Photos from an epic Antarctic mountaineering expedition

During a voice dispatch on December 9, Alex Honnold, in his characteristically wry manner, reported, “The team went out and put up a new route on an unclimbed peak that we tentatively named the Penguin—because, you know, we’re in Antarctica.” The formation is a striking spire, if a short one by the standards of the surrounding mountains that make up the Fenriskjeften massif, aka, the Wolf’s Jaw. Just 100 metres (300 feet) of climbing led to a memorable team summit, one of eight achieved by the expedition thus far. Here, Savannah Cummins approaches the Penguin. Ulvetanna is the peak in the distance.

Conrad Anker boots up at base camp on the 'tongue' of Wolf’s Jaw for another day of pushing a new route on Ulvetanna (2,931 metres, 9,616 feet), the formation directly behind him in this picture. Anker and Jimmy Chin hope to climb the impressive north face of Ulvetanna, one of the biggest walls in the Fenriskjeften mountain range, in order to join the northwest buttress, previously climbed in 2008 by a German-Swiss team.

Anna Pfaff climbs the southeast ridge of Fenris (2,480 metres; 8,136 feet) with the main peaks of the Wolf’s Jaw in the distance—from left to right: Stetind (2,558 metres; 8,392 feet), Kinntanna (2,724 metres; 8,937 feet), and the dual winged peaks of Holstinnd (2,577 metres; 8,455 feet) and Holtanna (2,650 metres; 8,694 feet). Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, and driest place on Earth. Ironically, despite the fact that Antarctica is a high-altitude desert, an estimated 70 percent of all Earth’s fresh water is locked up in the carapace of ice situated atop the continent.

Although the sun never sets on Queen Maud Land in December, there are only about four hours a day when the sun is at its strongest. With temps hovering around -18°C, the climbers are strategically using those four peak hours to do most of their climbing. Without direct sun, climbing in Antarctica feels nearly impossible. Here Conrad Anker wraps up another day of work on the Ulvetanna’s northern face before heading back to base camp.

Conrad Anker uses mechanical ascenders to climb a fixed rope on Ulvetanna (2,931 metres; 9,616 feet). He and Jimmy Chin have been pushing a new route for a week on what is considered one of the most striking and difficult mountains in Antarctica. The first ascent of this formidable peak was achieved on February 2, 1994, by Norwegian climbers Ivar Tollefson, Robert Caspersen, and Sjur Nesheim.

Alex Honnold has logged a lot of big climbing days in Yosemite National Park, located in his home state of California. In 2012, for example, Honnold soloed El Capitan, Half Dome, and Mount Watkins, the park’s three biggest formations, in just under 24 hours. Here in Antarctica, Honnold explains, “We haven’t had a lot of big days … but the cold and conditions make everything feel much bigger.” Honnold says that even being out for a few hours of climbing exacts a major toll on the body. In this photo, Honnold is approaching a 100-metre (300-foot) formation dubbed the Penguin, which he, Cedar Wright, Anna Pfaff, and Savannah Cummins climbed on December 7 for its first ascent.

Cedar Wright has held a long-simmering dream of climbing in Queen Maud Land for two decades, ever since he first saw the February 1998 issue of National Geographic magazine featuring Conrad Anker during the first American climbing expedition to this otherworldly Antarctic mountain range. So far, the experience is living up to his expectations. “It’s such an extreme and outrageous environment,” says Wright, 42, in a December 9 dispatch. “It’s truly one of the most beautiful places in the world. You feel so out here. We’re the only humans out here in this truly inhospitable environment. It just makes you feel small. I continue to be inspired and amazed by this place every day. The potential for adventure, pushing yourself, is really limitless. I’ve really fallen in love with these mountains.”

Anna Pfaff, Savannah Cummins, Alex Honnold, and Cedar Wright stand atop a minor formation they’re calling the Penguin after achieving its first ascent. The relatively short, 100-metre (300-foot) climb was a group 'rest day' activity. The southwest face of Ulvetanna can be seen in the background.

Anna Pfaff, 36, is one of the most experienced expedition climbers of her generation. An emergency room nurse who now lives in Oakland, California, she’s self-funded a decade of adventure by working long nursing shifts during the off-seasons. Here she crampons her way up Philiptanna’s rocky, snowy ridge.

Cedar Wright took the “sharp end of the rope,” as climbers say, and led his teammates Alex Honnold, Anna Pfaff, and Savannah Cummins to the top of a 100-metre (300-foot) formation they are calling the Penguin. Wright is renowned in the climbing world for his ability to navigate 'choss', which is jargon for rock that resembles a Jenga tower, with loose, crumbling blocks. Wright’s deft ability to safely navigate this dangerous geological medium has affectionately earned him the nickname “Choss Boss.” “You can climb here in the sun with bare hands, but in a matter of minutes it can go from climbable to you have to put on your gloves or you’re going to get frostbite,” says Wright. “Even if a small wind picks up, the windchill factor is insane.”

Anna Pfaff, Savannah Cummins, Alex Honnold, and Cedar Wright take a summit selfie atop the Penguin, a formation they climbed as a group 'rest day' activity. The eclectic team comes from all backgrounds and experience levels, but each share a love of adventure and pushing themselves in extreme places.