ESSENTIAL INFO FOR TRAVELLERS

‍Permits for travel to Antarctica are essential, no travel can be undertaken without prior permitting. Our Competent Authority is the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. We will obtain all necessary permits, however we will require certain personal and other information to complete the bureaucratic requirements.

Separate permits are required for the use of drones in Antarctica and some other high latitude destinations.

Permits are NOT guaranteed, especially for drone use, but we will do our utmost to obtain all permits required.

Visas for travel to Gateway Cities, such as Punta Arenas or Cape Town, or to regions of the high latitudes in the northern hemisphere are the responsibility of the client.

A suggested clothing list and hints for any expedition follows below. The provision of all clothing (and personal gear) is the responsibility of the client.

• You MUST dress in layers for deep cold:
  • Bottom layer: T shirt, underwear.
  • Layer 1: Woollen shirt, woollen long johns, leggings or thermals
  • Layer 2:  Fleece/down/wool middle layer or sweater, soft (fleece) trousers
  • Layer 3: Water/windproof jacket/parka and trousers
• Thick oversocks, thinner undersocks.
• Hat: beanie, balaclava, thick hat with tiestring and earflaps.
• Gloves: Thick mittens, woollen gloves, silk undergloves, work gloves.
• Boots: Snow boots rated to -40c. Camp boots/shoes.
• Note: cotton is not good as it doesn’t dry
• Goggles
• Sunglasses

Packing should include:

• Cameras/Tablets
• Batteries/memory card/s
• Chargers
• Sunscreen
• Baby wipes for washing
• Wash kit, toothpaste etc
• Note there are NO showers in deep-field Antarctica however there are likely to be showers at base camp on entry and exit to/from Antarctica.
• Eyeshades for 24 hour daylight.
• Earplugs.
• Sweet “treats”!

• A medical kit will be carried at all times and at least one of our personnel will be trained to Wilderness First Responder level.
• All personal medicine should be included in your packing and is NOT our responsibility. Please be CERTAIN to list any medication that you will be using on your expedition when completing your Booking Form.
• A Medical Declaration will be required before services can be commenced.
• Restrictions due to Covid (or similar pandemic) outbreaks will be enforced and must be complied with. See insurance.
• A dental check should be carried out at the time of booking and again not more than 4 weeks prior to travel.
• It is VERY important to stay hydrated. The high latitudes are very dry!
• Travel to the high latitudes can be physically (and mentally) demanding.
  • A reasonable level of basic physical fitness should be viewed as essential.
  • Learn to recognise tiredness and do not allow yourself to become overwhelmed.
• The Antarctic Plateau is very high, above 3,000m! Some acclimatisation will be required, especially as altitude at the poles has a substantially greater physical effect than at the equator.

ANTARCTICA

General:

• Antarctica – Gabrielle Walker
• Captain Scott – Ranulph Fiennes
• Race for the South Pole – Roland Huntford
• Cold – Sailing in Antarctica – Thijs Heslenfeld

Specialist Field Guides:

• Natural History of the Antarctic Peninsula – Sanford Moss

Travelogues:

• Journals: Captain Scott’s Last Expedition – Robert Falcon Scott & Max Jones
• The Worst Journey in the World – Apsley Cherry-Garrard
• South: The Endurance Expedition – Ernest Shackleton
• Terra Incognita – Travels in Antarctica – Sara Wheeler
• Alone in Antarctica – Felicity Aston

• It is ESSENTIAL to have personal insurance in place to cover medevac possibilities in Antarctica or the triggering of Search And Rescue due to accident. We may be able to assist with this, subject to some restrictions (cover cannot be guaranteed until issued) however it is entirely your responsibility to ensure that cover, whether issued by us or your own insurer, is suitable for travel to Antarctica or other polar regions and fulfils at least US$1,000,000 of evacuation cover.
• It is ESSENTIAL to also have “normal” travel insurance in place for Antarctica as well as travel to the Gateway City/Cities in question.
• Sight/proof of the above insurances being in place will be requested prior to services being offered.
• We STRONGLY advise clients to insure against cancellation/postponement/alteration of their expedition or trip for whatever reason (including pandemic). We are not responsible for cancellation/changes that are forced upon us by, eg, force majeure occurrence.

• Travel to the deep-field regions in which we operate is ALWAYS subject to delay and change due to, amongst other factors, weather and other force majeure occurrences. Whilst we use our technology to do our utmost to perform as contracted, it is a condition of booking that you understand cancellation, delay, postponement or alteration of any itinerary is possible, sometimes at very short notice.

• Whilst our guides will do their utmost to make any expedition as comfortable and amenable as possible, it is in the nature of expeditionary travel that stress, tiredness and, eg, lack of communication with home can at times be challenging for any expedition participant.
• Your designated Head Guide will be Expedition Leader and takes overall responsibility for the expedition; his or her word is ALWAYS final in a decision environment.
• All members of any expedition are responsible for the wellbeing of the group, looking out for each other is good practice and a requirement.
• All members of any expedition are expected to work as a team, sharing workload and chores.
• Any member of the expedition who is feeling “low” or otherwise below par, physically or mentally, should (quietly if preferred) discuss this with the Expedition Leader who will do his/her best to ameliorate the issue/s in question. Unfortunately there is no way to exit the expedition without aborting the entire mission.
• All members of the expedition are expected to behave with civility and courtesy towards all other members at all times, as well as being polite to any third parties encountered whilst the expedition is in progress as well as whilst under our aegis en route into/out of Antarctica or in the Gateway City.

