Antarctic Guide Blog

South Pole’s latest tourist attraction

It’s been 100 years since the first man arrived, so be sure to stop by the gift shop. http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/111213/south-pole-gift-shop

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Several teams to retrace Amundsen’s trip

Dozens of teams are preparing for or have already launched expeditions to mark the 100th anniversary of Roald Amundsen’s trip to the earth’s southernmost point. “Tourist time has begun,” proclaims southpolstation.com’s newsletter. Several Norwegian expeditions want to emulate their compatriot Amundsen (1872-1928). Two teams from Norway will follow Amundsen’s every step along the tough route […]

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Roald Amundsen had son, Canadian newspaper claims

A report in the Globe and Mail states that “Between 1903-06, Amundsen successfully guided his ship, the Gjoa, through the Northwest Passage – another first . .  it was his two years with Netsilik Inuit in Gjoa Haven, in what is now northeast Nunavut, that taught him tactics essential to survival in polar extremities. . . Amundsen’s […]

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Expedition helicopter crashes in Antarctic

The accident happened at 9:20 pm Thursday(local time) when the helicopter was returning to China’s expedition ship Xuelong after transporting supplies to the Zhongshan research station in the Antarctic. Two pilots were rescued, one suffered minor injuries. http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-12/09/content_14240864.htm

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The Last Voyage of the Heroic Age – Day 14

Tonight Angie Butler was awarded a medal for her work in restoring Frank Wild to the pantheon of polar greats – and to return him to his rightful final resting place next to The Boss. The medal was designed for Dr Mike Wain, a collector of polar medals including Frank Wild’s by Angie’s husband. It […]

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The Last Voyage of the Heroic Age – Day 13

Antarctica always has a sting in its tail. After the long sail down from South Georgia we were all desperate to get off the ship and go for a walk. It’s great to arrive in Antarctica – after all the magnificent scenery in South Georgia and the wildlife of the Falklands, suddenly we are in […]

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The Last Voyage of the Heroic Age – Day 12

I’m writing this as our ship, One Ocean’s Akademik Ioffe, holds position off Point Wild, Elephant Island. The whole island is a lump of rock in the middle of the Drake Passage and, as expected, the swell running is far too big to even attempt to launch a Zodiac. But the fog that was around […]

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The Last Voyage of the Heroic Age – Day 11

Another full day at sea. And the sea isn’t letting us go lightly. It was snowing this morning and we have some Australians on board who have never seen snowfall before. There were talks through the day and David, our resident artist, taught a large group of enthusiasts how to draw penguins at afternoon tea […]

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The Last Voyage of the Heroic Age – Day 10

Apparently those who have been in it describe war as long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of great excitement. Reverse those ratios to great periods of excitement and some sea days and you have a description of the long Antarctic cruise that includes the Falklands and South Georgia. There’s a sea day to the […]

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