Upcoming Antarctica Trip, Ortelius Basecamp - Oceanwide Expeditions

Ortelius with helicopter in the Ross Sea
Credit: © Toine Hendriks, Oceanwide Expeditions

Antarctica has been on my list of remote places to visit for years – I never have done so because of a variety of reasons, one has to cross the Drake Passage (supposedly one of the world’s most treacherous waters – I get very bad sea sickness at times) and the cost of getting there – which as demand grows to visit the costs seem to have gone down (just a cursory observation).

I randomly met Dan and Audrey of the travel site, Uncornered Market in tiny Saba in the middle of the Caribbean towards the end of last year. At one point we started discussing their own prior trip to Antarctica. In part, our chat helped rekindle my own interest in going.

I recently reached out to Oceanwide Expeditions to help promote their cruises – my first cruise with them is coming up at the end of this month. This particular cruise is the Basecamp Ortelius and embarks and disembarks in the world’s southernmost city of Ushuaia. This city has earned the name the “End of the World” – maybe Antarctica would be better served with this description.

While this cruise covers several days at sea to and from Ushuaia, there is plenty to do once the ship arrives at Antarctica. The ship is merely the ‘basecamp’ for activities onshore the Antarctica Peninsula; this particular cruise features kayaking, camping, mountaineering, and photography sessions. When I first started traveling I was super excited prior to any International trip – after years of traveling it is rare I feel a level of excitement as I do for this trip!

And it is odd to be physically training for some mountain climbing in Antarctica while I write this from our winter home base in Thailand where two days ago it was 43C inside our home! But exercise is exercise regardless of where so I make do in the heat by swimming and some fast paced walking.

During my walk today, I closed my eyes and with an ample helping of imagination, the wind whistling through the dusty bamboo lining the equally dusty road reminded me of the wind blowing through the pine trees in California’s high Sierra Nevada Mountains. That is a cooling thought as I am drenched in sweat.

While on board the Ortelius, the satellite Internet may be limited depending on location – but stay posted for photographs, video and social media updates either during or immediately following this unique adventure.