Hiking in Antarctica

I never thought I'd be able to say that I'm one of less than 100k people who have gone below the Antarctic circle. AND, I'm one of less than 10k people that have done the polar plunge below the Antarctic circle!! 

But, let met me explain how this crazy thing happened. I really had no desire to go to Antarctica. It was just so far away and I didn't want to deal with the Drake passage. I did, however, have a personal goal to visit Greenland. So, in August of 2023, I signed up with Silversea on an expedition cruise aboard the Silversea Endeavour. This is an incredible ship that was exploring a new itinerary that had never been offered before.

We started the journey in Montreal and then were whisked off in their private jet to Nuunavit in the Canadian Arctic. After several nights in Iqaulit, we were told that due to sea ice levels, we would have to do an entirely different itinerary. So, instead of heading to the North Pole and Resolute Island, we spent the next 10 days exploring the nooks and crannies that make up the eastern coastline of Baffin Bay. 

Much of my time in the Arctic was spent alone with my thoughts standing on the bow of the ship and watching the scenery unfold. It is awe-inspiring to see the vast wilderness go on for hours. Man has inhabited these shores for millions of years so animals are far and few between. But you can find them if you are there long enough.

It's hard to describe the feeling of being in a zodiac winding through a pristine bay between gigantic icebergs then getting ashore and hiking over the tundra to discover a "huddle" of walruses fishing for food. You can see seals, walruses and whales and even Polar bears but we weren't allowed to get too close. Polar bears are fierce creatures that should mostly spend their time at sea but they are on land much more often now due to melting sea ice, and you are absolutely not allowed to be on land if a polar bear is sighted.

Silversea has excellent guides and lectures who entertained us between excursions. In one lecture, we learned how to identify animals through their tracks. We even took a quiz! Another lecture, we learned to identify birds. I still use that knowledge today on my trips.

Antarctica is a whole different experience. On the Arctic cruise, just about every passenger had already been to Antarctica and they couldn't stop raving about it. I was still luke warm. I mean, just getting there takes days. Lucky for me, I was offered a spot on Atlas Voyages luxury yacht, World Voyager. I called up a dear friend from high school and off we went.

Atlas is a boutique cruise line. The food and crew were phenomenal. Our expedition leader was very adventurous, and we got to hike up snow covered mountains, kayak with whales and zodiac through stone enclosed passages to the open sea. And we got to interact with Penguins which are everywhere. 

Both cruises offered the "polar plunge" but I was too scared to do it on the Arctic cruise. I regretted letting my fears get in the way so when I knew I'd have the chance to do it in Antarctica, I just went for it. There is nothing like that icy cold water stunning your senses and making you gasp in pain! 

For me, travel is more than seeing a new place. It's also about learning something about yourself. I feel privileged to be able to travel the world and work with great suppliers who help my clients discover new places, make new friends and reach their human potential. Next year, I have clients climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. Who knows, you might find me there one day! Anything is possible.