Twenty years later: Henry Cookson returns to the Pole of Inaccessibility
Most people have heard of the South Pole. Few know what lies beyond it.
- A rare expedition to Antarctica’s most remote point, led by the Founder of Cookson Adventures, Henry Cookson, to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of his record-breaking expedition
- A strictly limited private expedition for a small group of guests to stay at Ultima Camp, before crossing the Antarctic interior by ski-equipped aircraft, overland vehicles and expedition camps
- Guests will dine under the watchful gaze of Lenin’s statue, at the most remote dining room on Earth
September 2026: Cookson Adventures announces a return expedition to the Southern Pole of Inaccessibility, the point in Antarctica furthest from any ocean and one of the least-visited places on the planet. In December 2026, a small group of guests will have the opportunity to accompany Henry Cookson on a journey back to the destination that helped define his career as a polar explorer, twenty years after he first reached it without mechanical assistance and achieved a world-record.
This is an opportunity to become part of an ongoing story of modern exploration. This 11-day expedition from 5th – 15th December 2026, will combine aviation, overland travel and remote camps, and offer access to a place reached by only a small number of people in history.
A GENUINELY ACCESSIBLE EXPEDITION
There are few places left on Earth that still feel genuinely remote, but The Pole of Inaccessibility is one of them. Fewer than 50 people have ever visited it and reaching it requires travelling far beyond the familiar boundaries of Antarctic tourism and deep into a landscape defined by vast distances, profound silence and extraordinary isolation.
Guests will journey alongside Henry throughout, sharing in his personal experience of returning to a place that played a significant role in shaping both his life and the philosophy of the ground-breaking luxury travel company, Cookson Adventures.
Guests will be carefully supported by one of the world’s most experienced Antarctic operating teams, with charter aviation, overland trucks and camps made as comfortable as possible. However, this is not Antarctica observed from a distance, but Antarctica experienced through shared participation, staying true to the spirit of exploration.
In 2007, reaching The Pole of Inaccessibility with three close friends after 18 months of intensive planning, followed by 48 days on foot and kite ski, changed the course of my life. Returning there is not something I take lightly, and I have never wanted to do it alone. This expedition is an invitation to a small group of pioneering guests to join me on the most personal adventure we’ve ever offered. I’m looking forward to sharing it again, this time with five new like-minded explorers by my side.
A GENUINELY ACCESSIBLE EXPEDITION
Arrival and Orientation
On 5th December, guests will fly from Cape Town to Novolazarevskaya ice runway on a specialised Ilyushin Il-76TD-90VD, then transfer to Ultima Camp, located by an ice lake in the Schirmacher Oasis. This camp, with its Scandi-style cabins, brings warmth, comfort and a slice of luxury to one of the coldest places on the continent.
The next day belongs to preparation. Kit will be checked and fitted, safety and biosecurity briefings completed, and guests will have time to meet the expert guides joining the expedition.
Into the Deep Field & Overland Traverse
A ski-equipped DC3 plane will fly guests from Novo airbase to FD83, a remote field depot where the overland vehicle team will be waiting. Overnighting here to acclimatise, this is the moment the journey shifts from an Antarctic experience into true expedition mode. From this point, it is an overland traverse across the interior for two days in adapted 4×4 Arctic Trucks, each driven by a highly experienced guide, with guests also given the chance to be behind the wheel as they across the white, remote wilderness of the eastern Antarctic plateau. A temporary expedition camp with tunnel tents will be set up each night, wherever the day’s driving ends.
Arrival at The Pole of Inaccessibility & Extraction
Guests will arrive together at The Pole of Inaccessibility in the morning, where temperatures typically range from -35°C to -40°C. The only remaining landmark of the original Russian base is a bust of Lenin, fixed to the rooftop and still visible above the snow. That evening, Cookson Adventures will create the most remote dinner setup in the world, under the watchful eye of Lenin. The striking statue was left by a Soviet expedition in 1958. It faces Moscow and is the only landmark for hundreds of miles in every direction. The next day, a ski plane will fly guests from the Pole of Inaccessibility back to FD83, then onto Ultima Camp.
Exploration at Ultima Camp
With time built in for shifting weather, guests spend three days exploring Antarctica in a different way from Ultima Camp. Glacier hikes lead into nunatak crags, and guided climbs open up mesmerising views across the endless ice. At the end of each day, a traditional banya and ice bath offer a way to relax and unwind.
As part of the journey, guests will take a private trip out to a remote skiway to reach a large colony of Emperor penguins. The largest of all the penguin species, at this time of year, guests can expect to see fluffy chicks, being fed by their parents who waddle to the sea ice edge to feed, sometimes over 100km away. Both chicks and adults are unafraid of humans, which means guests can spend quality time in their presence without disturbing them, before returning to camp. On 15 December, guests will depart the continent by plane back to Cape Town.
For those who have already travelled widely, The Pole of Inaccessibility, being the most lost remote and coldest point in our planet, offers a rare opportunity to venture beyond the South Pole and into one of the last great frontiers of travel.
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HOW: Cookson Adventures can organise this eleven-day expedition from $340,000pp for a group of five guests in total with all planning, accommodation, logistics, transport, F&B, specialist winter clothing and guiding included.
*No specific training is required but guests need to medically fit enough to be able to cope with altitude and expedition life at temperatures down to approximately -40 degrees. As with any Antarctic trip, this itinerary is subject to weather conditions, and parts of the expedition may be altered.
For all media enquiries or for more information, interviews or images please contact Tamsin Graham on [email protected]
[email protected]About Cookson Adventures
Since 2007, Cookson Adventures has been redefining what it means to explore the world. As pioneers of the “world-first” in luxury adventure travel, they’ve taken bold steps into the unknown — from orchestrating the first private submersible dive in Antarctica to leading hands-on conservation projects across Africa and the Galápagos Islands.
The Founder and Chairman is Henry Cookson – a dedicated adventurer and Guinness World Record holder for reaching the Southern Pole of Inaccessibility, the most remote point on the Antarctic continent. Guided by his spirit of discovery, Cookson’s expert team designs journeys that blend the thrill of exploration without ever compromising on comfort or safety.
Each expedition is crafted from the ground up, fusing explorer yachts, helicopters, submersibles, opulent celebrations, and bespoke camps set in some of the planet’s most untouched corners. Supported by a global network of scientists, marine biologists, conservationists, and award-winning photographers, each adventure invites guests to venture deeper, see further, and experience the extraordinary.
