Holtanna Range

In Nov. 2009, four climbers traveled to the Holtanna Range on Queen Maud Land in Antarctica to do the first base-jump ever done on the continent. 

The group was composed of: Sam Beaugey, Manu Pellissier, Sébastien Collomb-Gros and Géraldine Fastnacht. Sam and Manu climbed Holstinnd and Holtanna in extreme weather conditions, with temperatures dropping to minus-40 degree Celsius. Géraldine, Seb and Sam then jumped with wingsuits from these two summits. Holstinnd is the biggest base-jump accomplished on the land of penguins, since it towers a thousand meters above the Syginnbryn glacier.

As Sam recalls:

When the face went in the shade in the deep chimneys, with temperatures dropping to minus-30 degree Celsius, we put our warm shoes back on and aid climbed up the classic line to the summit. The cracks got wider and the two number six cams came in very handy. We reached the snow slopes after climbing through a nice “letterbox”. We then topped out on the summit next to the diving board on the west face 800 m, M4/6b+/A2.

It’s certainly the most remote trip I have done away from civilization. I will always remember the incredible lights of the austral summer and the ascent of Holtanna with Manu, followed by this unique jump. I waited ten years and suffered a few fractures for this dream to come true, and I thank all those who supported us in making this dream a reality.

Source: Petzl