ERNEST SHACKLETON ENDURANCE MISSION TO ANTARCTICA A story of disaster, survival and leadership READ STORY Skip To End skip_next SHACKLETON PICKS HIS CREW Shackleton recruited Frank Wild as second in command, Frank Worsley as captain and Tom Crean as second officer in addition to a seaworthy crew of sailors. Endurance sailed from Plymouth on 8th August 1914 finally reaching the Weddell Sea and Antarctica by December. Read More 01 / 06 Skip To End skip_next DISASTER STRIKES After experiencing freak weather conditions and unusually large ice floes, progress was slow and by late December the ship had become surrounded in pack ice and the Endurance became stuck in the contracting ice. Shackleton gave the order to abandon ship and the entire crew were adrift on the ice. A few weeks later the Endurance sunk deep into the icy waters, with Shackleton declaring “She’s gone boys”. Read More 02 / 06 Skip To End skip_next SURVIVAL ON THE ICE Shackleton and crew set up camp on the ice in treacherous conditions. Eventually they boarded the lifeboats and sailed for seven days in rough seas to Elephant Island, Hurley wrote “Such a wild and inhospitable coast I have never beheld”. Read More 03/ 06 Skip To End skip_next VOYAGE TO SOUTH GEORGIA On April 24th 1916 Shackleton and five crew sailed the James Caird lifeboat 800 miles across the dangerous open seas towards South Georgia for days on end with little or no sleep and on the 7th May they incredibly managed to land ashore. Read More 04/ 06 Skip To End skip_next MOUNTAIN CROSSING With the only option to cross the 10,000 ft mountain range on May 19th Shackleton, Worsley and Crean set out into the unknown territory. After continually having to re-trace their steps as they came across huge crevasses and crags which were impassable, they finally found Stromness Whaling station. Read More 05/ 06 Skip To End skip_next MIRACULOUS RESCUE After several failed attempts Shackleton sourced the Chilean steamer ‘Yelcho’ for the rescue mission and she reached Elephant Island on the 30th August 1916 to the delight of the stranded crew who all survived the ordeal. Back To home 06/ 06
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SHACKLETON’S ANTARCTICA MISSION