Niek from Zwolle conquers the Drake Passage

4 March 2025

Even for seasoned adventurer Niek van Halteren, making the infamous crossing from South America to Antarctica in gale force 9 took some getting used to. For four weeks, the Zwolle native sailed on the Bark Europa.

It was a challenge: “In the Netherlands, I have sometimes been sick to my stomach on a ship like that.”
Through a customer, Niek van Halteren from Zwolle learns about the sailing expedition to Antarctica. ‘Trusting his intuition’, the former bank director decides to get on a plane to Ushuaiha (Argentina). It takes four weeks from then on before he is back on Dutch soil. That was last week.
“Before this, I had never thought that something like this was possible,” says Van Halteren. As a speaker and leadership trainer, he is always looking for the adventure. By sharing his experiences, he hopes to inspire others to also seek out nature.
This conviction was reason for him to swap the Amsterdam tarding and banking district for “adventure” seven years ago. “I very much believe that you only really get to know yourself on the edge of the unknown,” he says. “Because it is precisely there, outside your comfort zone, that you really become aware of who you are.”

Sailing ship from 1911

That is why he began his journey four weeks ago in Argentina on sailing ship ‘Bark Europa’. This is a 1911 ship of German origin. With the permanent crew, a team of researchers and fellow travellers from all over the world, he sets off towards the South Pole. To do so, it has to cross the ‘Drake Passage’. This strait has the strongest current in the world.
Van Halteren explains how the more than 55-metre-long colossus could not moor easily everywhere. “To access the mainland, we sailed between the ice rocks in small boats. A 20-metre whale then came swimming about one metre from the small boat. The boat itself was three metres long at most. I felt very small.”

Sick but still working

What may have helped him most along the way? His seasickness pills. “In the Netherlands, I sometimes got sick to my stomach on a ship like that,” he says. “Fortunately, this time I only suffered from it for two days.”
Which is just as well, because sitting back is not an option on the Bark Europa. Not only does sailing along cost thousands of euros, there is also work to be done on board. “I was on the lookout for icebergs and sea containers floating on the route.”
‘A unique experience’, Van Halteren calls the crossing from South America to Antarctica. Five days on the open sea, during which he himself – under the guidance of the captain – regularly took the helm. “There is nothing around you, not even a ship. All you see are big albatrosses, whales and dolphins.” A sea lion decides to take a bite of a lifeboat. “That one saw it as a fun toy.”
The experience strengthened his belief in how important it is for humans to be considerate of wildlife. He stresses how in Antarctica they didn’t touch anything and all the material from the boat (including dirt), was taken back with them.

Close to home also possible

Van Halteren advises everyone to go on a similar adventure. According to him, it does not have to be as expensive as an Antarctic expedition. “Even close to home you can step out of your comfort zone. For instance, I myself sometimes set the alarm clock at half past four in the morning and take a beautiful walk on the Veluwe with sunrise. That too is a pure nature experience.”

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