I just camped on the ice in Antarctica—and you can do the same

I’m not sure I’ve ever camped somewhere as peaceful as where I camped this week.

From the entrance of my red two-person tent anchored on the ice sheet, I looked out over the stunning landscape: towering snow-capped mountains, glaciers, and bays so quiet I could see my own reflection in the water.

But the uniqueness of this place is not just its stunning beauty. What I experienced was utter loneliness. silence. Quiet.

I, along with dozens of other travelers who came to Antarctica aboard the HX Expeditions ship Roald Amundsen, had the rare opportunity to camp overnight in what some call the world’s last great wilderness.

It’s something that very few people on the planet can do, and that alone makes it attractive – at least to me.

But it’s also a chance to experience life – if only for a day – in one of the few remaining wilderness and remote areas. almost Untouched by humans.

Late that night, snuggled up in a mummy bag provided by HX Expeditions in our tent with my partner and fellow travel writer Belinda Luksic, I suddenly noticed something I hadn’t noticed. Aside from the occasional rustle from campers in nearby tents, there wasn’t even a hint of human presence in the noise wafting around me.

There was no deep sound of aircraft flying in the distance. None of the buzz of nearby highways. No low frequencies from the never-ending human world.

All I heard was the faint sound of water lapping along the rocky shoreline. Occasionally there are seabirds chirping. Somewhere behind me I thought I spotted the tiniest droplet of melting ice.

As I drifted off to sleep, it was the primordial sleep of a world long gone—the sleep of my ancestors. Or so I thought.

Not that I slept that much.

One thing you don’t expect when you sign up to spend a night on the ice in Antarctica is that – at least during certain times of the year – night will never come.

The mainland is too south.

During the “winter” months of December and January – what they call summer in this part of the world – the sun never sets in most of Antarctica. This can confuse your body clock.

Specifically, our campsite was located on the shores of a bay on Horseshoe Island on the Antarctic Peninsula. Located at nearly 69 degrees south latitude, it is bathed in 24 hours of sunshine for more than a month every year from early December to now.

It’s approaching midnight and I’m still awake – my brain is tricked by the light into thinking it’s still late afternoon. So do many of my campers.

I reached for the eye mask I usually keep in my backpack and realized I’d left it on the boat. I had to resort to plan B: wrap an extra pair of long underwear around my head.

Even if it worked, it looked ridiculous, prompting my partner to intervene. She pulled an extra blindfold out of her bag and handed it to me. She is resourceful.

Soon I finally fell asleep. Although not for long.

Just four hours later, many of the campers on the boat were awakened by rustling, making noise that woke the rest of us. Maybe they forgot the blindfold too. Or maybe we’re all just excited about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

We emerged from our tents to admire the icy glow of a calm Antarctic morning. It was a peaceful scene again.

Soon, at 6 a.m., after dismantling the tent, we boarded the Zodiac boat and headed back to our ship.

We were indeed tired, but victorious.

We braved a night in one of the most remote and inaccessible places on earth.

How you can camp on Antarctic ice too

This isn’t an experience that only a lucky few travel writers get to experience, but it’s one that can definitely be booked. Expedition cruise line HX Expeditions operates the largest overnight camping operation in Antarctica through its long-running Amundsen Nights excursion program.

Priced at €429 per person per night, several of the company’s ships, including the 536-passenger Roald Amundsen and sister ship Fridtjof Nansen, are available as add-on excursions to Antarctica tours. Both ships are equipped with 15 sturdy, insulated two-person tents that passengers can set up themselves when the Zodiac ships dock in a suitable location.

Leave No Trace overnight camping begins after dinner on the boat, with no eating or drinking on land, and ends early the next morning.

HX Expeditions provides all the camping gear you need for your outing, including insulated tents, Antarctic standard mats, sleeping bags and liners, and headlamps (for times of year when there isn’t 24 hours of sunshine).

New this year, HX Expeditions also offers overnight camping in Antarctica in a single bivvy bag – a lightweight, weatherproof sleeping system that can be installed directly on the ice. The cost of a camping trip with a camping package is €350 per person.

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