Ski South Pole - Messner Start
Test Your Limits
Embark on an expedition that will test your strength, endurance, and resolve to join an elite group who have arrived at the Geographic South Pole under their own power. Ski South Pole is the ultimate challenge, a journey that spans an entire Antarctic season and traverses 566 mi (911 km) from the Ronne Ice Shelf, on the edge of the frozen Antarctic continent, to the Geographic South Pole.
Embark on an expedition that will test your strength, endurance, and resolve to join an elite group who have arrived at the Geographic South Pole under their own power. Ski South Pole is the ultimate challenge, a journey that spans an entire Antarctic season and traverses 566 mi (911 km) from the Ronne IceShelf, on the edge of the frozen Antarctic continent, to the Geographic South Pole.
This scenic route is inspired by Reinhold Messner’s 1989 epic Antarctic crossing and offers a shorter but more committing alternative to the Hercules Inlet route. Using the Messner Start, you’ll skirt the western flank of the massive Foundation Ice Stream and the Transantarctic Mountains then turn south toward your final goal, the South Pole.
You’ll travel by ski for 7-10 hours a day and pull a sled with all of your supplies that weighs 132-177 lb (60 – 80 kg).You’ll experience all types of weather, facing constant winds, fields of sastrugi, and white-out conditions. The Messner Start route takes up to 50 days and climbs gradually to more than 9300 ft (2800 m). Days are filled with 24-hour daylight and an intense solitude and tranquility that can be found almost nowhere else on Earth.
54-DAY ITINERARY
Day 1
- Fly to Union Glacier, Antarctica
- Receive a welcome tour and get comfortable in your beautiful Antarctic basecamp.
Day 2-3
- Acclimate to Antarctic conditions and brush up on skills
- Fine tune gear and equipment with oversight from your guide
Day 4-23
- Depart for Messner Start
- Ski to Thiel Corner Skiway
Day 24-52
- Ski from Thiel Corner Skiway to South Pole
Day 52
- Arrive at South Pole
- Camp at the South Pole before flight back to Union Glacier
Day 53
- Return to Union Glacier
- Enjoy a celebratory event to mark your memorable Antarctic experience.
Day 54
- Return to Chile
About The South Pole
When the great Polar explorers, Amundsen and Scott, arrived at the South Pole a century ago, there was only the sound of the wind and an endless expanse of white stretching in all directions. Today the South Pole is a crossroads for modern adventurers and polar science.
South Pole Camp
What’s Included
What’s Not Included
All About The South Pole
Stay at the world’s southernmost camp on Earth. Unlike other itineraries where guests fly in, visit the pole, then leave, ALE guests have the unique opportunity to camp just steps away from one of the planet’s most iconic landmarks. Whether you’re marking a milestone or chasing a lifelong dream, our camp gives you the time to properly drink in an achievement in a way only the select few can.
