IF RAT RACE DID ANTARCTICA...THIS WOULD BE IT
After two decades of pushing boundaries around the globe, we've saved the most audacious adventure for this final frontier into the White Continent. This isn't just another Antarctic trip, it's a full-throttle Rat Race expedition, purpose -built for those who crave more than a sterile sightseeing cruise.
From the deck of our private expedition sailing yacht, you'll launch into a triple-threat of pure polar adventure; heavy-weight kayaking missions among towering icebergs, snowshoeing across untouched ridgelines and ski touring for those who want to take it even further. Every element has been hand-crafted exclusively for our customers, no compromises, no cookie-cutter itineraries, just raw, unfiltered Antarctica.
Is this the adventure of a lifetime? No. This is THE adventure of YOUR lifetime. Are you in?
Watch the full expedition video:
DURATION:
11 DAYS /10 NIGHTS
LOCATION:
ANTARCTIC PENINSULA
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
ACCOMMODATION
10 nights accommodation and all meals onboard our private yacht included
GUIDES AND SUPPORT
Rat Race Expedition leader, qualified kayak and ski touring guides, professional sailing crew and onboard chef.
SAFETY
Professional local and UK safety staff and medics. Rat Race experts on hand throughout. Audited and accredited to BS8848 expedition safety standard.
TRANSFER POLICY
Transfer your Exped Antarctica entry up to 12 months before your departure date.
EXTRAS
High quality medal, Rat Rag and souvenir Exped Antarctica fleece top.
EQUIPMENT
Kayak, paddle and buoyancy aid included. Dry suits available to rent.
WE ARE GOING TO BUY A TRACT OF STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT
RAINFOREST IN CENTRAL AMERICA.
RAISE £10000 AND GET UP TO £5000 REFUNDED
RAISE AT LEAST £10,000 (EXCLUDING GIFT AID) FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER UK AND GET £5000
OR FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR CHARITY PARTNERSHIP HERE
DAY ONE: FLY TO ANTARCTICA
We will meet in Punta Arenas, * Chilean Patagonia, where we will embark on our specially chartered flight to King George Island on the tip of the Antarctic peninsula in the South Shetland Islands. Upon arrival at King George, we will transfer to our amazing private, expedition sailing yacht, carry out a safety briefing and get used to life on board in our cabins. We will of course meet the amazingly kind and professional boat crew, enjoy a communal meal together in the saloon and set sail for our first stop on the adventure: Yankee Harbour. Choose to bed down for the night after a long journey;’ or sit up on deck and just take stock of where you are and what you are now doing: Sailing into the Antarctic.
* We will recommend that you arrive the preceding day into Punta Arenas and arrange your own accommodation for the night before our departure, where there are choices to suit all budgets. We will likely meet up the evening before our charter flight for a social meal and welcome drink together for those who wish.
ACCOMODATION: Expedition yacht cabins
FOOD: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner, snacks, beer, wine, soft drinks
DAY TWO: KAYAK/SKI FAMILIARISATION KIT CHECK
Waking up to a world of sea, ice and 1000s of penguins, we will carry out our first kayak activity with a shake down paddle (and/ or ski for those who want it) at Yankee Harbour. This is an historic location and provides us a sheltered environment to get used to the very unique Antarctic conditions.
ACCOMODATION: Expedition yacht cabins
FOOD: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner, snacks, beer, wine, soft drinks
DAY THREE: KAYAK/SKI TWO HUMMOCK ISLAND
We plan to sail to Two Hummock Island. At all times, we will keep a flexible outlook to the locations and the weather. Luckily, we have many, many options and of course we have a boat, so we can go anywhere and do anything!
Our core objective today will be to paddle around the island and for those who wish, you can ski instead. We will then set sail for Enterprise Island, mooring up near or perhaps even alongside the haunting wreck of the Governor, an old Norwegian whaling factory ship which caught fire and sank in 1915 and now sits evocatively in Foyn Harbour at Enterprise Island.
