The Explorer's Academy - Active Adventures in the White Desert

Adventurous polar exploration with uncompromising luxury

Experience the majesty of Antartica's white desert on this six-day adventure while learning the skills of polar exploration firsthand from Ben Saunders, one of the most accomplished explorers of our time. Surrounded by ice caves, soaring mountain peaks and glittering blue rivers, you will take a dive into wilderness training with an emphasis on fun and experience rather than hardship. This itinerary offers the perfect way to leave everything up north and truly connect with this wild and pure landscape.

The experience is led by renowned polar explorer Ben Saunders, who has covered more than 7,000 km of terrain in Antartica and the Arctic in the last twenty years and was the leader of the longest human-powered polar journey in history. Ben will share his incredible knowledge of what it takes to survive in Antarctica while falling in love with its harsh beauty, teaching you the skills of a true Polar Explorer.

The Explorer's Academy: 6 Days / 5 Nights

Highlights

• This 6-day itinerary begins in Cape Town, where the team will host a safety briefing before your departure, checking all your polar clothing and preparing you for the flight south. 
• On the day of your departure, fly over thousands of icebergs in a Gulfstream 500 in uncompromising comfort on a five-hour flight across the Southern Ocean, landing in the twenty-four-hour daylight of the Antarctic summer at Wolf's Fang runway.  After landing on the blue ice, transfer via skiplane to camp, where you will have the chance to familiarize yourself with your equipment on your first hike. 
• On your first day, settle into Wolf's Fang Explorer and join Ben Saunders in a variety of activities, from trekking to ice climbing to summiting a nunatak. Learn from Ben and the guide's record-breaking expeditions and their knowledge of some of Antartica's lesser-known history. 
• The next day, explore the blue river below the camp, which is formed by seasonal glacial melt which results in stunning blue ribbons through white waves of ice. In the afternoon, embark on an Arctic Truck safari, winding through the snow and ice to a stunning vantage point to take in the panoramic views of the land you just traversed.
• Camp out and experience the reality of Antarctic exploration in one of the most remote campsites on Earth. Cross-country ski or hike into the mountains, marveling at the sculptural wind scoops and shining blue ice on your way to your tent.  Enjoy what it is like to be a true explorer alongside your guides, perched on an Antarctic glacier. 
• In the morning, return to the main camp via an adventurous cliff hike, which affords views of extraordinary ice waves that have been created by constant ocean pressure over millennia. The camp's world-class mountain guides will lead you on this challenging trek, ensuring your safety at all times on this unforgettable day. 
• Depart the White Continent on another flight over the icy ocean. Upon your return to Cape Town, you will be transferred to the hotel of your choosing to relax and reflect on the unforgettable memories you have made on the ice!

Price

$40,000 per person sharing in 2021/2022

Itinerary Map

Easy Extensions

Before your departure from Cape Town, or upon your return, add on some days in Cape Town, enjoy the food and wine of the Cape Winelands, or safari in Kruger National Park. Cape Town is a jumping off point for most of Southern Africa-head to the dunes of Namibia to complete your desert experience, or relish the waterways of Botswana's Okavango Delta.