These days it’s hard to imagine navigating around Antarctica – or indeed anywhere in the world – without Global Positioning System (GPS), but it wasn’t that long ago that Antarctic expeditions relied on the sun to navigate. The passing of Roger Easton (April 30, 1921 – May 8, 2014), the developer of GPS, got us [...]
Principal Investigators of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC) recently conducted a special briefing for UK policy makers, on sea-level rise from Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. The scientists explained why it is important to reduce the uncertainty on how Thwaites Glacier will contribute to future sea-level rise; how governments will need to adapt to [...]
The southernmost landing of a private jet was achieved on December 28, 2017 when a Falcon 7X landed on the blue-ice runway of Union Glacier, Antarctica.
ALE uses blue-ice airfields to land wheeled aircraft in Antarctica. These snow-free areas are a cornerstone of our operations. But what are blue-ice fields? How are they formed? And what makes them so special? Blue-ice fields are glacial areas that remain snow-free. Most of the Antarctic ice sheet is covered by snow, since the accumulation [...]
Nick Clinch (b. 1930), leader of the 1966 first ascent of Mount Vinson, passed away on June 15, 2016 in Palo Alto, California. Clinch is regarded as one of America’s most successful expedition leaders. He is the only American to have led the first ascent of an 8,000 meter peak: Hidden Peak (Gasherbrum I, 26,470 [...]
It is with deep sadness that we mark the passing of John Splettstoesser - geologist, polar scientist, devoted Antarctican, and long-time friend of ALE - at age 82.
Carl first came to Antarctica as a guest in 2004, on a student Ski Last Degree expedition. He fell in love with the wide open spaces, the cold, the remoteness and of course the adventure. Since then, he keeps finding a way to get back to the ice each season.
This season, six expeditions will ‘...go to the region of ice and snow...’, each hoping to reach the South Pole – or perhaps beyond – and challenge themselves along the way.
ALE Mount Vinson Guide, David Hamilton, has 28 years of experience as a high altitude guide in all of the world’s major mountain ranges, with 25 expeditions to peaks over 7,500m and (almost) all the 7 summits 3 or more times.
We're not bragging when we say that ALE guides are some of the most experienced and talented guides around. Meet Scott Woolums, who has 30+ years of guiding experience under his belt, including seven Everest summits, 40+ Denali expeditions, and innumerable expeditions to other 'fun corners of the world.'