Legend has it that Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton placed an ad in a London newspaper before his infamous endurance expedition:
"Wanted for Dangerous Journey". Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of darkness. Safe return is questionable. Honor and recognition when you succeed.
While no one can find the original ad, this sentiment should at least serve as a strong warning to Tim Jarvis, the British/Australian adventurer who is trying to recreate it as authentically as possible adventure. "For Shackleton, it was a desperate journey into the unknown," Jarvis said. "It won't make any difference to us."
Shackleton was a leader in an era of polar exploration, but his misfortune began in 1915, when his ship was only 15 years old in Antarctica. It sank within months, stranding him and 28 crew members. Their once proud journey was now a sad little village of windblown tents on the ice. In desperation, Shackleton and five other men completed the 800-mile mission across the Southern Ocean aboard the James Caird, a 22.5-foot-tall oak-framed lifeboat. After 17 days of freezing winds and treacherous seas, they landed on a remote island in South Georgia, where they climbed rocky, glacial mountains to find shelter. It would take Shackleton more than 4 months to return to Elephant Island and rescue the 23 people who stayed behind. Despite the odds against them, all 28 survived.
It's been an amazing journey that has yet to be truly replicated. But in January, Jarvis and his team will set off on a replica of the Caine and venture on the same 800-mile journey, dubbed "The Shackleton Epic," and that's exactly what they plan to do. Shackleton made it down to reindeer-skin sleeping bags and plasma biscuits.
In fact, the only concession to the use of periodic equipment will be the installation of modern emergency equipment on board ships in compliance with the provisions of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.
At that time, Jarvis sent a replica from master shipbuilder Nat Wilson. It was quite a challenge. The exact record of the sailing platform and hull structure does not exist. The only surviving reference is the ship itself, which is now in On permanent display at Dulwich College, London. Various "replicas" exist in IMAX movies and other mission re-enactments, but according to Sebastian Coulthard, Petty Officer aboard the Alexandra Shackleton Said the lifeboat was the most accurate replica of the Cade ever built. All dimensions are extracted from the original drawing to quarter-inch accuracy.
The original James Caird had an open top, exposing its inhabitants to the elements. All seams were caulked with wax and sealed with a mixture of paint and sealant blood. When the hatches opened and waves came crashing in, the crew had little protection from the ocean. Captain Ernest Shackleton was one of the leaders of the era of polar exploration. (Frank Hurley) The original lifeboat, the James Caan, built in 1914, had an open top that exposed its inhabitants to the elements. (Frank Hurley) All dimensions of the Alexandra Shackleton were taken from the original lifeboat, the James Caan, to the nearest quarter of an inch. (Peter Wooldridge) Tim Jarvis, leader of the Shackleton Epic expedition, is no stranger to adventure. (Ben Rushton)
Like the Caine, there was little legroom on board the Alexander Shackleton, with mast, spars and oars tied to the rowers' seats. It was damp and damp, and the available space would be used more for supplies than the inhabitants' forts.
Being aboard the James Caan was extremely claustrophobic, cold and noisy. "In rough seas, the hull will have the sound of waves, like a washing machine," Jarvis said. “The cold went through the hull.
Temperatures in the Southern Ocean range from 28 degrees Fahrenheit to 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
There have been many attempts to trace Shackleton's footsteps in the past, but the journey to South Georgia was no more painful than it was 96 years ago. Trevor Potts, leader of a 1994 expedition that used modern equipment to recreate James Caan's journey, can attest to this.
"The risks of this kind of expedition are very high," Potts said. "Easily swamped or rolled over. In rough weather on the high seas, a convoy escort is of little help until conditions ease.
During their journey, Potts and his crew sailed south Fighting strong winds of 50 mph on the ocean, they dropped anchor at an abandoned whaling station in South Georgia, one of three used by hunters in Shackleton's day, and faced severe winds. Against the cracked terrain and little visibility, their attempt to retrace Shackleton's ascent was halted on opposite legs. Here is an excerpt from Potts' log entry at Cumberland Bay Station:
"Left to do Shackleton's crossing both ways, no wonder we didn't succeed. Crossing the Koenig (glacier) stream, a bit deep and fast, not a pleasant experience. Chris was so scared that he almost ruined a very ugly ***.
Potts knew the list of risks of using menstrual devices was long: falling through cracks, climbing injuries, frostbite, exposure to the elements and capsizing, to name a few. Many of Shackleton's men suffered frostbite; records from Elephant Island show that one man had his toes and part of his ear amputated.
"Shackleton only had Burberry windbreakers, suitable for the dry, frozen continent. Once the suit got wet, it stayed wet for the entire journey," Potts said. "After Shackleton and his men had been on the ice for a year, they had become accustomed to it, and when (the five men) returned (to Elephant Island) some of them were still deader than alive. More."
is the key to making it complete on the road, along with a healthy dose of luck, Jarvis said, training his crew. Before boarding the ship, they will complete breach rescue training and man-overboard drills, and consult with other expert sailors.
“We will keep Shackleton’s story alive through the attempted journey. If successful, we will not claim to have actually done what he did because our The chances of rescue will be better than his. ". "Still, we'll try to get as close as we can to what he did. ”