty dishes with a contemporary spin. Think dishes of duck and Camembert pie, a mezze platter with beetroot hummus and, on another day, prawn and cabbage potstickers. One evening features salmon in an umami- packed Asian sauce. Paired with Stellenbosch wines and craft beer from Cape Town, it’s easy to forget exactly where you are.
Until you look out the window and are suddenly reminded that you’re dining in a landscape of endless ice and rock. This may sound like a terra incognita, a vast white nothingness, unless you have skilled guides to bring the ice to life.
To lead its various itineraries, ranging from one to seven days, Ultima employs some of the best guides in the business. Their years of experience in the polar latitudes, both north and south of the equator, transform a simple wander across the surrounding ice fields into a deep dive into polar ecosystems. From lichen to frozen air bubbles, the minutiae of deep-field Antarctica add layers of discovery to every outing. In weather fine or foul, we’d layer up in our thermal gear – Ultima supplies all the heavy-duty polar clothing required – and tackle the peaks surrounding Oasis Camp, admiring distant ice fields.
The deep-field ice sheets of Antarctica offer a remarkable level of raw beauty, but the harsh environment means that little life can survive so far from the ocean. With the sea – and feeding grounds – more than 80km away, only a handful of bird species are hardy enough to endure here. On cliffs near Oasis Camp we observe tiny Wilson’s storm petrels diving and swooping to their rocky nests. South polar skuas, with their hooked beaks and scavenging habits, easily find a home wherever there are easy pickings, making them a regular sight at scientific bases. Adélie penguins are occasional, curious visitors.
But there’s one bird that is the undoubted star of Antarctica: the emperor penguin.
Most of Ultima’s longer itineraries include a flying visit to nearby penguin colonies. An exhilarating flight in a Twin Otter whisks travellers to the edge of the sea ice and then it’s just a short hike to admire these supremely elegant polar birds. The excursion takes a day; roughly an hour at the colony is bookended by dramatic flights across the Antarctic landscape.
Every visit is closely monitored and controlled to ensure there is no adverse impact on the penguin colonies. Ultima, like all members of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO), adheres to strict protocols during trips where birdlife may be encountered, ensuring that boots are thoroughly disinfected and guests maintain a safe distance from the wildlife at all times.
Ultima’s longer itineraries also feature a two-day adventure to the South Pole aboard a refurbished Basler BT-67 ski-plane, as well as flying excursions to the stunning Drygalski Mountains.
But even the shorter itineraries offer no shortage of ways to fill your days at Oasis Camp. One of the longer hikes takes travellers off the escarpment to explore the myriad hues of a tunnel carved out of the ice shelf by time and meltwater, while a journey across the ice sheet unveils towering glaciers and ice lakes. It’s a landscape both breathtaking and beguiling – unearthly in its beauty yet staggering in its hostility. How Shackleton, Scott and Amundsen managed to endure, I will never understand
When Shackleton left Endurance at the bottom of the Weddell Sea, it took him years to reach home by ship. My ride, on the other hand, was already heading south out of Cape Town to collect me. The Ilyushin was on its way, but after a taste of terra incognita, I wasn’t ready to leave.
DON’T FORGET TO PACK…
- THIN INNER GLOVES: Protect your fingers while taking photographs outdoors.
- WARM, MOISTURE-WICKING SOCKS: The best option for the ice boots Ultima supplies.
- HIGH-SPF SUNSCREEN AND LIP BALM: Sun and wind burn happens easily on the ice.
- PEAK CAP AND POLARISING SUNGLASSES: The glare off the ice is blinding, even on cloudy days.
- BUFF: For protecting your nose and lips from the sun and wind.
- THERMAL LAYERS: Being able to layer up and down is essential.
ULTIMA DAY EXPEDITION
If your pocket doesn’t allow for a week on the ice, Ultima’s 24-hour adventure offers a more accessible experience. This compact journey leaves Cape Town in the morning and arrives at Novo in the mid-afternoon. While the Ilyushin offloads and pilots rest, travellers spend about 10 hours on the ice, exploring ice tunnels and glaciers while soaking in the beauty of the ice fields and the midnight sun, before flying back to Cape Town. It’s a 24-hour experience you won’t forget.
NEED TO KNOW
- Ultima Antarctic Expeditions’ next season runs from November 2025 to January 2026.
- Emperor penguin colony visits are usually only possible in November and December.
- Expeditions range from one to seven days and include flights, accommodation, meals, excursions in Antarctica and the services of highly qualified guides.
- Cold-weather gear is provided.
- Costs range from $12 000 for the 24-hour Ultima Day to $85 000 for the eight-day South Pole and Emperor Penguin Expedition.
Visit ultima-antarcticexpeditions.com for more.