Oceanwide Expeditions has been a pioneer in expedition cruises in the Arctic and Antarctica for many years now. We feel at home on land as much as on the sea! As we carry several guides on board our motor vessels we can split up passengers into smaller groups for landings. In this way we can guarantee a “small group” travel experience with like-minded travel companions, also for the hikers.
In Antarctica we have been successfully offering a Weddell Sea hiking expedition with our sailing-vessel Noorderlicht since several years. As more and more people are getting interested in active voyages, Oceanwide Expeditions is now offering more voyages with an extended hiking option. In the early season we are using snowshoes for walking on the deep and slushy snow. There is no difficulty in using snowshoes, everybody can do it. It is an exiting way to explore the Polar wilderness.

General information for passengers

• For those that appreciate a more extensive hiking experience in the Polar Regions there are various possibilities on our expeditions
• Both in the Arctic and in Antarctica we offer dedicated hiking voyages
• Besides hiking voyages also snowshoe-hiking voyages are offered
• On all of our ships (except on our sailing-vessel Noorderlicht) there are options of 2 to 3 different guided walks per landing (easy to challenging)
• These walks vary in length, difficulty and distance and meters climbed: there are always walks that suit your need and ability!
• On hiking voyages to Antarctica we aim at about two hikes per day, each 2 – 3 hours long, up to a maximum of about 4 hours
• On hiking voyages to the Arctic we also offer several full day walks with packed-lunch
• We offer free rental of lightweight snowshoes on m/v Plancius hiking voyages in Antarctica
• We offer free rental of rubber boots with good walking profile on all m/v Plancius voyages
• There is no extra charge for hiking: please see our dates for hiking and snowshoeing options

Please note

• Passengers can choose to skip walks and instead stay on board. Due to safety reasons passengers are not allowed to wander on land unaccompanied though
• Eating food/ snacks in Antarctica on shore is not allowed (Antarctic Treaty/ IAATO regulations)
• In Antarctica all human waste has to be brought back to the ship. This means toilet visits on land are not allowed (Antarctic Treaty/ IAATO regulations). A solution for this restriction can be a “pee-bottle”. These items have to be taken by passengers themselves.

Hiking and Snowshoeing Expeditions

• Early season snowshoe expedition with two mast sailing vessel Noorderlicht in Spitsbergen
• Summer walking expedition around Spitsbergen in August motor vessel Antarctic Dream
• Summer walking and snowshoeing in Antarctica on Professor Molchanov and m/v Plancius

Clothing for the Antarctica

As conditions can change rapidly, make sure you have clothing and equipment suitable for the worst weather.

Important personal clothing and gear to bring (required):

• rubber boots with a good profile for zodiac
• landings and walks
• ankle high, sturdy hiking boots for the walks and for wearing snowshoes
• when wearing hiking boots preferably also gaiters (gamaschen)
• 25 litre rucksack
• 1 litre water bottle
• “pee” bottle for Antarctica (e.g. A wide opening Nalgene bottle. There are special ones for ladies in outdoor shops available)
• thermal underwear
• fleece vest or jacket
• down jacket or spare fleece jacket
• breathable (eg. Gore-Tex®) jacket and trousers
• trekking trousers
• warm fleece hat
• turtle neck (neck gaitor)
• thermal under gloves (fleece finger gloves)
• warm gloves (mittens)
• thick hiking socks (plus spare socks)
• thin undersocks (against blisters)
• good sunglasses
• sun cream / sun block
• straps to tie snowshoes on backpack
• waterproof bag (for camera equipment), especially for the zodiac

Optional items

• hiking / walking poles
• waterproof bag (for camera equipment)
• binoculars
• thermos bottle (snowshoeing Arctic)

The following items will be provided by Oceanwide Expeditions on m/v Plancius

• rubber boots with good profile for zodiac landings and walks

Please note

Cotton clothing like normal t-shirts and jeans are not advisable as cotton tends to get wet and stay wet while hiking in a cold environment. Use thermal underwear and special hiking trousers instead!

Frequently Asked Questions (Hiking)

How long are the walks?
In the Arctic hikes vary between 2 to 3 hour morning and afternoon walks and 8 hours full day hikes. In Antarctica the situation is different as we are not allowed to eat nor leave any toilet waste behind (Antarctic Treaty/IAATO regulations). Therefore our time on land in Antarctica is limited. We plan to go ashore immediately after breakfast or lunch and we will be back for the next meal. That means that there is only about 3 to 4 hours maximum for the hikes. When possible one longer walk of about 6 hours will be made at Deception Island.

How difficult are the walks?
In the Arctic you need to be fit to be able to do the more difficult and demanding hikes. But there is always an option to join one of the less demanding hikes. Our guides can advise you which hikes will fit you.
In Antarctica the hikes are in general not too difficult for someone that has a vital state of health. You need to be able to do a 4 to 5 hour walk in fairly rugged terrain with some up and downhill walking. No other special skills are required. Please note that we are going into fairly unknown terrain. There can be rocks, snow, mud or a frozen hard surface to walk on. We sometimes can only tell more about the difficulties of the hike when we are there at the spot, just before the landing. The weather can also make a walk easy or difficult.

How fast do we walk?
Normally the walking speed is fairly slow. The lack of a footpath and lose rocks and snow demand a slow speed. Everyone wants to enjoy the views and take pictures so that makes the walking also fairly slow. There will be frequent stops.

Do we walk as one big group or do we split up into smaller groups?
Yes, normally we split up into 2-3 smaller groups. Then there will be an easy and a more difficult option. We carry at least three guides on board of our motor ships so every group will have at least one guide. The more difficult option normally takes 2 guides on the walk. On our sailing-vessel Noorderlicht there is no option to split-up into groups as there is only one guide on board.

Are the hikes optional? Can I stay behind onshore?
Passengers can of course stay on board during a walk but they cannot stay behind on the beach. All the guides are needed for the hikes and passengers are according to the regulations not allowed to stay behind without being accompanied by a guide.

Is it possible to take food on the hikes?
In the Arctic eating is allowed. In Antarctica eating snacks on shore is not allowed (Antarctic Treaty/IAATO
regulations) to prevent the spreading of diseases and seeds of alien plant species.

Is there a possibility to go to the toilet?
In Antarctica no toilet visits possible on land (Antarctic Treaty/IAATO regulations). If someone knows he/she has a frequent need for a toilet then this person has to take a bottle (e.g. a Nalgene bottle with a wide opening, sold in outdoor shops or other field toilet options) with him/her.
Please note that Oceanwide Expeditions is not providing any field toilet. One of the important things is not to drink too much before the walk. Then during the walk only drink when feeling thirsty.

If one brings hiking boots, does one then have to carry the rubber boots in one’s pack? Or do those rubber boots (for the landings) stay with the inflatable and get returned at the end of the hike pick-up spot?
Normally rubber boots will stay on the landing/ pick-up beach together with the life-jackets. Sometimes they might be taken in the zodiac and delivered to the landing place. So the rubber boots do not have to be carried in the back-pack.