ACCOMODATION: Expedition yacht cabins
FOOD: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner, snacks, beer, wine, soft drinks
DAY FOUR: KAYAK/SKI NANSEN ISLAND
Our aim today is to paddle around Nansen Island – a journey of around 35km - plus ski objectives high up on Nansen Island for those who wish. We will anchor locally and enjoy the peace and calm of these sheltered anchorages, ruptured only by the sounds of icebergs moving and glaciers carving all around us.
ACCOMODATION: Expedition yacht cabins
FOOD: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner, snacks, beer, wine, soft drinks
DAY FIVE: KAYAK/SKI RONGE ISLAND
In the morning, we will depart for Cuverville Island and moor up, followed likely by a paddle and ski around Ronge Island. We then transit to Paradise Harbour. When we are repositioning the boat to new locations, this is all part of the adventure. Experience sunrise and sunset up on deck, witness the dozens of humpback (and other) whales visible all around; birds flying all around. Just take it all in. Sailing through Antarctica is a privilege not experienced by many people ever; and it is an utter joy to behold.
ACCOMODATION: Expedition yacht cabins
FOOD: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner, snacks, beer, wine, soft drinks
DAY SIX: PARADISE HARBOUR: THE BIG KAYAK
Paradise Harbour is one of the most majestic places on the entire Antarctic peninsula. Today is planned to be ‘the big one’ – we will attempt a 50-60 km ‘ultra’ kayak circumnavigation of Paradise Harbour and for those who prefer to ski today, there will be multiple ski objectives to get to grips with while the paddlers are out for their lengthy session on the water!
Experiencing almost 24 hour daylight, we have plenty of time to try and achieve these robust objectives. Along the way, we will paddle with penguins swimming all around us, see seals – perhaps leopard seals, countless birds and of course, likely whales too. This is the very essence of why we have come: To do something no-one really ever does, in places where only kayaks and sailing boats can get in close, while experiencing the absolute magic of Antarctica unfolding around us.
ACCOMODATION: Expedition yacht cabins
FOOD: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner, snacks, beer, wine, soft drinks
DAY SEVEN: ICEBERG GRAVEYARD
If time permits, we will now sail to Pleneau Island, which is as far south on the Peninsula as we will venture. This is a surreal place and is known as the ‘iceberg graveyard.’ We will already have paddled amongst many vast ‘bergs but this place is on another level. The ‘bergs here are beached in shallow water, so there is no risk of them toppling. It means we can paddle really close to them. If we did not get our shot at the big day at Paradise Harbour yesterday, we can ‘go large’ today with a 50km paddle around Booth and Pleneau Islands. For those who fancy the slidey-sticks, we can also ski Mount Scott.
ACCOMODATION: Expedition yacht cabins
FOOD: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner, snacks, beer, wine, soft drinks
DAY EIGHT: PORT LOCKROY/JABET PEAK
We will start with a boat transit to Port Lockroy, which is an incredibly well-kept ex British research base, preserved by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust. We will go ashore and visit the base. Alongside its authentic exhibits of the era of polar exploration gone by, Port Lockroy has an unbelievable and amazing gift shop where proceeds are used towards the upkeep of the site. After our visit to the base, we will paddle in the Neumayer Channel and for skiers, the opportunity for a sensational objective with a ski from the summit of Jabet Peak awaits.
ACCOMODATION: Expedition yacht cabins
FOOD: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner, snacks, beer, wine, soft drinks
DAY NINE: GLACIAL SNOWSHOE HALF MARATHON
This is big snowshoe half-marathon day! We will reposition the boat for the short transit to Access Point on Anvers Island, from where we will rope up ready for our epic snowshoeing outing. This will involve covering around 13 miles (20km) of heavily glaciated terrain, ascending high above the surrounding area to afford us majestic views across the entire peninsula and island systems. We aim to create a never-done-before horseshoe-shaped traversing route up from and back down to sea level. Experience the thrill of a heavy-duty outing on multiple glaciers, mountain ascents and descents and the probable satisfaction that no-one has ever set foot in several of the places you are now moving through, roped up together as an expedition team.
