The continent of Antarctica is roughly the same size as Australia, but it effectively doubles in size every winter as the surrounding seas freeze, extending Antarctica’s reach with an impenetrable skirt of ice. This can often give the impression that Antarctica is a largely featureless place – an idea that’s reinforced by the picture of a lone explorer hauling their sledge across an endless and empty horizon. In fact, Antarctica is home to some of the planet’s most rugged and spectacular mountain ranges.
In this guide, we explore the mountains in Antarctica and explain how many of them can be conquered on your own polar adventure, whether you’re an experienced mountaineer looking to bag Mount Vinson, the highest peak on the continent, or just want to try your hand with ropes and crampons for a short taste of the high life.
The Transantarctic Mountains
One mountain range above all dominates the geography of Antarctica: the Transantarctic Mountains. As their name suggests, they stretch across the entire width of the continent in one continuous range that runs for over 3,200 km (2,000 miles) from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea. The two resulting halves are known as West Antarctica (which contains the Antarctic Peninsula, Weddell Sea and Ross Sea) and East Antarctica (which contains the South Pole).
The Transantarctic Mountains were a formidable barrier to the earliest Polar explorers. Ernest Shackleton pioneered the route through them through his discovery of the Beardmore Glacier that led to the Polar Plateau, but it wasn’t until the 1950s when they were first surveyed properly by air, revealing their true extent.
The Transantarctic Mountains are divided into a number of smaller ranges, all named for queens. The highest mountain in the Transantarctic Mountains is Mount Kirkpatrick at 4,528 metres (14,856 ft), which sits in the Queen Alexandra Range overlooking the Ross Ice Shelf. Other significant mountains include Mount Elizabeth (4,480 metres/14,698 feet) in the same range, the triple-peaked massif Mount Markham (4,350 metres/14,272 feet in the Queen Elizabeth Range, and Mount Kaplan (4,230 metres/13.877 feet) in the Queen Maud Range.
Many mountains here appear lower than they actually are due to the thickness of Antarctica’s ice cap: peaks here can be buried in as much as 3000 metres (1.8 miles) of ice before they erupt from the polar ice sheet.
One of the most interesting aspects of the Transantarctic Range are the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Victoria Land west of McMurdo Sound near the Ross Sea. Local geography has prevented the intrusion of glaciers, creating the largest ice-free areas of Antarctica, covering around 4,800 square km (1,850 square miles). The valleys are some of the coldest and driest environments on the planet.
The Ellsworth Mountains
The Ellsworth Mountains are the Antarctic mountain range that is most often visited by those rare travellers able to penetrate the interior of the continent. They lie in West Antarctica, between the Ronne Ice Shelf (which feeds into the Weddell Sea) and the Bellingshausen Sea.
The Ellsworth Mountains are home to the highest mountain in Antarctica, Mount Vinson (4,892 metres/16,050 feet). This enormous massif can be climbed by experienced mountaineers from a base camp accessed from Union Glacier. Mount Vinson lies in the Sentinel Range, which make up the northern part of the mountain chain. The Sentinels were first seen by aviator Lincoln Ellsworth in 1935, but they weren’t surveyed by land until 1958, making them one of the last corners of Antarctica to be explored.
Mount Tyree is the second-highest point in Antarctica, reaching 4,852 metres (15,919 feet). It is part of the Second Seven Summits, which many mountaineers consider to hold more challenging climbs than its higher counterpart.
The more southerly half of the Ellsworth Mountains is called the Heritage Range, which is home to Union Glacier Camp. The Heritage Range is considerably lower than the Sentinels: its highest peak is Mount Bursik at 2,500 metres (8,200 feet)
Antarctandes Mountains
The Antarctandes Mountains (also sometimes known as the Antarctic Peninsula Cordillera) are the Antarctic mountains that most visitors to the continent encounter. They are a low range of mountains that run the entire length of the Antarctic Peninsula, descending straight into the sea.
As their name suggests, these mountains are geologically part of the same range as the Andes that run along the spine of South America forming a chain that stretches from Venezuela all the way to the Antarctic interior, via South Georgia. Some of the rocks here are truly ancient, dating back 400 million years to when they formed part of the supercontinent Gondwanaland.
The timescales involved in the formation of this mountain range in Antarctica are just as mind boggling. Volcano activity starting around 146 million years ago raised many of the mountains visitors can see today. The Drake Passage was created 30 million years ago when Antarctica split from Patagonia, while the Bransfield Strait that separates the Peninsula from the South Shetland Islands is a mere child at 4 million years old.
