Travel to Antarctica and South Georgia

[DaveB]

If I was to organise a 3-week photography expedition to these places for this November, with room for ~20 participants and with two eminent nature photographers as instructors/leaders, is there anyone here who would consider taking it on?

Maybe not, but I thought I'd check.


<just waiting on final paperwork...>

[robw25]

wow .. that would be excellent ... but of course the cost would be the main factor in people's minds

cheers rob

[tommyg]

Possibly!

Depending upon when would be the most important thing for us

[radar]

Let us know the details, could be interested

[Frankenstein]

wow .. that would be excellent ... but of course the cost would be the main factor in people's minds

cheers rob

Agree - would be interested but cost is the big factor.
I just finished reading about Sth Georgia Island in National Geographic - sounds like a fascinating place.

Frank

[DaveB]

The cost will vary depending on your choice of cabin (e.g. a twin-share with private bathroom costs more than one using a shared bathroom, which costs more than a triple-share with shared bathroom, etc). "Suites" cost even more. We have a few loose ends to tidy up (such as how much the activities in Ushuaia before the ship leaves will add to the cost) but I hope the price will range from around US$9900 to US$14000 (those are not quotes!). Of course on top of that you need to organise your travel to/from Ushuaia, Argentina (most flights go via Buenos Aires, which can be worth a visit).

That's almost 3 weeks of intensive photographic life, among the amazing Antarctic and sub-Antarctic wildlife and scenery during spring (mid-November). Anyway, there's lots more spiel about the benefits and activities prepared on the website, but you'll have to wait a couple of weeks to see it. There are a few details to finalise first.
I'm happy to maintain a notification list so you can be told about it just ahead of the main marketing push. PM me with your email address if you want to be on the list.

[Frankenstein]

Ummm.... 30 minutes after I posted my interest, my wife reminded me that it's our 30th wedding anniversary next January and she wants to go somewhere - warm! So that counts me out

Frank

[robw25]

I hope the price will range from around US$9900 to US$14000

i knew i was dreaming, i couldnt afford something like that, i know it's worth the cost but it's out of my league

cheers rob

[DaveB]

Ummm.... 30 minutes after I posted my interest, my wife reminded me that it's our 30th wedding anniversary next January and she wants to go somewhere - warm! So that counts me out

Sheesh. Jane and I spent our 15th wedding anniversary south of the Antarctic Circle - what's the problem?

Ok, so the traditional gift for 15 is "crystal". Not many pearls (30 years) down there...

[radar]

she wants to go somewhere - warm! So that counts me out

Frank

It is warm in November, you should how cold it is in winter

[Willy wombat]

Wow - what a massive lure to be dangled in front of me.

I will have to keep dreaming due to financial inadequacies. Someone sponsor me!!

[ATJ]

As I read through the thread I was interested... until I came to the cost. I fully understand that's what it would cost, but for the same cost I could do 4 to 6 week long dive trips (and I usually do one per year). Maybe if I win the lottery.

[Mr Darcy]

Like others we are more than interested, but also like others, we need to have a wealthy maiden aunt die and leave us her fortune first. It will have to be one we don't know about yet as AFAIK we don't have one.

[DaveB]

I do understand that it's not something that most people can flippantly decide to do on the spur of the moment. Usually those people who go have been thinking about it for a long time, even if they end up redrawing on their mortgage to fund it.

It really is a "trip of a lifetime" though (unless you're like me and get addicted ).

[DaveB]

It's alive!....
And news is hitting the streets, so here's the official DSLRusers update:

Borrowing from Arthur C Clarke, we've called it "Antarctica 2010: A Photo Odyssey" (antarctica2010.com). Martin Bailey is my co-instructor.
I won't bother repeating all the other info here, so head on over and check it out for yourself!


On a slightly-less expensive note, most of my 2010 workshop program has also been announced.

Cheers

[stubbsy]

Dave

For me I've been thinking of this trip for a while so your post is timely. While it IS a lot of money my view is that the experience well and trully justifies it. Given you've previously done this I'd be interested in two things:
1. How did you organise the transit from here to Argentina? Was it DIY via the web or did you use a travel agent?
2. Do you have any tips on the type of clothing required?

[DaveB]

Given you've previously done this I'd be interested in two things:
1. How did you organise the transit from here to Argentina? Was it DIY via the web or did you use a travel agent?

My last trip involved a lot of extra steps hopping around Argentina beforehand, then via Easter Island on the way home. I used the same travel agent I'd been using since 2006 for a variety of trips, but my requests to them were guided by my own web research: I had specific requirements (e.g. when I needed to get to and leave specific destinations, etc).
Using the travel agent, they in fact had booking access to flights that I couldn't find via the web.

That time I had 7 flight legs in my trip, but in total that involved 11 flights. This time my trip will be simpler, essentially: get to Ushuaia and back via Buenos Aires. Many people spend an extra day or two in B.A. on the way through (although you need to be careful to not flash expensive camera gear around in some of the neighbourhoods). I'm again using a travel agent, but checking things like enough transit time between Buenos Aires' domestic and international airports (other side of the city). They get used to me requesting changes to their suggested itineraries... I tend to book my own hotels, and just use the travel agent for flights/cars. I'm getting Aurora to organise my Ushuaia accommodation.

