SOUTH POLE ALL THE WAY
The full journey across Antarctica to the Geographical South Pole
A FULL JOURNEY ACROSS THE CONTINENT
To ski from the shelf, outside the continent line, across roughly 1,130 km of gradually higher, colder, ever harsher ice, is a challenge unlike anything else. Physically it is daunting. But the zen-like, plain, almost non-nature of these snowfields turns the months into an inner journey too. Something that strengthens and enlightens you, and goes on evolving in you for years after.
Arriving at the Geographical South Pole is like stumbling across a station in space. The continent has witnessed huge drama and endeavour. As a place, it is outstanding and different in every way. As a challenge, it is a mix of fighting the elements, enduring physically, and surviving mentally.
Few goals will give you a better read on yourself, or greater satisfaction.
Duration: Typically 50–60 days from coast to Pole
Distance: Approximately 1,130 km on skis
Group size: Typically 1–2 guides / Small team
Departure point: Punta Arenas, Chile, flight to Union Glacier
End point: Geographical South Pole, flight out via Union Glacier to Punta Arenas
Dates: November–January
Price: On request
EXPEDITION SUMMARY
EXPEDITION DETAILS
The route runs from the Antarctic coast to 90°S. The first weeks are the heaviest, a full sled, the climb up onto the plateau, crevassed sections to navigate. The middle weeks are the long grind across the polar plateau, where the surface becomes harder and the sastrugi more punishing. The last weeks bring altitude, cold, and the strange thinning of the air at the Pole.
We ski with pulks the whole way. No resupply, no support, you carry everything you need from the start. Tents at night, stove going for water and food, navigation by GPS with compass back-up. Days are long, often 8 to 10 hours of skiing, sometimes more. Rest days are rare and earned.
This is the trip Børge knows better than anyone, and the lessons from his solo crossings sit inside how we run it. We keep teams small. We are honest about what the trip costs in body and mind. And we put real weight on preparation: see below.
ROUTE
The route starts at Hercules Inlet, on the edge of the Ronne Ice Shelf, and runs roughly 1,130 km to the Geographic South Pole at 90° S. You set off from outside the continent line itself, sea ice underfoot, and finish at the highest, coldest point of the journey. Everything in between is uphill, in slow stages you mostly can't feel day to day.
The first stretch takes you off the shelf and up onto the continent. The climb is gradual but constant: the ice keeps rising, the air keeps thinning, and the temperature drops the further you go. Sastrugi, wind-carved ridges of hard snow, make the surface heavy work, and the sled stays heavy until you've eaten your way through the first weeks of food.
Roughly halfway, the Thiel Mountains break the horizon. They are the only landmark on the whole crossing, and a useful marker, past them, the plateau opens out flat and featureless in every direction. This is the long middle: the same ground, the same routine, day after day. The work here is as much mental as physical.
The final stretch climbs onto the high polar plateau, around 2 800 m above sea level. The air is thin, the cold is at its hardest, and progress is slow. Then the Pole appears, a small cluster of buildings in the white, and the end of the line. Arriving under your own power, the way Amundsen did, is the whole point of going all the way.
SIGNING UP / DEPOSIT / INVOICE
A trip of this scale needs early commitment, both for ALE logistics and for the preparation programme. Get in touch and we'll talk through fit, timing, and the next steps. Once we've agreed you're on the trip, we send a deposit invoice, non-refundable per our Travel Conditions. The remaining balance is invoiced on a schedule we set together, given how far out the booking sits.