In the Spring 2021 issue of Elite Traveler, Robyn Woodhead, co-founder of pioneering Antarctic travel company White Desert, spoke to us about how the vast, uninhabited continent captured her heart and appealed to her unwavering sense of adventure.
Woodhead briefly mentioned the imminent launch of the company’s second camp, and now, a few months later, Wolf’s Fang has been officially unveiled. With the first trip set for November 28, the camp is named for a dramatic mountain peak that dominates the skyline (the imposing silhouette is visible from over 60 miles away).
White Desert is the only aviation operator in Antarctica (including government programs) to be entirely carbon neutral throughout its whole supply chain, and has been since 2007. So it comes as no surprise that the latest addition treads extremely lightly on the environment; it is temporary, and has been constructed without any foundations so that it can be completely removed, leaving no trace behind.
[See also: First Look at Wilderness Safaris and White Desert’s Itineraries]
White Desert’s new camp consists of six insulated tents that can house two guests each, cocooned in interiors that pay homage to the golden age of polar exploration / ©Kelvin Trautman
The camp consists of six insulated tents that can house two guests each, cocooned in interiors that pay homage to the golden age of polar exploration; think supple leather, canvas and soft, fluffy throws.
Wolf’s Fang differs from its sister camp, Whichaway Oasis, as it is designed to cater to the more adventurous among you. It is located near White Desert’s blue-ice runway (whereas Whichaway is near the Schirmacher Oasis, an ice-free plateau containing over 100 lakes).
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The activities are as seemingly endless as the days (there’s 24 hours of sunshine here) — try ice climbing or fat biking, hike to the summit of nearby peaks, or venture out on an overnight ski tour, all under the care of expert guides. Sundowners (although a bit of a misnomer here) are served from a cocktail bar fashioned from a 10,000-year-old slab of glacial ice. Guests of both camps can also fly to the Geographic South Pole, the southernmost point on Earth, to visit an Emperor Penguin colony of over 28,000 birds.
[See also: White Desert Announces Next Steps in Climate Crisis Strategy]
Wolf’s Fang been constructed without any foundations so that it can be completely removed, leaving no trace behind / ©Marko Prezelj
From $45,000. Contact Robyn Woodhead, co-founder, info@white-desert.com, white-desert.com
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This article appears in the 29 Nov 2021 issue of the New Statesman, Winter 2021/22
