Tag: Drake

What About Crossing the Drake Passage?

“Crossing the Drake passage is the price of entry for going to the Antarctic. The peace and serenity of the Antarctic is matched by the turbulence and drama of the Drake. They are two sides of the same coin: you don’t get one without the other. The conditions of the Drake are somewhere between bad and terrifying, depending on the weather gods, But worth every moment.” –Lyndon File, G Adventures

Apparently, one of the most challenging aspects of getting to Antarctica is crossing the Drake Passage. The Drake Passage has been called “Drake Lake” and “Drake Shake.“ The Drake Passage extends into the Southern Ocean and is the confluence between the southwestern Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean which includes Cape Horn in South America and the South Shetland Islands. It is approximately 625 miles which should take us about two days to cross. Probably the more scary part about the trip is packing. What to bring?