Ice Landings
One of the most exhilarating, thrilling excursions you can undertake in Antarctica is an ice landing. It’s one thing to sit comfortably ensconced in your stateroom or sip hot chocolate in a lounge as your state-of-the-art expedition vessel effortlessly cuts through the frozen surface of the ocean. It’s another thing entirely to disembark and trek over the sea ice on foot. When conditions are perfect and the pack ice thick, you may be permitted to walk across, catching glimpses of the elusive Emperor Penguin and collecting invaluable ice samples as part of your Citizen Scientist project.
If an ice landing is top of your bucket list, be aware that it is not something that takes place on every Antarctic voyage. Sea ice is unpredictable by nature, with fluctuating thickness and stability. Guest safety is the priority, so the Expedition Team will only give the ice landing green light if conditions are optimal, and the ice is at least 20cm thick. This tends to be in the late austral spring and summer, which is between October and March. If given the go-ahead, you will be accompanied by highly experienced guides throughout, who know the region like the back of their hand.
What is the experience like?
What should I wear? What should I bring?
You will need to be dressed appropriately for icy cold temperatures and unpredictable polar weather, with a thermal underlayer, a fleece mid layer and a waterproof outer later. You should have thick socks, warm hat and gloves, plus a backpack, refillable water bottle, and sunscreen and sunglasses to protect against strong UV rays.
Where can I do an ice landing?
Getting to do an ice landing in Antarctica is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, walking over the frozen Weddell Sea or across the frozen ocean between Scott Base and McMurdo Station. Alternatively, on an icebreaker expedition to the North Pole, you could get the opportunity to step onto the ice on an Arctic cruise.
Other activities
