meet the ambassadors of a sovereign nation

36 Pages·2016·5.24 MB·English

MEET THE
AMBASSADORS
OF A
SOVEREIGN
NATION
ABOARD NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER AND
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ORION | 2016-17 TM
Massive king penguin colonies, as splendid a sight as the world
offers, can be found in a special place: South Georgia. A remote
island in the Southern Ocean, some 720 nautical miles by ship
from Antarctica, South Georgia is the new frontier—where savvy
travelers with a passion for wild places can experience the
genuine sovereignty and majesty of a last wild kingdom.
Over the past 2 years we’ve celebrated the Shackleton
Centennial, and marked the 50th anniversary of my father’s
pioneering expedition to Antarctica in 1966. Both celebrations
draw to a dramatic conclusion this Fall in South Georgia—with
a trek, a Masked Ball, and spectacular wildlife adventures. Sven and Jeremy Lindblad.
National Geographic Orion and National Geographic Explorer will rendezvous in South
Georgia for a grand finale to our “explorer” celebrations. I was looking forward to being in
South Georgia myself, but circumstances have changed for me personally, so I’ll let my son,
Jeremy, tell you what you can look forward to!
Sven-Olof Lindblad
Dear Traveler,
This past week my father asked if I would sit down. “I can’t do the trek across South Georgia,”
he said reluctantly. He recently had surgery for a detached retina and his surgeon had
vetoed the necessary training. “But you could represent our family instead.” Wow.
The trek, as you might have heard, will feature the sons of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing
Norgay—Peter and Jamling—under the guidance of former mountain guide, Guy Cotter,
and accompanied by mountaineering photographer, Tommy Heinrich—to recreate Sir
Ernest Shackleton’s legendary traverse of South Georgia to seek rescue for his men at the
Stromness Whaling Station.
While sorry that my father can’t go (he was so looking forward to seeing the king penguins),
I am honored to be part of this extraordinary team of elite mountaineers. And eager to spend
time with those guests drawn to be part of meaningful adventure, too—sharing each other’s
company and stories. (Note: No guests are expected to do the trek! But you will have the
chance to hike to meet the returning mountain party.)
Guy Cotter has warned me, “This is serious, Jeremy.” So, I will now put normal life aside
to train—for the endurance and strength to carry a 50-lb pack and draw a sled up and
down a mountain and across ice fields. It’s daunting to be sure, but so worth it for such an
extraordinary privilege.
It will be a memorable experience for all, I promise. So, I hope you will choose to share the
adventure with us this October.
Yours sincerely,
Jeremy Lindblad
Reflected sunlight on king penguin breeding and nesting colonies on South Georgia Island. © Michael S. Nolan
WHERE A HOST OF DIVERSE CREATURES PEACEABLY COEXISTS
At many of our landings on South Georgia, we discover a dizzying number of
different creatures manifesting all sorts of fascinating behavior. We’ll observe
teeming masses of king, gentoo and macaroni penguins, elephant seals, fur seals,
wandering albatross, skuas, and perhaps the tiny, yet mighty, South Georgia pipit,
the only songbird below the polar front. We have the luxury of time—generous,
slowed down, richly rewarding—to fully absorb the wonder of it. With no human
habitations, this enchanting island grants us a vision of the primeval world—in
which animals have dominion and live their lives in full.
WHERE A HOST OF DIVERSE CREATURES PEACEABLY COEXISTS
“ As our Zodiacs pulled on to the beach,
we were met by a king penguin
welcoming committee; fur seals were
bounding through the water and on
the beach like Labradors… We got
out and just stood there, spellbound;
and the king penguins rocked and
motioned, while the pups barked and
the kazoo-like cries of the colony
filled the air. It was astounding:
us—orange verticals standing
around, fascinated by them—silver
verticals standing around, staring
back. And then they, citizens of this
world, shrugged us off and got on
with the business of the day. And we
sorted ourselves by inclination: the
photographers began shooting in
earnest; the strollers slowly headed
down the beach inserting themselves
into the motion, the endless seaward
to-and-fro of the locals; others simply
sat, being present, absorbing the
myriad details of this exuberant
display of life on a Serengeti-like scale,
but happening a mere foot away.”