ACCOMODATION: Expedition yacht cabins
FOOD: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner, snacks, beer, wine, soft drinks
DAY TEN: ANTARCTICA MAINLAND
We turn our attention to the return journey north now, retracing our steps back up along the coast of the peninsula, to reach Trinity Island or Curtis Bay, where there should be time for one last paddle or ski and we step onto Antarctic mainland. We will then continue sailing overnight back to King George Island.
ACCOMODATION: Expedition yacht cabins
FOOD: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner, snacks, beer, wine, soft drinks
DAY ELEVEN: FLY BACK TO REALITY
Fly back to Punta Arenas.** After a final hearty breakfast on board, we will say goodbye to our warm and generous boat crew and make our way back to Chile on our charter flight; the end of an utterly spectacular adventure.
ACCOMODATION: Expedition yacht cabins
FOOD: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner, snacks, beer, wine, soft drinks
NB: The above is our ‘Plan A’ itinerary. All locations and timings are interchangeable and flexible owing to weather and other considerations in Antarctica. With the boat, we have multiple options. Whatever we do and wherever we go, it will be absolutely sensational. Of that, there is absolutely zero doubt.
** Owing the very unique challenges of the weather in Antarctica, you should be open to the possibility of delays to the charter flight in either direction. If we are delayed leaving Chile for the peninsula on the outbound flight, it will be fairly straightforward to arrange further accommodation in Punta Arenas of your choosing. On the return journey, in the event of a flight delay we will accommodate on the boat until the flight is ready to leave, at no further cost to yourself.
ACCOMMODATION
All included accommodation is onboard our private sailing yacht and it is on a shared basis. Cabin allocation will take into consideration relationships and gender splits. There is a mix of twin, triple and quadruple cabins onboard, but rest assured the time spent in your cabin is few and far between! The comfortable saloon is a great social hang out and the deck is where all the action (and sightseeing!) is.
MEALS
All meals and drinks on board inlcuded. There is a fresh and varied breakfast buffet each morning to set you up for a day of adventure. Packed lunches are wrap/sandwiches designed for you to take with you on your activity, we would recommend bringing a supply of snacks to augment this with although we will have some communal grab and go options. Dinner is a freshly prepared meal from our onboard chef. All dietary requirements are fully catered for.
Kit List
This is our planned kit list for Antarctica, additional items may be added but these will be communicated to you in our pre-event information guide 6 months prior. There are many rental companies that exist out there for you to rent some of the specialist equipment below, if you are UK based we recommend Outdoor Hire all kit is per person and cannot be shared.
The kit lists are split by discipline, the activities are all optional so if you do not wish to kayak you do not need to bring that equipment and vice versa for skiing etc. If you have any questions about kit or would like to be sent some links to examples that would be suitable online please email the team on events@ratrace.com and we will be happy to help.
GENERAL CLOTHING
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Wool or synthetic socks
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Liner socks
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Long underwear top – synthetic or wool
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Light fleece or wool sweater
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Wind shell jacket
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Waterproof breathable jacket
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Warm insulated jacket – down or synthetic
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Long underwear bottoms – synthetic or wool
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Multipurpose stretch wind stopper trousers
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Waterproof breathable trousers
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Warm hat – wool or synthetic
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Brimmed cap for sun protection
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Face warmer – scarf, neck tube or balaclava
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Light gloves – wool, synthetic or leather
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Insulated gloves or mitts with waterproof outer shell
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Spare gloves or mitts
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Insulated Trousers are nice for sitting on deck
KAYAK EQUIPMENT
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Dry suit
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Neoprene mittens
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Insulated undersuit
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Shoe with a hard sole to wear over the dry suit. Make sure they are large enough to fit the dry suit bottom and the thick socks. Having circulation to your feet is essential. For example – Marine dry suit boots Or – Hard wearing trainers.
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Poggies – these are provided but having your own that fit would be beneficial.
