Transantarctic Mountains Queen Maud Land Nunataks
Queen Maud Land’s Fenriskjeften range holds some of the most dramatic granite spires on Earth. Ulvetanna (Wolf’s Tooth), Fenristunga, and the surrounding nunataks jut thousands of feet out of the ice sheet in near-vertical walls of ancient rock. Norwegian and international climbing expeditions have been coming here since the 1990s, and the objectives are serious — big wall routes in total polar isolation. No permanent station is nearby. You’re dropped by ski-equipped aircraft from Cape Town or Novo Runway and you make your own world.
Novo Runway (operated by ALCI/Antarctic Logistics) is the primary air access point from Cape Town. Expeditions require full polar self-sufficiency, serious crevasse travel training, and Antarctic Treaty compliance. This is not a casual detour — but for anyone with the skills, it’s one of the last truly blank-map mountain zones left.
Granite spires through the ice. No roads, no mercy.
Place Details
| Type | Point of Interest |
|---|---|
| Street address | Strand Street, Cape Town, Western Cape 8001, South Africa Get directions → |
| Nearest town | Cape Town, South Africa (nearest city) |
| Cell service | None |
| Best season | November-January |
| Land manager | Other |
| Permit required | Yes — Permit info |
| Coordinates | Open directions |
| Find on Google | Search on Google → |