Ski and Mountain Support by Icebird
“Glittering white, shining blue, raven back. ..In the light of the sun, the land looks like a fairy tale. Peak after Peak, Pinnacle after Pinnacle, Crevassed,….wild as any land on our globe….it lies unseen and untrodden”
Roald Amundsen 1911
Untrodden Except By Our Ski-Mountaineers! – Icebird, New First Ascent Tally – 29
More First Ascents have been climbed by teams supported by us than any others thanks to Phil Wickens, his research and intimate knowledge of the antarctic peninsula and our synergy between yacht captain and mountain leader.
Cath and her crew understand the needs of skiers and climbers and how to place the teams in the right place at the right time and have a yummy hot meal waiting when they return. Working closely with the ski or mountain expedition leader we have been able to contribute to the wonderful successes of previous expeditions.
Icebird makes an excellent base camp for ski trips, with her large garage and stern platform the ski gear is easily handled from zodiac straight into the garage. In December we often tie up directly on sea ice, so Icebird becomes a ski in – ski out chalet!
If you have aspirations for Antarctic objectives and wish to organise your own expedition get in contact and we can make your dreams a reality. Alternatively, you may wish to join one of the www.ski-antarctica.com expeditions.
Previous Expeditions
2015/6 Season:
December- Our team of Australian doctors traversed Deception Island and made ski ascents and descents on Two-Hummock Island and of Igloo Hill, Harris Peak, Jabet Peak, Central Peak and two un-named virgin peaks above Hughes Bay. Read more..
November- our team of 5 sailed west from Ushuaia and along the Chilean Fjords. This was an exploratory trip to investigate the area for potential future ski mountaineering trips. We visited remote fjords with outstanding mountain and glacier scenery, where glaciers flow into the sea, and where we embarked on ski tours, hikes and sea-kayak trips. We anchored in secluded bays, where we barbecued on the beach, caught centolla (king crabs) and spent a day catching crabs with Chilean fishermen.
2014/5 Season:
December- The 2014 BREOGFJELL Antarctic Peninsula Expedition completed a three- day ski tour in the area south-west of Mount William at the southern end of Anvers Island. The team also made multiple single-day ski tours in the Paradise Harbour and Neumeyer Channel areas. Read more…
January- Our group included Team Girl (Barbara, Viola and Phil) and the first Chinese climbing expedition to Antarctica (Daliu, Hai-Sen, Wang and Yang). We climbed 10 summits, including 2 first ascents, on Nansen Island (northern peaks (c.300m), above the Errera Channel (Mt Tennant (690m) & Cuverville Island East Face North Couloir (220m)), Paradise Harbour (Mt Banck (710m)), Wiencke Island (Jabet Peak (552m), Anvers Island (‘Little Dog Peak’ FA (1020m), Shewry Peak (1065m), Peak 1155 FA (1155m), Mt Rennie (1535m). Read more…
October – Our team members Sylwia, Benoit and Dan were led by Phil and Bjorn on a ski traverse of South Georgia via a new route from King Haakon Bay to Stromness. This was a high level variant of the traditional Shackleton traverse, chosen because it is higher, colder and safer than the traditional route, and is better suited to a ski team that is pulling sleds. The key to the route was a very narrow, rocky pass through the Wilckens Peaks, which led to a super 10km descent to Fortuna Bay. The team also visited the old whaling station and Shackleton’s grave at Grytviken, the enormous King Penguin colony at St Andrews Bay, and made single-day ski tours from Ocean Harbour to Godthul and above Husvik.
Read more…
2103/4 Season:
January – This was the first time to Antarctica for our team members, Neville, Jackie and Warren. We had a super time, successfully climbing 6 summits, including 1 first ascent (Enterprise Island traverse, Spigot Peak, Skontorp Couloir, Kershaw Peaks (attempt), Mt Scott, Edge Hill, Mt Mill (attempt), Jabet Peak 552m).
2012/3 season:
Our fantastic team of Matt, Glenn, Sean, Talat, Sue & Barry sailed to the Antarctic Peninsula. Over a four-week period the group made a total of seven ascents, three of which were previously unclimbed and one by a new route: Collins Bay (Tournachon East Summit (949m)), Errera Channel (Cuverville Island East Face North Couloir (220m)), Paradise Harbour (Bruce Island Peak (324m), Mt Hoegh (890m)), Unnamed Peaks on Lemaire Island (600m and 650m)), Andvord Bay (Unnamed Peak (700m), Dalmeyer Peak (attempt)) and Two-Hummock Island (Unnamed Peak (300m)). Read more…
2011/2 Season:
December: Amundsen Centenary Expedition with Jorgen Amundsen and Phil Wickens. At eleven minutes to midnight on December the 14th, the team summited a First Ascent of an unnamed peak, as their thoughts turned to Jorgen’s forbear Roald Amundsen who reached the South Pole on this day 100 years before.
January: The Eagles Ski Club during a 36 day expedition managed to summit 8 new First Ascents and ski some awesome powder. Read more…
2010/1 Season:
December: The Alpine Club UK led by Phil Wickens summitted 6 new First Ascents during a 28 day expedition and corrected mapping anomalies like the height of Mt Matin which is some 1000m higher than previously thought. Read more…