—GUEST JOURNAL ENTRY, MARCH 2016
TEEMING WITH LIFE &
STUNNINGLY SCENIC
The wealth of wildlife is simply staggering, as is their majestic environment: a
backdrop of mountains, glaciers, tussock grass-clad hills, vivid mosses and
lichens igniting the rocks with color; this scenery is among the more
breathtakingly beautiful on Earth. Most of South Georgia’s peaks are
unclimbed, a challenge to mountaineers worldwide. And over
this spectacular geography teeming with life lies the shimmering
mantle of history; it’s where the stirring drama of the Shackleton expedition, including
the traverse we plan to recreate in October 2016, indelibly climaxed.
Clockwise from top left: Antarctic tern; Half of an archival panorama shot by Frank
Hurley of Frank Worsley and Lionel Greenstreet looking across South Georgia
Harbour with the Endurance at anchor below; Lindblad Chief Mate, Ben Lyons, on the
Shackleton Hike, above Fortuna Bay and Stromness Harbor, South Georgia Island;
National Geographic Explorer at anchor off Peggotty Bluff, South Georgia Island.
WWW.EXPEDITIONS.COM 5
ADVENTURE EXCLUSIVE:
MAKE HISTORY IN THE
SOUTHERN OCEAN
Join us in October 2016, and venture out with a remarkable given the team’s physical and
team of extraordinary individuals for the ultimate mental state: frozen, exhausted and desperate.
finale of the Shackleton Endurance centennial, and The team setting out from National Geographic
the 50th anniversary of the birth of expedition travel. Orion this October will have none of those
limitations, although it is still far from a hike.
Peter Hillary, Jamling Tenzing Norgay (both sons
of the first men to summit Mt. Everest—Sir Edmund While the 3-day traverse
Hillary and Tenzing Norgay), Guy Cotter, one of the is underway, you and
world’s leading mountaineers, Tommy Heinrich, fellow guests on National
another mountaineering legend, and newly added Geographic Orion and
Jeremy Lindblad will recreate the historic crossing of National Geographic Explorer
South Georgia from King Haakon Bay to Stromness will be engaged in exploring
Bay–26 miles across mountains and glaciers. South Georgia, thrilling
to the history, the
This traverse, the final leg of Shackleton’s ‘Hail spectacular wildlife,
Mary’ quest to rescue his men, has immortalized and the incredible
Ernest Shackleton. What he did in 1916 was photo ops. And
6 1.800.EXPEDITION (1.800.397.3348)
King Haakon Bay
Stromness Bay
S
OUT
H
GE
O
R
SOUTH GI
GEORGIA A I
SL
A
N
D
ANTARCTICA
Clockwise from top left: Peter Hillary’s climbing group crossing Crean
Glacier on his previous South Georgia crossing; guests hiking the last
part of the Shackleton Traverse from Fortuna Bay to Stomness Harbor,
South Georgia; Naturalist Steve Maclean, paying homage to “The Boss”
Sir Ernest Shackleton at his grave at Grytviken, South Georgia.
Peter Hillary, Jamling Tenzing Norgay, Guy Cotter, Tommy Heinrich, and Jeremy Lindblad.
you will also have the opportunity to attend greet the triumphant trekkers on their last mile.
presentations by these world-class explorers, Once trekkers and guests arrive in Stromness,
share explorations, and hang out with them National Geographic Explorer and Orion will be
casually, over drinks or dinner. anchored together, and guests will be able to
visit both ships. And celebrate!
When the trekkers are approaching Fortuna
Bay, you and fellow guests will have the For the return to Ushuaia, the mountain party will
option to meet and perhaps join them on travel aboard Explorer so that guests on both
the most renowned leg of Shackleton’s ships will be able to enjoy the company of the
epic crossing, Fortuna Bay to Stromness mountaineering luminaries and the trekking party.
Harbour. This challenging 4-mile hike takes The conversation on both ships is sure to be very
you by Shackleton’s Waterfall, and down into interesting and thought-provoking.
Stromness Harbour, and the evocative ruins of
the old whaling station. If you wish to spend *Travelers booking the voyage who would also like to
more time soaking up the history of Stromness participate in the trek can apply by contacting Trey Byus
Whaling Station or photographing the famous at [email protected]. A select few with
waterfall, you can ramble up the valley and the requisite climbing credentials will be chosen.
WWW.EXPEDITIONS.COM 7
“ People are always asking me—because I travel so much and have
been to so many places with Lindblad, ‘Where’s your favorite place?’
I have to just laugh and look them right in the eye and say—South
Georgia. This just has it all. Great expedition travel. It’s real adventure.
Fantastic wildlife, scenery, the human history is fascinating as well.
I mean EVERYTHING about this place—it’s just perfect for us.”
—TOM RITCHIE, NATURALIST
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