Shackleton's Valiant Journey
Posted: Saturday, March 13, 2010
by Jack H. Schick
The last century saw so much change and technological advancement that it is difficult to even imagine what the world was like during the childhood of our grandparents. Though dozens of countries now have a permanent presence there, and a pleasure trip can be engaged by anyone with the inclination, less than 100 years ago no man had been to the South Pole. Antarctica was a glaring white, dark continent, a blank spot on every map, its coast lines vaguely sketched in.
Finally, on December 15, 1911, Roald Amundsen accomplished the feat for Norway. Robert Scott, an Englishman, reached the pole on January 17, 1912, but, famously, died on his return to the coast. Hundreds of men were involve in the effort over the years. Seventeen men died. All were heroes of their age. One man who never reached the pole, who failed in most of his missions and never gained the wealth or renown he expected, is now considered by many to be the greatest of all polar explorers- Anglo-Irishman, Ernest Henry Shackleton.
Shackleton participated in four Antarctic expeditions. He was 3rd Officer on Scott's Discovery Expedition of 1901-04. He, Scott and Edward Wilson reached 83 degrees, 17 minutes south-the closest anyone had come to the pole. It was a terrible ordeal. They ate their sled dogs and finished the journey back to the coast on foot. Shackleton's health was permanently compromised on that trip. They covered 960 miles in 93 days and mapped vast areas of the interior, but never accomplished their goal.
In 1907, Shackleton led his own Nimrod Expedition. They got to within 97 miles of the pole, the closest anyone had, yet. They returned in fairly good condition. On his return to England Shackleton was knighted by King Edward VII, for the achievement. He was disappointed that he'd failed to reach the pole, but said to his wife, "A live donkey is better than a dead lion, isn't it?" She certainly agreed.
Shackleton tried to ride the wave of his fame in the business world, but had little success. He was involved in many hair-brained schemes and failed ventures. He was reduced to gaining a living exclusively from public appearances and lectures. He finally decided to return south and try to regain his former glory. He had difficulty raising funds, but on August 8, 1914, his team set sail from England on the sail/steam ship Endurance. Their goal was to cross the Antarctic continent, an 1800 mile journey, visiting both the magnetic and geographic poles.
The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-16, is one of the greatest, most harrowing adventures ever documented. The Endurance left the Stromness whaling station on South Georgia Island on December 5, 1914. Aboard were 50 husky sled dogs, a crew of 27 and a stowaway. They encountered ice early and entered the broken pack floe on December 11th. Progress south across the Weddell Sea was slow. Finally, on January 19, 1915, well short of its destination, the Endurance became frozen in the ice pack.
Realizing they were trapped at least until Spring (September), Shackleton dispensed with shipboard routine and converted the Endurance to a winter station by the end of February. Ernest, "The Boss", as he was called, instituted regular entertainment events, reading clubs and exercise sessions to maintain optimal morale. His leadership in the next year was lauded. The ship slowly drifted north with the floe for the next six months.
The hope that they would get free with the breaking spring ice pack was dashed when the increased pressures of the moving ice cracked the hull. The Endurance began to take on water on October 24, 1915. They salvaged as much as they could from the ship, including the life boats, and set up camp on the ice. On November 21st, the crushed ship finally sank out of sight.
They remained camped on a broad flat sheet of ice for two months, hoping to drift toward shore. They made several efforts to cross the ice pack toward land, at one point only 60 miles away, but the broken dangerous conditions made it impossible. They set up a more permanent camp and waited, for months. 1916 was a leap year and Shackleton threw a party on February 29th. Morale was crumbling, food supplies were low. They began to eat the dog food, and then the dogs themselves. They had been stranded on the ice for over 13 months.
In March the ice sheet began to split up under them. On April 9th they had no choice but to take to the life boats and try to find land. After a harrowing five day trip dodging large and small ice bergs, they finally landed on Elephant Island, a barren rock in the frigid sea. It was their first steps on solid ground in 497 days. So far no men had been lost. All the dogs were gone.
Elephant Island is far from the shipping lanes and very inhospitable. Shackleton decided to try to sail for help. They raised the sides, re-caulked and built a deck and partial cover on the 22 foot life boat, James Caird. Six men set out, "The Boss", the carpenter, the navigator and three of the strongest seamen. On April 24, 1916, they embarked on one of the most epic and heroic open boat voyages in the history men and the sea.
For fifteen days they battled the stormy Southern Sea as they reckoned toward the nearest help on South Georgia, 650 miles away. With impeccable navigation, on May 8th they spotted the jagged cliffs of the island's western shore. Hurricane force winds made it impossible for them to land for another two days.
Their journey wasn't over. Shackleton and the two strongest of the James Caird crew walked forty miles across the rugged ice covered mountainous terrain of South Georgia to reach Stromness Station. At one point they determined the easiest route was to slide on their backs down a 3,000 foot glacier rather than try to go around it. It took them only 36 hours to cross the island. A crossing on that route was not accomplished again until 1955, by Duncan Carse who said, "I don't know how they did it, except that they had to." Shackleton and the two companions had been stranded on the ice for 15 months and had just completed a 650 mile sail in a small open boat.
A ship was immediately sent to pick up the rest of the James Caird crew. Within days Shackleton had acquired a ship and set out for Elephant Island. The ice pack in the area was impenetrable and the rescued had to be delayed. The remainder of the Endurance crew survived on seals, penguins and fish for another three and a half months. They had no idea if Shackleton had even survived his voyage. They couldn't know he was waiting with rescue just out of sight on the sea nearby. Finally, on August 30, 1916, the castaways saw a ship on the horizon. All the crewmen survived. After over 19 months lost, the men were safely headed for home.
Back in Britain, Shackleton struggled with failed business ventures again. His health was deteriorated. He always had money problems. In 1921 he organized his fourth Antarctic expedition. On South Georgia island, on May 5, 1922, Ernest Shackleton suffered a heart attack and died at age 47. With permission of his wife he was interred there, where he'd gained his most fame. He was never given the accolades showered on Robert Scott. He was given one statue in London while there are dozens of Scott around the country. But time and honesty is changing that.
A polar explore who traveled with both Scott and Shackleton said, "For a joint scientific and geographical organization, give me Scott....If I'm in the devil of a hole and want to get out of it, give me Shackleton, every time." His fame has grown. No man cared more for his team. No arctic explorer showed as much grit and determination. Ernest Shackleton and the Voyage of the Endurance is one of the greatest heroic stories of the modern age.
Ernest Henry Shackleton
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Top-level comments on this article: (6 total)This made me think about the correlation between being a hero and how that is included in leadership?grit & determinationgetting out of a holecaring for his peoplethanks for reading and commenting
Hello Jack,What an interesting article you have here! I have enjoyed reading it!Cheers,TerenceThanks for reading and commenting
Jack,I don't have word to tell you, but your article it very interesting regarding this famous man Shackleton. I did not let my eyes go away from your article until I was done.Thank you,Thanks for reading and commenting, Jose
Excellent narrative, Jack. Maybe you should think about tackling political commentary... ;-P ...just kidding. This is very good.I do occasionally. I work with too many D's to do it other than very subtlely.Jack...I was pulling your leg.
Although this topic is outside my normal interests, it was quite interesting. We need to get out of our comfort zone, and read informative information that expands our intelligence about the past, and achievements of others.
Nicely written but is does not inspire me to go and research more about shackleton it only serves to remind me of what I already knew.
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