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Antarctica Cruise: Crossing the Circle Here's a trip for those with the heart and soul of a true explorer! Far south beyond the imaginary line of the Antarctic Circle (latitude 66° 33') is a great frozen zone of blue icebergs, gossamer pink light, shifting pack ice, and snowy mountains as far as the eye can see. This extreme southern latitude is truly one of the planet's last frontiers, a place few humans have traveled, and when you cross the Circle, you'll enter the ranks of an elite few─an occasion to be marked by a celebration! Along the way to and from the circle, you'll travel along the breathtaking Antarctic Peninsula, taking time to explore and photograph many of its finest sights. Peninsula visits usually include places like the wildlife colonies at Paradise Bay, King George Island, and the enormously scenic Lemaire Channel, a narrow passage between sheer mountains. TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
Our ships feature a small fleet of kayaks for paddling options (weather and ice conditions permitting). We also feature an optional night of camping on land (weather permitting). Great ways to enhance your adventure to Antarctica! Check out a complete deckplan of the Akademik Ioffe (PDF file) and photographs taken of ship's interior. And please visit our Antarctica Feature to see a slideshow of photographs and stories from past our trips in Antarctica, interesting facts about the continent, and more. |
 The Antarctic Circle & The Peninsula
Day 1 - Arrive in Ushuaia, Argentina. Day 2 - Board the ship and begin the journey to Antarctica with a scenic sail through the Beagle Channel, then enter the waters of the Drake Passage. Days 3-4 - Continue to motor across the 620 miles of the Drake Passage, passing over the Antarctic Convergence. Along the way you'll enjoy numerous lectures, movies, and slide show presentations on what you're about to experience. Days 5-12 - Depending on weather and ice conditions, we head straight to the Antarctic Circle (66° 33'), with a chance to disembark in Zodiacs to explore this otherworldly scenery firsthand (you may even encounter whales!). Then we'll work our way back up the Antarctic Peninsula, cruising among the islands and into the bays and channels, with Zodiac shore landings as part of the experience whenever possible. Peninsula visits usually include places like the wildlife colonies at Paradise Harbor, Deception Island, and (ice conditions permitting) the fantastically scenic Lemaire Channel, a glacier-lined fjord between sheer mountains. Days 13-14 - Homeward-bound on the Drake Passage. Near the end of our journey, we'll sail around Cape Horn on our way to Ushuaia (weather permitting). Day 15 - Arrive in Ushuaia in the early morning and depart. Note - This trip is not an exclusive Mountain Travel Sobek departure, and is operated by Quark Expeditions, the most experienced company specializing in polar expedition cruising for over 15 years.
 Detailed Itinerary - Antarctica Cruise: Crossing the Circle 1. Download detailed itinerary in a PDF format Detailed Itinerary - Winter 2008/2009 (PDF files require that you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. This program can be downloaded for free from the Adobe Website.) 2. Or email us your itinerary request at sales@mtsobek.com 3. Or call us at 1-888-831-7526 (USA and Canada) or (510) 594-6000 We’ll email you a copy (Word or Acrobat document), fax, or mail you the itinerary as you prefer. For more information and reservations, please contact: Mountain Travel Sobek 1266 66th Street, Suite 4 Emeryville, CA 94608 USA Toll Free (USA and Canada): 1-888-831-7526 Phone: +1-510-594-6000 Fax: + 1-510-594-6001 Email: info@mtsobek.com |