There are certain places in the world that grip my imagination and never let go. The Australian Outback, safari in Africa, the wildlife in the Galapagos and of course Antarctica. Last year I found myself in the middle of the Chobe River in Namibia, in the middle of absolutely nowhere and still I was able to upload a photo to Instagram. I began to wonder whether or not there’s still a place on this great planet where it’s possible to be disconnected, to be on the edge of the planet and experience what it’s like without falling off. Well I’ll get my chance next week when I journey down to one of the world’s last great frontiers, Antarctica.
I’m working in cooperation with Adventure Life, a travel company that is committed to providing quality small group tours that have a positive impact on the local culture and environment. That’s how I travel and I couldn’t have picked a better partner for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. My trip is a little unconventional though, it’s an air cruise. Instead of sailing from Ushuaia, Argentina I will fly to the Chilean town of Punta Arenas. From there I catch another flight to King George Island (South Shetland Islands) just off the coast of Antarctica. Being mostly impatient, I love the idea of starting the experience at Antarctica itself without any time wasted.
What will follow is an experience of a lifetime as the ship cruises between the South Shetland Islands and the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, sailing along ice-filled fjords and between spectacular icebergs. The ship will be joined by sea birds, penguins, seals and whales. If the weather is cooperative, the journey will include visits to some of the most renowned spots in the history of Antarctic explorations such as: Paulet Island, Hope Bay, Brown Bluff and Gourdin Island amongst others. The target is the crossing of the famous Antarctic Sound towards the Weddell Sea sailing though huge tabular icebergs. In short, it sounds amazing and I can’t wait.
Antarctica is an extreme place though and I need extreme gear in order to get by. My outfitter for the trip is the outerwear company Canada Goose, experts in providing the best gear for the planet’s harshest environments. The trip will be cold and wet and it’s vital that the gear can live up to the elements, which is why I’m glad Canada Goose chose the following essentials for me to use in Antarctica. I’ll be equipped with:
As you can see, there’s no doubt that I’ll be ready for whatever the elements throw at me.
So please be sure to follow me and the hashtag #AntarcticLoper as I explore the bottom of the world on my site, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. I’m not sure what to expect really, but I do know that it’ll be the adventure of a lifetime.
