Description
What is now known as the “Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration” began in the late 19th century and closed in the early 20th century with Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. While many successful Antarctic “firsts” took place during that era, ironically it is Shackleton’s failed expedition, and the ensuing epic journey he embarked on to save his men, that continues to fascinate and inspire us
to this day.
The expedition set sail for the Antarctic in August of 1914, and their ship the Endurance became beset in pack ice in January of 1915. After valiant attempts to free her Shackleton and his crew watched the ice break-up and sink the Endurance. After nearly six months of hardship on the ice, awaiting rescue, the crew went to sea in three salvaged lifeboats. One week later, on April 16, 1916, after enduring days and nights of freezing cold, stormy seas, and a debilitating lack of food and water, they landed on remote Elephant Island.
Realizing that no ship would ever find them, Shackleton and five others left Elephant Island aboard the 23-foot lifeboat James Caird and sailed for South Georgia Island, 800 miles away across some of the roughest seas in the world. After 17 days in stormy seas, Shackleton and his crew miraculously arrived on the west coast of South Georgia island.
On May 20, 1916 having trekked continuously for 36 hours over the glacier-clad mountains that run down the center of South Georgia, Shackleton, Frank Worsley, and Second Officer Tom Crean arrived at Stromness whaling station, where they were able to arrange a rescue party, that eventually saved the lives
of the entire crew.
