Thousands of curious gentoo penguins waddle about awkwardly at Port Lockroy, a British base on the southern end of Weincke Island, Antarctica. Once they hop into the sea they loose their awkwardness and porpoise through the water. The seals are similar. Their clumsiness on shore is lost when they slide into the sea and get all serpentine.
It’s beautiful and one of the reasons people travel so far south through some of the roughest waters in the world to see the place. In November and December, when the sun only dips below the horizon for a short time, you get hours of golden light that put the mountains on display. The mountains are why we’ve been drawn to the southern continent of Antarctica.
Doug Stoup has been adventuring to the Antarctic Peninsula for years now, close to 20 trips. When he first turned me on to the ski opportunities in Antarctica I was overwhelmed by the potential and couldn’t wait to ski there. And thanks to Doug, I am sitting in the Lynnex Hotel in Ushuaia, Argentina, enjoying solid ground and an early morning latte. I am packed and ready to head back to Lake Tahoe after an amazing 20 days of cruising the Antarctic Peninsula hunting for the best skiing….
Read Kip’s entire article (with photos) over at Powder Magazine!