Learn Ice Climbing And Abseiling At This Luxe Antarctic Resort

In Antarctica, every day is an adventure in the harshest conditions on the planet. Imagine waking up to ice as far as the eye can see, climbing sheer walls of ice, abseiling down frozen cliffs, or skimming over snowy plains in a snowmobile. Adventurous travelers looking to explore the South Pole must try staying at Wolf's Fang: six luxury tents pitched on the icy interiors of the Antarctic. While past polar explorers subsisted on tinned food and suffered through frostbite, Wolf's Fang has fur-lined beds, hot showers, and gourmet meals. It's only open from late November to early February, the peak of the Antarctic summer with 24 hours of daylight.

Most Antarctic visitors are day trippers alighting for only a few hours at a time from a cruise ship or hitching a ride aboard an exploring expedition, but there are dreamy lodging alternatives since there are no hotels in Antarctica. Wolf's Fang offers the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sleep, wake, and traverse the White Continent, one of the most unliveable places on Earth. It's a trip that will test your limits.

Wolf's Fang is apart of White Desert, a tour agency founded by polar explorers Patrick and Robyn Woodhead. Patrick led the first-ever east-to-west crossing of the Antarctic, skiing across the continent in 75 days. He tells the New Zealand Herald, "Ever since I first visited these mountains, I've dreamt of setting up a camp that would allow clients a chance to reconnect with nature, but also be adventurous." They named the camp Wolf's Fang after the rugged peaks seen from around the camp, Fenriskjeften or Wolf's Jaw.

The camp is nestled on top of a glacier, and the maximum number of guests is 12. You'll be part of a cozy group taking meals together in the communal tent. With leather sofas draped in furs and a hefty heater nearby, this is where guests unwind and regale each other with the day's adventures. For those craving a drink on the rocks, the Snow Lounge is a bar carved out of ice. Each tent houses two people and includes a bathroom with hot showers.

By creating a safe and comfortable base, Wolf's Fang allows visitors to have their own Antarctic adventures. Experienced mountaineers teach guests to ice-climb and abseil down cliffs. Expeditions to the South Pole or visiting a colony of emperor penguins are also possible. If you dare, you can even experience what the original polar explorers went through by camping out on the ice for a night.

Getting to Wolf's Fang is not easy. First, you have to fly to Cape Town, South Africa. This stretch of the coastline is close to the South Pole and features the only beach in the world where you can get up close and personal with African penguins. From here, it's another five hours of flying to Wolf's Fang runway. This is the only private runway in Antarctica with a small fleet of chartered aircraft specially fitted with ski-equipped landing gear.

Antarctica is notoriously one of the world's most expensive destinations, and excursions from White Desert are no exception. A six-day adventure to see emperor penguins costs $68,500 per person, while hiking to the top of an Antarctic mountain costs $49,500 for a five- or six-day expedition. If all you want is one unforgettable day of ice climbing and picnicking on a glacier, the company offers a single-day trip for $15,950. All packages come with private charter flights to the camp.

Traveling to Wolf's Fang is truly a bucket list trip and is priced accordingly. It is also a unique experience that cannot be replicated anywhere else. For some explorers, that is an adventure worth the price.