Tag: outdoors

How to Get to Antarctica

On By deeyabIn Adventure TipsLeave a comment

While we’re stuck at home dreaming of post pandemic travel to new frontiers – what better journey to dream about than a voyage to the end of earth – Antarctica! Interestingly enough with strict protocols in place about who can and cannot visit, Antarctica remains the only continent in the world with zero Covid cases. Until the pandemic ends (or a vaccine is found) tourists will be unable to travel to Antarctica. 

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Why Antarctica
‘Antarctica’ in Greek literally translates to ‘the opposite of North’. The continent consists of  over 90% of all the ice on our planet – so needless to say it is extremely cold. In fact, it is the coldest, windiest and driest continent of all. With such conditions, Antarctica might not seem appealing at first, but the stunning landscapes, white mountains and views of a neverending expanse of  ice and snow, make for an absolutely incredible scenic experience!  

With a population of barely 5000 people (consisting of mainly scientists, researchers and their support teams) on the continent, Antarctica is one of the few true wilderness experiences on our planet. 

A word of caution
Due to the extreme weather conditions a trip to Antarctica is only recommended for those who are comfortable with the cold. Temperatures on the coast usually don’t rise beyond  0 degrees celsius, even at the peak of summer. The interiors usually never get warmer than -20 degrees celsius.

When to go?
The best time to visit is in the Antarctic summer –  November to February where you get close to 24 hours of daylight.

How to get there? 
Getting to Antarctica is easier than one might imagine.

The most popular way to get to Antarctica is on a ship, the best option for those interested in experiencing the incredible wildlife in the continent. 

For those who are more interested in experiencing the Antarctic icecap and it’s terrain, you can also take a flight straight to the interior of the icecap. 

Ushuaia to Antarctica (via ship)  
Ushuaia in Argentina is a three and a half hour flight from the more well connected Buenos Aires airport. Cruises that start at Ushuaia go via the Drake Passage – a 1000 kilometer body of water that separates Antarctica from South America. It usually takes 36 hours to make the journey to the Antarctic Peninsula. This journey is a wonderful opportunity to get some albatross sightings. Trips that start at Ushuaia range from 9 – 20 days.  

Punta Arenas to Antarctica (via ship)  
If the idea of the Drake Passage and 36 hours of travel in a ship to get to the peninsula doesn’t appeal to you, you can opt to start your journey from Punta Arenas, Chile. The journey from the southern tip of Chile only takes a couple of hours to reach the Antarctic Peninsula. Due to the shorter distance to get to Antarctica, cruises starting at Punta Arenas offer short 4 day trip options. 

Punta Arenas to Antarctica (via flight)  
A flight to Antarctica is the best option for those who get seasick and prefer to experience the vast icy wonder of Antarctica’s ice cap (and perhaps even visit the South Pole). This flight to Antarctica takes 5 hours on a Russian Illushian plane. The flight itself is an incredible experience as the plane lands on a blue ice runway at a small settlement on the ice cap called Union Glacier. Delays due to weather conditions flying into the glacier are common and you should set aside at least 15 days for such a trip. 

What to do in Antarctica

Cruise: Once you reach your destination, you spend your nights on the ship itself. The days are spent exploring the surrounding areas on smaller boats with options to get on the icecap and even spend a night in a tent.  This option is highly recommended for those interested in wildlife. There is a high probability of amazing sightings of  seals, penguins and whales.

Flight:  When you fly directly onto the glacier you spend your days hiking, using snow scooters and snow cycles to explore the area surrounding Union glacier. You also have the option to venture further towards the center of the continent by taking another flight to the South Pole. 

Photo by Dick Hoskins on Pexels.com

Service Providers/Travel Agents
While there are many service providers offering cruise options to Antarctica, there is only one company, Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions (ALE), offering the flight option. You will, therefore, have to book well in advance for flight and accommodation on the icecap, if that’s your preferred travel option. Once you get there, ALE will provide comfortable tented accommodation for you to stay in. 

