Why Antarctica?

How did I even get the idea?
I usually get one of two questions when someone hears about where I'm going: Why? How?  Admittedly Antarctica does not associate well with with word vacation. Most of us associate Antarctica with research scientists and sub-zero temperatures. 

I first heard about adventure vacations to Antarctica through the Columbia Alumni Association's travel brochures that spill out of my tiny NYC mailbox whenever I remember to check the mail.  I think when I received the first Antarctica brochure some time in 2011, I laughed to myself and wondered who in the world would want to go to the coldest place on earth for fun.  Mind you at that point in my life my only international travel experiences were the typical all-inclusive trips to Mexico and the Dominican Republic.  I have always been terrified of flying and the thought of longer flights and anything remotely off the beaten path seemed horrific.

Fast-forward a few years: I had a solo trip to India and Europe under my belt and had also renewed my passion for science and all things nerdy.  (My trip to Europe was planned around a visit to CERN).  I started thinking about Antarctica in 2013 but figured it was something I'd do eventually.  Those who know me well, know that once I get an idea like this, I become a bit obsessed and then impulsively act on the idea.  The short answer on why I am doing this now is: why not?

Selecting and Booking the Trip
In late December of 2013 I was frustrated that I would be unable to make the deadline for booking via Columbia, but began researching other tour operators and eventually selected Mountain Travel Sobek.  It's shocking how many options one has when booking a trip to Antarctica and even more shocking how quickly the spaces fill up.  I selected MT Sobek after narrowing my choices down to operators with the best reputations and with the most involvement with IAATO.  MT Sobek had voyages with departure dates that coincided with month-end reporting. (Dear boss: see how much I care about my job?)  I had two options: departures on March 15th of March 16th.  The March 15th voyage was completely booked but I secured a space on the March 16th voyage.  By chance I had booked myself on a special trip- details to follow. 

Trip Itinerary
How does one get to Antarctica?  For me, my journey begins with a flight from New York to Buenos Aires.  From Buenos Aires, I fly approximately three and a half hours south to Ushuaia.  I'll spend one night in Ushuaia and meet with my fellow passengers on March 16th as we depart for a two to three day journey to cross the Drake Passage.

Day 1: Board ship and set sail
Days 2-3: At sea, crossing the Drake Passage
Days 4-8: Explore the islands, bays and channels of the Antarctic Peninsula
Days 9-10: At sea, crossing the Drake Passage
Day 11: Return to port in Ushuaia



Typical 10-11 day path.



 

The typical tourist season spans from about November to February with limited voyages in March as winter approaches.  Many voyages will attempt to cross the polar circle (see dotted line above) weather-permitting.  I hope that we are able to do so but given that my voyage is one of the last of the season, I doubt we will be able to cross the circle. 

The Ship: Akademik Sergey Vavilov
I'll be on board the Akademik Sergey Vavilov, a former Russian research vessel that has been converted into a passenger boat.  You can track the ship throughout my journey here.

The ship is a 92 passenger vessel and I'll be sharing a room with a roommate; I will not meet my roommate until the day of the trip.  I'll write a separate post with more information about the ship including the layout and what else is on board to keep us busy while we're crossing the Drake Passage.

Activities in Antarctica
When we stop at the islands and channels, we will have the opportunity to take one of two zodiac excursions.  Many of these excursions include landings on the islands to take photos and interact with the wildlife.  In addition, I signed up for one of 16 sea kayaking spots.  I will have the chance to kayak around and the glaciers and islands for approximately 2-3 hours a day, weather permitting.  I mentioned that this voyage was particularly special; it is the marine mammal voyage and we will have a whale specialist on-board and with us on daily excursions.  More to follow on my prep-work for sea kayaking and whale watching.