2. Do you have any tips on the type of clothing required?

Boots are supplied for landings (although I do prefer to use my NEOS Adventurers over my normal warm boots). Shoes on board are whatever suits you (but you'll want to be able to go out on deck at a moment's notice to photograph!).
On landings my normal gear is thermal long-johns, with polarfleece pants (fleece tracky-dacks) covered by waterproof overpants. It's important to have several layers. A T-shirt, a fleece jacket, and a wind-protecting jacket completes the basic setup. Make sure the jackets are long enough: you don't want cold air coming up and freezing your kidneys or your wrists!
I also have neck/head fleece warmer, inner gloves, and fingerless gloves (with flip-back mitten covers).

I started out with an extra fleece layer on top, but when walking on shore I soon overheated, and got out of that habit. Sometimes I skipped the thermal long-johns. We will be travelling 2 months earlier than my last voyage: but on that trip the ambient temperature was rarely below zero.
Onboard usually jeans are appropriate trousers.
Some people like to use down jackets: whatever you have needs to be something you can quickly throw on to go outside and then take off when you come back in. I tend to have my jacket with gloves/scarf/etc in the pockets so I can quickly rug up and go outside.

Does that help? There's lots more detail we'll be providing to people on the trip as the months count down...

[Mr Darcy]

Still interested, but the money is simply not there yet. Hope taht changes in another month or so. Let us know when it fills up so I can stop dreaming. Have wanted to do this trip since about 1970, but the money or the time has never been there.

[DaveB]

Still interested, but the money is simply not there yet. Hope taht changes in another month or so. Let us know when it fills up so I can stop dreaming.

I've heard similar stories from a few people. Sometimes it's been "Don't let it fill up without me!"
It's been less than a week so far, and I'll be checking with Aurora regularly on bookings. I expect when we announce that it's getting full there will be a spurt of last-minute bookings.

My own first Antarctic trip almost didn't happen. Heard about it, read about it, decided it would be too expensive and too hard to organise. Then heard it was getting full, and we ended up getting the last double cabin! It became our anniversary present to each other...

[DaveB]

We got a nice bit of publicity from Michael Reichmann over at the Luminous Landscape: http://luminous-landscape.com/whatsnew/#496


Michael's site is so heavily trafficked that the resulting web traffic we're seeing has dwarfed all our previous activity. Given the hits:bookings ratio we've been getting so far, I'm hoping that this will translate into a flood of bookings this week.
Definitely the remaining places are limited already!

[stubbsy]

Bugger - I decided to go about 10 days ago, but work has been so %$#@$% busy I can't get time to phone (or even be on here!) Better ring first thing Monday I guess

[stubbsy]

Woo Hoo - booking done and very poor

Now to get things organised!

[aim54x]

Woo Hoo - booking done and very poor

Now to get things organised!

Congrats Peter! I am looking foward to seeing you work from this trip!

[DaveB]

Looks like we'll have at least 4 (including myself) from DSLRusers on the trip! (not all confirmed yet, but looking likely)
Still getting more names rolling in - it looks like a fun group so far!

[Alpha_7]

Hurray! I think I am one of the unconfirmed 4, well I was. But now I am confirmed, going to Antartica!

Apologies in advance to the forum for when the trip returns, as there will be even more photos being shared!

[DaveB]

You were THE unconfirmed.
In December when we're back there will be 4 of us inundating the forum with cold images.

[radar]

Okay, my turn to come out, I'm going too

[Alpha_7]

Okay, my turn to come out, I'm going too

Hahaha, I had a feeling it might have been you having read through the earlier posts!! Excellent, I think 4 forum members isn't a bad turn out considering Should be great, and its a 3:1 Nikon to Canon ratio (but whose counting)

[DaveB]

Should be great, and its a 3:1 Nikon to Canon ratio (but whose counting)

Actually, overall so far it's about 1:1!

[Mr Darcy]

Should be great, and its a 3:1 Nikon to Canon ratio (but whose counting)

Actually, overall so far it's about 1:1!

Well I guess we know now.

Still no finance. Probably be available in a couple of months. Will this trip be happening in the future? If finances and opportunity ever align I would love to do it.

[DaveB]

Still no finance. Probably be available in a couple of months.

Well, the last places have not yet been taken (but soon I hope: 2 more went today already! ) but when you get your finance ducks in a row, it could still be worth contacting Aurora about getting onto the waiting list. Final payments are due 90 days prior (which in this case means early August) and there's always the chance that someone might drop out.

Will this trip be happening in the future? If finances and opportunity ever align I would love to do it.

We do have plans to organise future trips, but the details are not yet clear. They're somewhat dependent on how this trip goes. Even if we assume that yes we do get to go back, it's unclear whether that would be in the 2011/2012 season or later, or whether the next voyage would include South Georgia.

So: fingers crossed yes, but no details are available.