Antarctica Climbing

Most folks going to climb in Antarctica reach the continent by chartered plane. Charter flights usually originate in South Africa, South America or New Zealand. Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions (ALE) runs the majority of flights to the Vinson area through their camp on the Union Glacier.

Shipborne climbing and skiing trips typically leave from South America (Ushuaia, Argentina or Puerto Williams or Punta Arenas, Chile) and go to the Antarctic Peninsula. Skip Novak's Pelagic Expeditions runs small, exploratory boat trips to areas on the Peninsula and also to South Georgia Island. Other companies through whom you could do a sailboat charter include Tanana Expeditions (Patrick Jeandidier) and 60-south (Federico "Fede" Guerrero).

Damien Gildea's 2010 Mountaineering in Antarctica guidebook and the American Alpine Journal archive are good sources of route information.

Many routes on the continent have historically been done by field staff of the US Antarctic Program (USAP), British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Antarctica New Zealand and other countries' Antarctic programs.