Latest News

Antarctic History

What's in a Name?

Posted  11/17/20 in Antarctic History, General Interest

Have you ever wondered how a place or feature is named in Antarctica? Who decided to call it Elephants Head or Dronning Maud Land or the Sentinel Range? And does everyone agree on these names? History of Antarctic Naming Throughout history, people have named the places where they have lived and traveled. From countries and [...]

Yelcho - The Little Boat That Could

Posted  10/30/19 in Antarctic History

Yelcho was a steam-powered cutter, originally used as a tug before entering Chilean Navy service. It is famous for rescuing the crew of Endurance in 1916, under the command of Luis Pardo Villalón.

50 Years of Antarctic Mountaineering

The 2016 Antarctic season marks 50 years since the first ascent of the continent’s four highest peaks by the American Antarctic Mountaineering Expedition (AAME). Mount Vinson, Antarctica’s highest peak at 16,050 ft (4892 m), was first summited on December 18, 1966 by AAME expedition members, Pete Schoening, Bill Long, John Evans, and Barry Corbet. Despite [...]

Tea or Cocoa? Fueling the Debate

With its hot, filling, rejuvenating qualities, cocoa has been an essential staple on all the major expeditions to the North and South Poles. Men would drink cup after cup of it as a bulwark against the morale and strength-sapping task of trudging across an icy, austere landscape. But explorers have not been unanimous in their [...]

Traces of Antarctica

If the word ‘history’ makes your eyelids droop, then think again…A new historic walking circuit in Punta Arenas, Chile brings to life the stories of Antarctic explorers and the role of Punta Arenas as Gateway to Antarctica. For Shackleton Fans

Maria Klenova

Posted  08/28/10 in Antarctic History, Polar Explorers

Maria Klenova was a Russian and Soviet marine geologist and one of the founders of Russian marine science. Klenova spent nearly 30 years researching the polar regions. She was the first woman scientist to do research in Antarctica and was a contributor to the first Soviet Antarctic atlas. Early Life and Career Maria Klenova was [...]

Edith “Jackie” Ronne

Posted  08/28/10 in Antarctic History, Polar Explorers

Jackie Ronne was the first American woman to set foot on Antarctica. She and Jennie Darlington were the first women to overwinter in Antarctica, as members of the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition (RARE).

Sign up for the newsletter

Thanks for Signing Up!