Patriot Hills Base Camp
Patriot Hills Camp | |
|---|---|
Patriot Hills Base Camp | |
Location of Patriot Hills Base Camp in Antarctica | |
| Coordinates: 80°18′00″S 81°20′39″W / 80.299971°S 81.344236°W | |
| Country | United States |
| Location in Antarctica | Heritage Range Ellsworth Mountains Antarctica |
| Administered by | Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions LLC |
| Established | 1987 |
| Type | Seasonal |
| Period | Summer |
| Status | Operational |
Patriot Hills Base Camp was a private seasonally occupied camp in Antarctica. It was located in the Heritage Range of the Ellsworth Mountains, next to the Patriot Hills that gave it its name.
The camp was run by the private company Adventure Network International (now Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions LLC, known as ALE), a company that provides expedition support and tours to the interior of Antarctica. It was constructed in 1987 and used during the summer months of November to January. Patriot Hills was for many adventurers and explorers a stop on the way from Chile's Punta Arenas into the interior of Antarctica. The flight time from Punta Arenas is about 4.5 hours.
As of November 2010 ALE has moved operations. Union Glacier Camp is the new base of operations and Union Glacier Blue-Ice Runway SCGC is the new runway, 70 kilometers from Patriot Hills. Patriot Hills is being retained as a backup runway.
In the summer months the temperature rises to −15 °C. The temperature in the winter months is estimated to be about −40 °C, but no one has yet overwintered in the Ellsworth Mountains.