The highest mountain in the Antarctandes is Mount Hope in the Eternity Range, at 3,239 metres (10,626 feet). Since this lies in British Antarctic Territory, it could even be argued that this, rather than the modest 1,038 metre (3,405 feet) high Mount Snowdon in Wales, is technically the UK’s highest mountain (though pedants will point out that the Antarctic Treaty has indefinitely suspended all national territorial claims).
Volcanoes in Antarctica
Ross Island in East Antarctica is home to one of the continent’s most iconic sights: the smoking peak of Mount Erebus, 3,795 metres (12,451 feet) high. Erebus is one of four volcanoes on the island, although it is the only one that is active. It has stood as a witness to some of the most famous expeditions in Antarctic history, and overlooks two of the historic huts that tell these stories: Captain Scott’s Terra Nova hut at Cape Evans, and Ernest Shackleton’s Nimrod hut at Cape Royd. Both can still be visited today by ships cruising to the Ross Sea. It was on Shackleton’s Nimrod expedition that Mount Erebus was first climbed in March 1908, by a six-man team that included Douglas Mawson.
Erebus is also the guardian of two modern Antarctic research bases: the enormous US-run McMurdo Station (popularly known as ‘Mac Town’) and New Zealand’s Scott Base.
Three other volcanoes, all extinct, can be found on Ross Island: Mount Terror (3,230 metres/10,600 feet), Mount Bird and Mount Terra Nova.
While the Ross Sea remains relatively little-visited by modern expedition cruises, travellers to the Antarctic Peninsula still have an opportunity to connect with the continent’s volcanic past at Deception Island in the South Shetland Islands. This almost perfectly ring-shaped island is formed from a caldera – the collapsed cone of a volcano.
The flooded centre of Deception Island made it a perfect harbour for whaling ships in the early 20th century. Geothermal springs make the temperature in some parts of the bay warmer than expected, making this a popular place for a polar plunge (but be warned: the water is still pretty cold!).
Mountains in South Georgia
The Subantarctic island of South Georgia is home to some of the most spectacular mountains in the Southern Ocean: seen from the sea, the entire island appears to erupt straight out of the water in a continuous chain of snow-capped mountains.
South Georgia is part of the Scotia arc, a submarine ridge that runs from South America to the Antarctic Peninsula. Two main mountain ranges dominate the island’s 170 km (105 mile) length. The northern two thirds of the island is made up of the Allardyce Range, while the Salvesen Range forms the southern portion of South Georgia. Where the mountains plunge into the sea, they create the island’s distinctive coast, marked by high cliffs and deep fjords. In many places, glaciers reach all the way down to the waterline, although the majority of South Georgia’s glaciers are in retreat due to climate change.
The highest mountain in South Georgia is Mount Paget, at 2934 metres (9626 feet). In good weather, it can be seen on the approach to the historic Grytviken whaling station.
The mountainous interior of South Georgia was first crossed in April 1916 by Sir Ernest Shackleton, Frank Worsley and Tom Crean, during their rescue mission for the Endurance expedition. Visitors today can recreate the last part of the Shackleton walk by crossing from Fortuna Bay to Stromness Harbour.
How can I go mountaineering in Antarctica?
Any visitor to the Antarctic Peninsula will quickly get an idea of just how mountainous this area is and how very tempting the peaks are to would-be explorers.
The easiest way to experience them is on our multi-activity Basecamp Adventure, which includes one-off mountaineering during its 13-day trip. The is the ultimate Antarctic adventure, and also includes hiking with snowshoes alongside other classic activities like kayaking and camping. When signing up, there are options for those who have never climbed before and those with some experience. As with all itineraries in Antarctica, the exact day and location of a climb can never be guaranteed in advance, but guides will work how and when to offer the best experience possible.
For serious mountaineers, there is no greater challenge on the continent than climbing Mount Vinson. Mountaineers can tackle it after setting out from a base camp a short flight from Union Glacier Camp. The climbing guides leading the expedition are some of the most experienced in the world. Ascents take between 5–9 days depending on local weather and ice conditions.
On South Georgia, experienced mountaineers can also complete the entire Shackleton Crossing across the width of the island, starting in King Haakon Bay and spending a night camping in the mountains. Experience hiking on glaciers is an essential requirement for signing up, but despite there usually only being a single departure every year, there is always very high demand for places.
For those who are happier just to gaze upon Antarctica’s peaks, then rest assured – an Antarctic Peninsula cruise will take you along the mountainous coastline of the White Continent, allowing you experience its epic landscape without having to reach for the crampons.
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