Regardless of which company you choose to go with, the company will provide for your food, accommodation and activities throughout the duration of your stay. As Antarctica is barely inhabited, you will not be seeing towns or restaurants during your journey there. Due to your sole dependence on your provider, I suggest that you spend your time researching and choose wisely before you pick who you want to book with.

Note on what to Pack
Because of the extreme temperatures in Antarctica you will need specialised gear to ensure that you’re safe and comfortable. While the company you choose to travel with will share a detailed list, there are a couple of items that you will certainly need and should plan for:

  1. A good down jacket:  To ensure that you stay warm during the colder parts of the day. 
  2. A pair of sunglasses:  The sun’s rays are very harmful for your eyes in these extreme regions. 
  3. A good pair of boots: So that you can move about comfortably once you are off the ship/ plane. 
  4. Sunscreen: The Antarctic sun is very harsh, sunscreen is a must for any part of your body that is exposed. 

TL;DR
Antarctica is an absolutely incredible part of our planet. Experiencing the incredible wilderness of the coast or the stark beauty of the landscape are journey’s like no other. Step a little out of your comfort zone for an experience that you will cherish for the rest of your life. 

Originally written for Onmanorama

Making Friends Outdoors

On By deeyabIn StoriesLeave a comment

Doesn’t it sometimes feel like a majority of our life is now driven by technology? Most of our communications with friends and family happen on a screen. Even when we are out for dinner we spend more time communicating with people far away on our phone than we do the people we are eating with (I’m totally guilty of doing this myself.) By forcibly removing technology from your life the outdoors helps you build connections that are actually real. A ‘ digital detox’ every now and again is great for the human soul!

When I was 17, my father and I embarked on a cross country skiing expedition across the Greenland Icecap. (We had been to Greenland before on a sea kayaking expedition and had seen the Greenland Icecap. There was something mesmerizing about the vast icy expanse that had us talking about returning as soon as possible). We spent months training for the expedition which  entailed cross country skiing for a total distance of approx 600 kms, from the west to east coast of Greenland, close to the arctic circle. We would be on the Greenland icecap, the second largest chunk of ice on the planet for up to one month with an ambient temperature of – 20 degrees Celsius, dropping to -40/-45 C with the windchill factor. At 17, I was a typical high school student, my life revolved around academics, friends and of course social media. So, one of the things that worried me the most was that I would be so bored during the evenings- stuck in the middle of nowhere for 3 weeks with no access to the internet or people my age (everyone on the expedition was much older than I was). However, I had the opposite experience.

The days were long, we would spend about 8 hours skiing every day and spend the first part of our evenings setting up camp. We would then all gather in a kitchen tent, melt snow, cook food together, sing songs (Bohemian Rhapsody was one of our favorites) and tell jokes. Though our expedition team of 8 members had people from 5 different countries (Greenland, USA, Belgium, New Zealand and India) we all bonded through our love of outdoors (and Queen, got to love Freddie Mercury for bringing the world together). Our two Inuit guides barely spoke English, but through the 3 weeks we spent with them we realized language is only one form of communication and that not speaking the same language is never a barrier to making a friend.

The Greenland icecap expedition was one of the first expeditions where I experienced the magic of how the outdoors can bond people for life regardless of how old they are, where they’re from or even what language they speak. When you spend 24 hours a day with a group of people and with no communication with the outside world, you are forced to get to know each other. So, whether you want to spend time with old friends or make new ones, the outdoors is one of the best places to do so.

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The 7 types of Pictures Dad Takes (A Series)

On By deeyabIn StoriesLeave a comment

When I was younger, I used to HATE posing for pictures. I also used to always forget to get my camera out when I was out on expeditions…

Both of these things hold true till date. It’s a pity because I’m often in these incredible places, and while I’m experiencing the situation 100% when I come back home I always think to myself- I really wish I had taken more pictures. 

Thankfully, my father LOVES to take pictures. Once we started going out on expeditions together, he found an extremely unwilling subject to practice his artistic skills on. 

