Whichaway Camp

Whichaway Camp is set beside a frozen freshwater lake in Antarctica’s Schirmacher Oasis, a rare ice-free strip in Queen Maud Land. Opened in 2005 on the site of a former East German research base, it carries a thread of Antarctic exploration into the present. Bare rock, melt streams and over 100 lakes interrupt the frozen landscape, while fully demountable pods keep the camp’s footprint deliberately light.

From camp, guides lead you across frozen lakes, into crystal caves and blue ice tunnels, and up nunataks – rocky mountain peaks that rise through the ice sheet – for sweeping views across the Antarctic landscape. Try ice climbing, rappelling, ziplining or glacier trekking, with each route adapted to the conditions and your confidence level, while a professional photographer captures your experience. Depending on your itinerary, flights may carry you to an emperor penguin colony or onward to the Geographic South Pole. Back at camp, leave the crampons at the door and choose a complimentary massage, the sauna and ice plunge, or a yoga or meditation session in the dome overlooking the surrounding glacier before sitting down to a gourmet dinner crafted from fresh ingredients and paired with Cape wines.

Your heated sleeping pod brings the landscape right to the window. Step into the glass conservatory with coffee, settle into the lounge chair and watch light move across the glacier through one-way mirrored panels. The interiors reference early polar exploration and add contemporary comfort through a private en-suite bathroom, shower, running water, electric blankets, a hot-water bottle and writing desk. When the cold presses in, close the door, warm up beneath the covers and give the Antarctic view your full attention.