I Went Skiing in Antarctica — and How You Can, Too

A skier’s journey to the end of the world for one of life’s best adventures.

A visit to Antarctica signals the accomplishment of one of life’s most elusive goals: setting foot on every continent. But once I learned it was possible to ski there, visiting was not enough; skiing in Antarctica became my moonshot.

Even among seasoned skiers, few realize you can do it in Antarctica. And it’s not entirely endless frozen tundra; the numerous mountain ranges here give it an average elevation of 6,500 feet. It’s the coldest, windiest, and driest place on Earth.

Skiing in Antarctica can be difficult and expensive, but with the right preparation, you can do it. There are no ski resorts, chairlifts, or even primitive potties. It’s fraught with danger, including avalanches, crevasses, and unpredictable extreme weather. If things go awry, there’s no access to emergency services.

Ski touring, also known as backcountry skiing, is the only way to accomplish this. You attach climbing skins to the bottom of your skis and trudge uphill before transitioning your gear to downhill skiing mode. You'll also need the help of a professional mountaineering guide to navigate the aforementioned pitfalls and, of course, a way to reach the world’s southernmost landmass.

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Ski season on the White Continent lasts from mid- to late October through the beginning of November, when enough snow remains on top of the ice sheets and the crevasse hazard on glaciers is lower.

When I discovered Aurora Expeditions offers 12- to 15-day expeditions to Antarctica with the option to go ski touring (packages start at $10,500), I decided I had to go.

Those who embark on such an adventure must be physically fit and have years of consistent experience skiing in bounds and out of bounds in backcountry terrain.

You don’t have to be an expert skier to do this, but you’ll enjoy it more if you’re confident in your abilities. Besides the determination you’ll need to realize this dream, your trip will require a dizzying amount of equipment, including ski crampons, ice axes, and avalanche transceivers — and you'll need to know how to use it all.

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After booking the voyage, Aurora Expedition’s ski guide prepared us for what to expect. Tarn Pilkington, our IFMGA-certified (International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations) guide who has been skiing in Antarctica since the '90s, helped us plan what gear to bring and recommended we be ready to climb 3,000 feet for each day of touring.

My biggest fear was potentially squandering the opportunity of a lifetime by not being strong enough to enjoy the experience, so I committed to skiing every day I could before the trip. By early October, I had logged more than 80 ski days and 35 high-altitude hikes. I was nervous, but ready.

In late October, after several days of traveling, we boarded the Sylvia Earle in Ushuaia, Argentina, and sailed 625 miles across 30-foot swells in the Drake Passage until we reached the Antarctic Peninsula. By the time we reached the South Shetland Islands, we were more than 9,000 miles away from home.

On the first possible ski day, we got lucky and landed at Deception Island. Our group of eight made our way from the ship to shore in a zodiac where a single gentoo penguin greeted us. As the penguin rejoined its friends farther down the shore, we readied our gear. Clicking into my bindings, preparing to ski a volcano in Antarctica with an audience of curious penguins, felt otherworldly. The ascent was an easy 1,157 feet, granting us sweeping views of the island and Whalers Bay. Although no one comes to Antarctica for the quality of the snow, I was thankful for the surprisingly creamy turns.

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The next day, high winds caused us abandon our plans to ski on Nansen Island, instead opting for Enterprise Island. Before we could reach our objective, though, we had to transition into downhill mode as the weather changed from partly cloudy to whiteout conditions in a matter of minutes. Still, it counted. We tried a second tour in Selvik Cove, but that, too, was a no-go. The opening in our schedule gave us time to observe a massive gentoo penguin colony on nearby Cuverville Island, which provided a magical experience of its own.

Our third day of skiing brought us to the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. The previous days of heavy snow and wind gave way to one brilliant day of powder and abundant sunshine on Hovgaard Island. Flanked by the Penola Strait and Southern Ocean, the island presents resplendent views from its snowy slopes. While skinning the 1,500 feet to the transition point at the top, we couldn’t help but stop to take photos and mentally catalog the grandeur. On one side, we watched icebergs large and small make their quiet journeys along the vast, open seas. On the other, we stared at the massive, icy black peaks that dominate the edge of the continent.

Skiing down brought me pure joy. I reflected on how rare this perspective was. The only way to see this particular panorama is by hiking or ski touring. In all of human existence, how many people could have possibly seen this view? How many have skied its lines? The day we had was a rare privilege, and we knew it. We decided to do a second lap to get as many turns as possible. My photos and videos don't do it justice, but at least reminded me it was real.

Day four of skiing brought us to the pyramidal peaks of Doumer Island, with a backdrop of the dark, dramatic Mount Luigi and the Seven Sisters peaks on Wiencke Island across the Gerlache Strait. We traversed seven miles, saw a hanging snow cornice the size of Chicago's Bean, and skied down to the luminous blue ice shelves that frame the island and plunge deep into the ocean’s abyss.

Even though our last ski day was thwarted due to wind and an incoming storm, I felt fortunate. Out of six potential days to ski in Antarctica, our plans were disrupted only twice. When you consider how much has to go right to make each day happen, we were downright lucky.

Aurora Expeditions is offering two voyages with ski touring options this fall. Antarctic Peninsula in Depth, departs from Ushuaia, Argentina, on Nov. 6, 2024, and Spirit of Antarctica departs Ushuaia, Argentina, on Oct. 27, 2024.  

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