One month at Palmer Station, Antarctica
By Madeleine · Mar 24, 2017
- Origin
- London, England
- Destination
- Palmer Station, Anvers Island, Western Antarctic Pensinula
- Main mode of transport
- Ship (RV Laurence M Gould )
- Cost per person
- Mid range
- Accommodation
- At the US reserach station known as Palmer Station. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmer_Station
Best Bits
It’s hard to pick the best moments because there were so many but here’s a few….
- Waking up each morning and remembering where I was.
- Going for walks in a backyard which was a glacier.
- Meeting some truly inspirational scientists and people with so many stories from around the world.
Worst Bits
If you went outside with wet hair it froze in seconds…
Trip Dates and Comments on Timing
July. If you don’t like the dark, it may not be for you!
Arrival Logistics
My journey south started in London, I flew to Punta Arenas I then boarded a ship and about a week later I’d made it to Antarctica. Everything was arranged through the US Antarctic Programs travel agent. I just had to be in the right place at the right time.
Main Activities
Working, nature, adventure, skiing, science and research
Food and Drink Highlights
Being British I was introduced to many American treats. I remember my first s’more and also making pumpkin pie for the station on my last day!
Essential Packing for this Trip
Like my last trip… thermals, waterproofs and a bobble hat!
Madeleine’s Experience…
I was with a team of 15 scientists who ventured to Palmer in the middle of the Antarctic winter, when we arrived there was only about 3 hours of daylight a day! We were there to learn about the Antarctic environment, we studied everything from nutrients in the water to what lived on the seafloor and the changing penguin population nearby.
Each day we had morning lectures followed by discussions. Some days we planned our science investigations, other days we were on the ship collecting samples or in the lab analysing them. In the evening if we weren’t working we could socialise with other station residents, go skiing on the glacier, go to the gym, watch movies, play pool. Oh and there was a hot tub!
This expedition was a 30-night trip.
First Last Name
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I’m from Perth, Western Australia
My favourite trip as of late is New Zealand, solo travel in lots of nature for a soul-refresher.
My travelling style is to Book the first night, then wing it from there!
It’s a dealbreaker when I’m stuck around large groups of package tourists.
Continent I know best is Asia.
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