I now present to you….

*drum roll* 

The 7 types of pictures Dad takes –  A Series. 

  1. The Extreme Close Up
    For some reason, my father LOVES to take extreme close ups. In this picture, we’re on a sea kayaking expedition to Greenland. I still know very little about photography, but I’m thinking he could have moved a little bit further away for this one. 
  1. The Unhappy Deeya Picture

Another classic in Dad’s repertoire, he loves to take pictures when I’m in a “mood” aka if I’m a little grumpy . He thinks it’s the best way to cheer me up. (To be fair sometimes when I see how funny I look- it totally works)

While on a hike in Rajasthan, India
On a boat to see Penguins, Chile

Punta Arenas, Chile
  1. The Classic With Prop Picture
    Sometimes to supplement his artistic vision, Dad will ask me to pose with a wide variety of props. In this picture, I don’t think I was really feeling the whole paddle thing. 
Sea Kayaking in Greenland 2009, looking extremly uncomfortable while posing
  1. The Funny (?) Sign

My father LOVES signs. I am often made to pose with any sign that is even vaguely funny.

Lhasa, Tibet 2018
  1. First Thing when I wake up 

Dad usually tends to wake up about half an hour before me on expeditions (logistics are just easier when you’re sharing a tiny tent). He inevitably decides to take pictures of me just as I get up.

Greenland Ice Cap Crossing 2011
  1. When my face is ENTIRELY covered pictures
    Often accompanied with dad making a “smile for the camera” joke.
Mt. Denali Mountaineering Expedition, USA, 2019
Mt Vinson Mountaineering Expedition, Antarctica, 2018
Mt. Vinson Mountaineering Expedition, Antarctica, 2018
  1. The GEMS
    But all things said and done, I’m so grateful to have my own personal photographer on expeditions. What are your favourite pictures from this series?
Greenland Sea Kayaking Expedition, 2009. One of the rare times I was open to taking pictures.

The Beginning…

On By deeyabIn StoriesLeave a comment

I often joke that my parents first child was not me but Snow Leopard Adventures – our family owned Adventure Tourism company which was conceived before I was born. My father is one of India’s stalwarts in the outdoors (he was the first Indian to kayak and raft down rivers in six continents, as well as the first Indian to complete the polar trilogy- skiing to the North Pole, South Pole and skiing across the Greenland icecap).

Growing up in a family like this, adventure was our normal. I went on my first hike strapped to my fathers back, before I even started walking. Our family holidays would consist of doing something outdoors whether it be hiking, diving or skiing, and I absolutely loved it.

My passion for mountaineering started in the summer before grade 8 at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering’s (NIM) adventure course. Growing up in India’s National Capital Region, the life I lead in NIM was very different from anything I had experienced before. It was simpler, the days were long and the learnings were life changing. I realised that I was happiest in the company of mountains, walking for hours with everything I needed my backpack.

From then on I jumped at every opportunity I got to be outdoors. My parents understood that the outdoors was a big part of my life, and they encouraged me to follow my passion. While supporting your children’s passions might seem like an obvious thing to do, in India girls aren’t often given the same opportunities as boys. I recognised, at a very young age, that what I had in terms of parental support was unique.

I am grateful for the fact that my parents have always supported me and left no stone unturned in helping me pursue my dreams. To my mother for constantly showing me what a privilege it is to be a woman, and to never let me gender define me and to my father for introducing me to the “great outdoors” and being my favourite “adventure buddy”.

Hi! My name is Deeya Bajaj and I am a mountaineer, adventurer and explorer from India. I have been extremly fortunate to have had the opportunity to explore some of the most remote parts of our planet (including to journey to the summit of Mt. Everest with my father, as India’s first father-daughter team). This blog is an attempt to document some of my learnings and experiences on my expeditions. Thank you for being a part of my journey! Keep checking this site (or subscribe to get an instant update) for more posts on my adventures all over the world!