Featured image: Visitors watch as a whale breaks the surface of the sea in Antarctica / Photo by Franny Bergschneider

Ways to prepare, learn and stay safe from a lifelong adventurer

By Carolyn Ray, Editor-in-Chief, JourneyWoman

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Antarctica, the sometimes forgotten seventh continent, is hailed as the ultimate adventure for those who seek to experience a clear, rugged landscape and observe vibrant species of wildlife, untouched by time and untamed by humankind. To witness a world so remote and so alluring is to capture a memory of nature that lasts a lifetime.

To learn more about Antarctica from an expert, I spoke with Franny Bergschneider, a lifelong adventurer who now leads expeditions at Wild Women Expeditions. Not only has she been exploring the Arctic and Antarctic since 2014 she has guided extensively in Svalbard, Iceland, East and West Greenland, the Canadian Arctic and the Northwest Passage.

Expert Tips for Visiting Antarctica

Here are 10 of Franny’s tips for those who want to experience this untouched, wild place:

1. Prepare by practicing yoga. “The most physically demanding part of the experience is living on a ship during the Drake passage. And so, core strength is encouraged, and a certain sense of balance is encouraged. And the other physically demanding part is getting in and out of the zodiac in weather and waves. And so, having a strong core, having a strong sense of balance.”

2. Listen to your guides. “You’re held in this safe space on this space, the guides are the experts. You don’t have to worry about where you’re going and what you’re doing, you just listen to the announcements, you can leave your phone in your cabin, you can leave your watch, like, it’s a whole guided, self-experiential immersive experience where if you can just let go of control and fully immerse yourself in this experience, it’s such a special gift. Because it’s such a time to actually be living in the moment, which is something that everybody talks about. And it’s actually really hard to do.”

4. Packing: In addition to polar expedition gear, gloves and boots, we recommend sunscreen, an eye mask and earplugs, a daypack for shore excursions, and of course a bathing suit for those polar dips! If you’re bringing a camera, don’t forget how fast batteries die in the cold.  Bring at least two spares, and your charger. And don’t forget your sense of adventure!

 5. Have travel insurance: The original JourneyWoman, Evelyn Hannon, visited Antarctica in 2016, and on the way home Air Canada partner LAN Airlines lost her luggage. It was eventually returned but not without much angst and paperwork, and while some things may have changed, we think it’s a good reminder of how to prepare for the worst for an expedition. Read “It Ain’t Pretty When an Airline Loses Your Bag”. We like SafetyWing Nomad Insurance or search for the best policy on Insure My Trip by clicking here.

6. Bring seasickness pills.  Concerned about the ‘Drake Shake/’ Try ginger (stem, candied or pills), or acupressure wristbands/ scopolamine patches.

7. Bring books to read before or while you’re there: Franny recommends some of Barry Lopez’s books like Arctic Dreams, or A Woman in the Polar Night by Christiane Ritter. 

8. Learn about climate change and watch Thin Ice. Geologist Simon Lamb takes a look at what’s really happening with global warming by filming scientists at work in the Arctic, the Antarctic and around the world.

9. Participate in Citizen Science from the comfort of your living room with Penguin Watch. Watch the live stream right here.

10. HAVE FUN! Enjoy every moment exploring the planet’s seventh continent.

More Packing Tips for Your Next Adventure