Weatherhaven loaned an Endurance polar shelter to Leo Houlding’s team for their Ulvetanna climbing attempt in Antarctica, transforming a hostile glacier into a dependable base camp. Purpose-built for extreme cold and high winds, the aerodynamic Endurance gave the crew a warm, dry hub for rest, repairs, planning, and communications. Its stability and comfort meant energy could be spent climbing, not battling the weather, helping keep morale high through storm cycles.
Designed specifically for polar operations, the Endurance shelter is shaped to shed wind and snow, with rugged fabrics that stand up to the planet’s harshest conditions. This high-performance construction is made to “comfortably protect field teams” at the extreme poles—precisely what Ulvetanna demanded. The shelter’s robust build reduced weather downtime and kit damage, supporting a safer, more efficient expedition rhythm day after day in Queen Maud Land.
Quick-erect design minimized exposure and accelerated operational readiness.
Speed matters when temperatures plummet. The Endurance is a quick-erect, expeditionary shelter, so the team could establish a functional base rapidly between weather windows. Less time in the elements during setup meant fewer risks of cold injuries and faster transitions to climbing objectives. That time saved compounded across the trip: more rest, better nutrition, and earlier starts on the route—all small efficiencies that add up in Antarctica.
A proven mess tent and planning hub in the polar desert.
The expedition’s camp infrastructure included a Weatherhaven Endurance unit configured as a 16×8-foot mess tent—vital for cooking, briefing, and regrouping after hard days on the ridge. Having a reliable, roomy, heat-retaining communal space kept the team organised and focused, whether they were checking forecasts, repairing gear, or reviewing footage. In conditions that punish hesitation, that warm, orderly core became the engine of daily decision-making.
Shelter resilience supported Berghaus-backed push on Ulvetanna’s northeast ridge.
Backed by Berghaus, Houlding’s multinational team targeted Ulvetanna’s mile-long northeast ridge—one of Antarctica’s most technical lines. The Endurance’s steadfast protection at base camp underpinned those pushes, offering dependable recovery after brutal forays on the route. With stable nights and sheltered days for prep, the climbers could return to the wall physically reset and mentally sharp, critical for a complex progression over weeks in severe cold.
Endurance enabled success by reducing weather downtime and preserving resources.
By resisting extreme winds, low temperatures, and heavy snow loads, the Endurance decreased consumable losses and wear on sensitive equipment. Fewer emergency dig-outs and repairs meant more time targeted at the cruxes of the climb. In Antarctica, operational reliability is safety; the shelter functioned like another teammate—predictable, tough, and always there—letting logistics fade into the background while the climbers focused on movement, protection, and timing.
From storm-battered camp to summit, a platform for a historic ascent.
Houlding and the team completed the first ascent of Ulvetanna’s northeast ridge in January 2013, returning safely to base afterward. Their achievement was a fusion of skill, timing, and support—of which the Endurance shelter was a cornerstone. In a landscape of “brutal” beauty, it gave the expedition a reliable home, helping transform ferocious weather into manageable background noise on the way to a landmark success.
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Client feedback
Leo Holding
‘The Endurance was a life saving piece of kit during those 100mph gusts, thanks to all the team at Weatherhaven for the support’
Ulvetanna Expedition
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