The emperors are indeed difficult to reach. Most tourist ships are incapable of getting close to their colonies, which are mostly on thick sea ice.
I didn't see any Adélies in South Georgia, but I did visit a colony of gentoo penguins, which are related. They are quite plucky characters, having to cross a beach full of elephant seals to reach the sea. This one is making it's way past one of the 'sleeping giants'.
Gentoo Penguin by Andrew Stringer, on Flickr
Here is one of the less pretty photos from the trip. Northern giant petrels are scavengers, so the carcass of a baby elephant seal attracts a lot of attention.
Northern Giant Petrels Scavenging by Andrew Stringer, on Flickr