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Inspiring Explorers Expeditions™

Connecting young people with the spirit of exploration and encouraging them to go and explore the world.

Encouraging the Spirit of Exploration

Antarctic Heritage Trust’s Inspiring Explorers Expeditions™ provide opportunities for young people to experience and challenge themselves in Antarctica and the polar regions.

These expeditions connect young people with the legacy the Trust cares for and encourage them to embrace that same spirit of exploration. It is a spirit as critical in the 21st century as it was over a century ago.

By making the legacy the Trust cares for relevant, young people will identify with it, value it, and in the future be motivated to protect it.

The expeditions not only change participants’ lives, they create a platform to share inspiring stories and experiences with participants’ communities and a wide audience.

Inspiring Explorers (2017) climbing Mt Scott, Antarctic Peninsula.

Antarctic Heritage Trust - Shackleton-Scott

Sir Ernest Shackleton, Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Dr Edward Wilson on the British National Antarctic Expedition, 2 Nov 1902.

Building a Leadership Legacy

The iconic Antarctic explorers Shackleton, Scott and Hillary embodied the qualities of truly exceptional leadership. Their remarkable stories of leadership in the face of adversity have resonated around the world for over 100 years.

The Inspiring Explorers Expeditions™ create opportunities for the young change-makers of tomorrow to connect with and be inspired by the qualities of those heroic Antarctic leaders.

The expeditions provide life-changing perspectives through challenge and exploration in the world’s most pristine and unforgiving environments. Antarctica is crucially important in today’s cutting edge research into climate change, biology and meteorology.

Just as crucial is fostering the Shackletons and Hillarys of the future—the young people who will draw on the great legacies of the polar heroes to drive change and instigate new perspectives for tomorrow’s world.

South Georgia

2023

To honor the centenary of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s final expedition (Quest 1921–1922), 22 Inspiring Explorers™ journeyed to South Georgia Island in October 2023, visiting many important historic sites, several of which are forever linked to Sir Ernest Shackleton’s story.

South Pole

2022–2023

To celebrate 150 years since the birth of legendary polar explorer Roald Amundsen, in November 2022–January 2023 three Inspiring Explorers™ completed a 1000km guided traverse from the Ronne Ice Shelf to the South Pole.

In the Footsteps of Hillary

2022

In February 2022, three young people from South Auckland, New Zealand summited their first mountain on the Trust’s Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ In the Footsteps of Hillary.

Mahu Whenua Traverse

2022

In partnership with the Mountain Turk Club, this expedition team completed the new and unique alpine ski traverse in the Queenstown Lakes District of New Zealand, the Mahu Whenua Traverse.

Antarctic Peninsula

2020

Our biggest group of Inspiring Explorers ™ journeyed to the Antarctic Peninsula with a focus on kayaking.

Antarctic Peninsula

2019

Our Inspiring Explorers™ journeyed to the Antarctic Peninsula with a focus on kayaking.

Greenland Ice Cap

2018

A 560KM ski expedition across the Greenland ice cap in honour of the 130th anniversary of Fridtjof Nansen’s original crossing.

Climbing Mount Scott

2017

The Inspiring Explorers ascended Mount Scott on the Antarctic Peninsula, named after iconic explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott.

Crossing South Georgia

2015

This first Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ followed in the footsteps of Shackleton, Worsley and Crean’s epic journey across South Georgia Island, honouring the centenary of that crossing.