Climbing and Exploring Ranges Seldom Visited
In our continuing quest to find new and exciting challenges in Antarctica, Adventure Network has set its sights on another rugged mountain chain running south of the Ross Ice Shelf and along the western extremities of the Ross Sea - the impressive Transantarctic Mountains

The Transantarctic Mountains also known as the TA Horst is a 3200 km long range which separates East from West Antarctic with a center lying at 85°S and 175°W.  This spectacular range runs without interruptions from Cape Adare in northern Victoria Land to Coats Land on the Weddell Sea.  Included in this range are the Theron Mountains, the Shackleton Range, the Pensacola Mountains, Thiel Mountains and the Horlick Mountains.  It passes roughly 500km from the South Pole with a width of 200-400 km.  This range extends for approximately 3200km and forms the highest peaks in this part of Antarctica where imposing glaciers flow down to feed the Ross Ice Shelf (the world’s largest).

Three suggestions for spectacular mountains to climb and explore:

• Crown Mountains 86º 18'S, 158º 45'W at 3830 m (12,566 ft).  This surmounts the west side of the Nilsen Plateau, approximately 6 km east north east of Mount Kristensen (3460m) in the Queen Maud Mountains.  They were named for their resemblance to a crown.
• Mount Astor 86º 01'S, 155º30'W.  Also called Mount Vincent Astor at 3710m (12,175ft),  it is 3 km north of Mount Bowser in the Hays Mountains of the Queen Maud Mountains.  It was discovered by Admiral Byrd on his November 1929 flight to the South Pole and named by him for Vincent Astor, a contributor to Byrd’s 1928 - 1930 expedition.
• Mount Bowser 86º 03'S, 155°36'W is 3,655m (12,000ft) high.  It stands 3 km south of Mount Astor at the north end of Fram Mesa (16 km long) in the Queen Maud Mountains.  Named for Carl J. Bowser, geologist at McMurdo station in 1965/66 and 1966/67.

These 3 unclimbed peaks lie in the Queen Maud Mountains, on the western part of the Transantarctic Horst.  This is the group of mountains nearest the South pole and bounds the Ross Ice Shelf at the south mass of ice.  The Queen Maud Mountains were discovered by Amundsen on 11 November 1911, (11.11.11) and named by him for the Queen of Norway.

We invite you to contact us today to discuss the possibilities of an expedition to this area to summit the peak of your choice and, depending on weather, other unclimbed and unnamed peaks in the local area.  Routes on these spectacular mountains range from technically testing to a difficult trek.  The choice is yours.