SNOWSHOE EQUIPMENT
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Snowshoeseg MSR EVO trail This example is designed as. Lightweight snowshoe but NOT as a running snowshoe.
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B2 Boots to wear with snowshoes, need to fit with the boot crampons
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Poles
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Boot crampons
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Lightweight ice axe
SNOW SAFETY EQUIPMENT
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Avalanche beacon with good batteries (and spares)
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Shovel
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Probe (2.4m or longer preferred)
GLACIER GEAR
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Harness – fitted for over your ski clothing
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Locking carabiners (x2)
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Non-locking carabiners (x2)
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Prussik cord – 5m x 6mm
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Sewn sling – 120cm
SKI EQUIPMENT
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Touring skis
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Touring boots
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Skins
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Ski crampons
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Ski poles
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Lightweight ice axe
PERSONAL EQUIPMENT
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Backpack (30-40 litres)
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Sunglasses (both orange and dark lenses help a lot for travel in all conditions)
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Goggles (orange or rose lenses)
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Sunscreen and lip cream (SPF 30+)
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Insulated water bottle or thermos (1-2 L)
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Lunch bag or container
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Personal blister kit. Be sure to pre-tape problem spots on your feet, prevention is the best medicine!
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Pocket knife (optional)
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Camera (optional)
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Binoculars (optional)
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Utility cord for hanging stuff to dry (very helpful for hanging personal items in your cabin)
ON THE SAILING BOAT
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Small soft-sided duffle bag (up to 70 L) to contain your clothes in your berth
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Shoes
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Insulated boots for shore excursions
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Comfortable and warm clothing
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Personal medications and toiletries (including small-sized soap and shampoo)
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Ear plugs
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Reading material
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Chargers & adapters for electronic devices (normal AC power is available as 220V Euro plug)
PAY IN INSTALMENTS
SIGN UP TODAY FROM
/ MONTH
£410.93
INTEREST FREE!
2028 TOTAL ENTRY COST
£18950
/ TOTAL PAYMENT
SIGN UP TODAY
* Instalment price displayed is for a 2030 entry. 2030 entries are £19950 to account for expected inflation over a 2 year period of the sailing yacht hire cost. Due to the small group nature of our Expedition adventures Event Credit vouchers cannot be used to discount your entry. If you part pay for your Antarctica entry with event credit we will email you to re-issue this voucher and request the outstanding balance to resecure your place.
All entries will are in GBP A booking fee of 2.99% will be added to all payments.
PAY MONTHLY INTEREST FREE!
ENTER NOW AND SPREAD THE COST INTEREST FREE WITH OUR INSTALMENT PLAN
We’ve created a flexible, interest-free* instalment plan so you can choose how many months to spread the cost of your adventure. Choose to pay in full or in equal monthly instalments up to 3 months before your event date.
*Once you sign up, Rat Race will set up a recurring monthly payment via Stripe. If a payment fails, you’ll receive reminders from Stripe and our team. After three failed contact attempts and no payment, your entry will be cancelled with no refund or transfer eligibility.
Please see here for full terms and conditions and our cancellation policy.
PROTECT YOUR NON-REFUNDABLE BOOKING WITH REFUND PROTECT
Add Refund Protect to your booking during purchase and receive a full refund of your entry fee if you are unable to attend the event due to a qualifying unforeseen circumstance. PLEASE NOTE this protection is with our 3rd party partner Refund Protect and NOT Rat Race. In the event you make a refund application this is administered by the Refund Protect customer service team, Rat Race are not privy to the application and cannot intervene on your behalf to influence the outcome determined by their team.
To check the full list of qualifying unforeseen circumstances that are protected please click here to view Refund Protect terms and conditions.
To add Refund Protect (administered by a 3rd party) to your Rat Race booking simply select this option when presented during the entry process. Refund Protect cannot be added retrospectively. Rat Race will then send you name and booking details to Refund Protect in order to protect your transaction with them. If you opt to pay in instalments and transfer your entry before the entry cost is full paid you will be liable to ensure the cost of Refund Protect has been fully covered. This total amount will be deducted from any Rat Race credit due through the transfer process or you will be invoiced by Rat Race for the outstanding amount as Rat Race have paid this on your behalf to Refund Protect at point of entry.
WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES
At Rat Race, we create extraordinary adventures for everyone people. We know we’re a premium brand and that those adventures are premium experiences. In our 20th year, we have decided that our commitment to investment in our standards, safety and quality of experience should be matched in our commitment to the transparency in showing how we spend your hard-earned cash in bringing these adventures to life.
So here it is. A pie chart of how we spend your money in bringing our events and trips to life.
RAISE AT LEAST £10000 (EXCLUDING GIFT AID) FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER UK AND GET £5000 OF YOUR ENTRY FEE REFUNDED!
Our longstanding partnership with Children with Cancer UK gives #ratracers the opportunity to raise much needed funds for this great cause in exchange for a refund of their entry fee. So far our #ratracers have raised over £2million for Children with Cancer UK and we would love for you to join the team to help us chase down that £3million target!
The funds you raise will be invested into vital specialist research to improve survival rates in children and young people and help more of them ring the end of treatment bell.
All you need to do is set up a Just Giving page and start your fundraising! You will have until 1 month after the event date to hit your target and then send us the link to your page which will allow us to process your refund. Refunds will be made 2 – 3 months after the event completion date.
Refunds are not mandatory you are welcome to opt-out of receiving a refund. Should participants opt-out their refund will instead be used by Children with Cancer UK to help fund their research.
If you choose to support Children with Cancer UK and raise £5000, you will also receive:
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A Children with Cancer UK fundraising and training pack
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Regular Children with Cancer UK updates
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A dedicated point of contact at the charity
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A technical Children with Cancer UK t-shirt to wear with pride
For more information on Children with Cancer UK please visit www.childrenwithcancer.org.uk.
Alternatively please contact the Sports Team on 020 7430 7788 or email sports@childrenwithcancer.org.uk.
Children with Cancer UK is a registered national charity (no. 298405)
You can do all 3 but you do not need to do all 3. Owing to the very unique way in which we have resourced the trip, we have expert guides embarked with us for skiing and kayaking (and snowshoeing), who can take split groups at the same time. So if you wish to mix it up and ski some days and paddle on others, that is fine. Or if you just want to paddle all days, that is all fine. Similarly, the snowshoeing day is optional and the alternative if you do not wish to do that, is to go paddling.
Don’t worry. You do not need to be a skier to come on this trip. This option is there for those who wish and can ski; but you do not need to be able to ski. If you are planning to ski, you must be competent and confident in backcountry glaciated terrain and have good experience of ski touring. You must bring your own ski equipment, there is no hire option available.
The boat is a specially designed Polar sailing yacht. It is around 120ft long, which makes it a big sailing boat (it also has an engine). But it is far smaller and much more charming and personable) than even a small cruise ship. This means it can get in close to many many anchorages where the larger Polar cruise ships simply cannot go. The Antarctic operating rules for ships also limit those larger craft to 3 hour intervals at anchor in some locations. In our boat, we are not subject to those restrictions, providing us a far more intimate experience and absolutely unfettered access to the best spots; across the whole trip.
Most adventure activities offered in Antarctic are done so from small cruise ships. Owing to the restrictions imposed on the way in which these ships operate, these are very much in the realm of short-form ‘experiences’ undertaken as excursions from those ships. They are tasters of adventure, if you like. We are full-on, deep-dive adventure with a capital A. The only way really to experience what we are doing here, is to charter a sailing boat and run your own itinerary. Our boat is equipped with excellent expedition-grade kayaks, crewed by an impossibly experienced onboard team and staffed by world-class ski and paddling guides. This trip just does not exist elsewhere. We have created it through several years of research, through test-piloting it and from going to these locations and doing it ourselves. If you are searching for the adventure of your dreams in Antarctica, carried out in an ethical and holistic way, we have zero doubt that this is it.
Rat Race requires you to be over 18 on the date we depart for this adventure.