• Arrival at your Gateway City, prior to entering Antarctica, should be at LEAST 72 hours before your scheduled departure into Antarctica. This will allow time for briefing and time zone acclimatisation as well as any event that might mean your flight to Antarctica is brought forward, eg due to anticipated weather.
• Return flights to your home from the Gateway City should ALWAYS be booked on a flexible ticket. Delays to travel of a week or more are not uncommon. In the same vein, major appointments, diary dates etc should NOT be planned for just after the scheduled end of the expedition.

• Camera equipment should be suitable for use in the deep cold; we suggest checking gear in a suitable environment pre-departure.
• Filming is the responsibility of the client; no installations or other sensitive areas should be filmed without permission.
• The Expedition Leader may state “no filming” at any time, his/her word is final.
• Drones may only be flown with the express permission on a flight by flight basis from the Expedition leader; this is a condition of permitting.
• A separate permit is required for drone use in Antarctica, these are not always guaranteed to be issued by a Competent Authority.
• Camera equipment should include suitable lenses/filters for very bright light.
• Our vehicles include charging points. These are usually available for general use on a rotational basis.

• Flights into the deep field these days are often on a chartered passenger aircraft with commensurate comfort.
• However some flights may be on cargo aircraft, clients should be aware that these can be noisy and uncomfortable with, at best, webbing seats.

• Normal luggage allowance for flying into Antarctica: 30kg per person.
• Soft bags are advised.
• All luggage, clothing and other items taken to Antarctica must be cleaned to as-new standard.

• Deep field zones are pristine, we are privileged to be there and we leave them pristine when we depart. Therefore:
• ALL waste - food, packaging, human, mechanical; everything - is removed from the deep field and returned to the Gateway City for proper recycling or disposal. There are NO exceptions to this rule and clients are expected to fully embrace this ethos and assist with its execution. Thank you!

• See contract specifics.
• Services (accommodation, transport, meals etc) in the Gateway Cities are never included unless specifically specified otherwise. We can however suggest a helpful operator to assist with arrangements case need.

Please be sure to read the following, issued to all clients:

• IAATO Don’t Pack A Pest
• IAATO Avian Influenza
• IAATO Reducing Waste
• IAATO General Visitor Guidelines

We can also advise/assist with an operator who can assist in:

• Chile
• Cape Town

• Expeditions to deep field polar regions include an element of risk and operate in extreme and highly variable conditions.
• It is a condition of travel that, whilst we and any partners will take all reasonable care in the creation of the expedition and the logistical management of it, we accept no responsibility for accident, error, difficulty, delay or other mishap or occurrence whatsoever that may occur as a result, directly or indirectly, of participating in any expedition or travel under our aegis.

• Scientific, governmental and other installations in the field should NOT be assumed to be accessible by visitors. We will apply for a visit where possible (if appropriate) however such visits are NOT at all guaranteed.
• Photography is not always permitted in/around such sites.
• Special Zones and Management Areas exist in the deep field. These have varying levels of restrictions or other regulations pertaining to access and behaviour in their vicinity. The Expedition Leader’s instructions MUST, as always, be adhered to at all times; itineraries may be cancelled or aborted in the event of a failure to comply.

• Expeditions are by nature extreme; in the deep field (and some base camps) accommodation is in suitably manufactured tents. Some expeditions may use our “camper back” facilities that are akin to a camper van. Where there are too many participants for places in the camper then a rota may be established.

• 12v and 24v DC charging is usually available in our vehicles and campers. Access may be limited, bring extra battery packs (leave them in the warm interior of a vehicle) in case a wait for charging is necessary.
• Generators are not usually carried.

• There will be no mobile signal in the deep field.
• Expeditions carry a satellite phone and backup however this is for staff and emergency use and NOT for general communications.
• Personal satphones are permitted.
• All costs of data up/download are for your own account.
• Social media: Use of social media is of course endemic these days however social media posting should follow IAATO guidelines (available on request) and be compatible with the ethics and aims of the Antarctic Treaty. 

• Briefings will occur (at least) pre-departure from the Gateway City and regularly when in the field.
• All briefings are mandatory unless otherwise specified by the Expedition Leader.

• It is usual for clients to be able to drive our vehicles in the field, always assuming they hold a valid driving licence in their country of origin.
• A valid driving licence must be produced on demand.
• If clients have not attended pre-expedition driver training in Iceland, permission to drive in-field will be at the sole discretion of the Expedition Leader.
• Driving by clients at any time is at the sole discretion of the Expedition Leader or Guide in charge of the vehicle. Clients should not expect to drive at times of, eg, poor weather or potential hazard.  

• All meals and some non-alcoholic drinks (eg coffee, tea, juice concentrate/powder) will be supplied by us whilst in the field.
• Please give us plenty of notice of dietary requirements. This will be stipulated on your booking form. We will do our best to comply with dietary requests wherever possible.
• Meals in-field are usually created from rehydrated ingredients. Meals are as balanced as possible and tailored to the conditions pertaining in the deep cold/deep field.
• Bringing personal “treats” – eg sweets/candy, snacks – is recommended!
• Be sure to remain hydrated at all times!