Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Antarctica / Queen Maud Land / White Desert Whichaway Camp
White Desert Whichaway Camp
Queen Maud Land, Antarctica · Independent · Accessible Luxury
Built in 2012 at Schirmacher in Queen Maud Land, Whichaway is the flagship of White Desert, the company polar explorers Patrick and Robyn Woodhead founded in December 2005 to make Antarctica accessible. Six solar-heated fiberglass pods sit on one of the rare ice-free zones covering less than 3 percent of the continent, described as Antarctica's first and only hotel.
- 6 rooms
- Opened 2005
About White Desert Whichaway Camp
- White Desert was founded in December 2005 in London by polar explorers Patrick and Robyn Woodhead to make Antarctica accessible.
- Whichaway Camp was built in 2012 at Schirmacher in Queen Maud Land using solar-heated guest pods and underwent extensive renovations in 2016.
- Guests fly in on a blue-ice runway to stay in six solar-heated fiberglass pods on one of the rare ice-free zones covering less than 3 percent of the continent.
- Described as Antarctica's first and only hotel, the camp was the first operation on the continent to use sustainable aviation fuel.
History
Whichaway Camp is the flagship of White Desert, a company founded in December 2005 in London by polar explorers Patrick and Robyn Woodhead to make Antarctica accessible. The camp was built in 2012 on the Schirmacher Oasis in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica, using solar-heated guest 'pods'; it underwent extensive renovations in 2016, and a second location, Echo Camp, was added in 2022. It is described as Antarctica's first and only hotel.
Experiences
- Glacier Trek — Glacier walks.
- Ice Climbing — Ice climbing offered from the camp.
- Rappelling — Abseiling/rappelling down glacier features.
- Nunatak Hikes — Hiking to nunataks (exposed rock peaks).
- Lake Traverse — Traverse across the freshwater lakes.
- Sauna & Cold Plunge — Sauna and ice plunge.
Amenities
- Heated pod with electric blankets and hot-water bottles
- En-suite shower and bathroom
- Nova coffee machine, kettle and selection of teas
- Storage for clothes and personal belongings
- International power points
- Glass conservatory with one-way mirrored panels and lounge chair
- Writing desk
- Professional photographer; entire stay shared at end of trip
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More hotels in Queen Maud Land
- White Desert Echo Camp — Independent · Accessible Luxury