This adventure has a significant, early upfront cost for Rat Race to secure the vessel and staff, as such the transfer window for this event will close 12 MONTHS before the departure date of your Exped Antarctica trip. Transfers can be processed automatically from your Rat Race account during the live transfer period.
You will be issued a credit voucher once you transfer out. Credit vouchers are valid for 12 months from the date of issue. Credit vouchers are exempt from the transfer process. To find out more information and how to submit a request, view of full transfer policy HERE
We’ve put together a fantastic instalment plan that allows you to choose how many months you want to spread the cost of this brilliant adventure over. You can pay it off all in one go or spread it over as many months as you like, totally interest free. There is no credit check required to use this facility. When you sign up to the instalment plan Rat Race will then set up a reoccurring payment and your card will be debited on the same date each month.
Add Refund Protect to your booking during purchase and receive a full refund of your entry fee if you are unable to attend the event due to a qualifying unforeseen circumstance. PLEASE NOTE this protection is with our 3rd party partner Refund Protect and NOT Rat Race. In the event you make a refund application this is administered by the Refund Protect customer service team, Rat Race are not privy to the application and cannot intervene on your behalf to influence the outcome determined by their team.
To check the full list of qualifying unforeseen circumstances that are protected please click here to view Refund Protect terms and conditions.
To add Refund Protect (administered by a 3rd party) to your Rat Race booking simply select this option when presented during the entry process. Refund Protect cannot be added retrospectively. Rat Race will then send you name and booking details to Refund Protect in order to protect your transaction with them. If you opt to pay in instalments and transfer your entry before the entry cost is full paid you will be liable to ensure the cost of Refund Protect has been fully covered. This total amount will be deducted from any Rat Race credit due through the transfer process or you will be invoiced by Rat Race for the outstanding amount as Rat Race have paid this on your behalf to Refund Protect at point of entry.
Yes. You need a decent travel policy covering you for general travel and which covers participation in outdoor sports. You will also need what is called an Evacuation Insurance Policy, which is for if we need to send you back to the closest city for urgent medical attention via a helicopter or similar. We also recommend you have this in place as soon as you enter this event and that if you book flights, we highly recommend booking a flexible option for any last-minute changes you might need to make or to ensure you have maximum flexibility if you cannot attend for any reason.
Travel insurance is compulsory for our events, so please make sure your insurance policy covers the activities you will be participating in. There are a number of specialist providers available including Mann Broadbent.
Rat Race have been audited and accredited to the prestigious BS8848 expedition safety standard. We have firm emergency protocols and response systems in place whilst out on our adventures. Our main priority above all else is to keep you and our staff safe. Before we leave for each trip a comprehensive in-country risk and threat assessment has been conducted by the Head of Expeditions. All protocols are put in place relating to those assessments. We make sure that the staff involved have the highest level of first aid training; a higher level of medical cover is also put in place if needed; all instructors have qualifications and/ or competencies to match the adventure we will undertake. In the event of an emergency, Rat Race staff and appointed contractors have comprehensive knowledge of procedures which will rapidly be put in place. If needed, our staff will provide first aid and then further medical assistance and evacuation if needed in line with a published Medical Procedures Plan. We have medical back-up and Clinical Directorship provided by a specialist events medical company and we have further emergency response support services provided by competent contracted partner. All our cover is available 24/7 while operations are underway. We use our knowledge and emergency procedures to provide the best possible care in our often remote and austere environments. Before leaving on a trip, we will advise on the insurance cover you are required to have in place for the trip; we will ask for a copy of these insurance details before the departure date.
Race entry includes a glorious finishers medal and bespoke Exped Antarctica fleece top.
We will expect you to have some basic sea kayak experience, you should know how to perform and emergency bail out of an upturned kayak and be able to assist others if they have capsized. These are all skills easily learned and obtained by a few lessons with a local kayak operation. In the 12 months before our Exped we will organise some UK based kayak skill days where you can meet your fellow boatmates and enjoy a weekend of sea kayaking.