Elephant Island, Antarctica
Imagine yourself a crew member aboard the HMS Endurance, one of a tough breed of sailors inconceivable in our age of satellite phones and GPS, Zodiacs and back-in-time-for-tea-landings. Imagine the courage and sense of trepidation it must have taken to bite at Shackelton’s now-famous hook: “Men wanted for hazardous journey, low wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, safe return doubtful, honour and recognition in case of success.” Now envisage the dread that must have rippled through the ship with the first shudder of enveloping ice, a mere precursor to 10 months of your shelter, comfort and safe journey home - the Endurance herself - being slowly crushed in the moving pack ice. Complete the picture with five months of make-shift camping on shrinking sea ice and a terrifying seven day open-ocean crossing in a tiny lifeboat and you begin to understand how this celebrated crew felt upon finally sighting Elephant Island.
For us the experience was much more comfortable, and it was with a coffee in hand that we watched the National Geographic Endeavour approach Point Wild – a speck of land jutting out from a tidewater glacier on Elephant Island. Taking to our Zodiacs, it seemed inconceivable that 22 men could spend 137 days huddled beneath theEndurance’s upturned boats in this freezing, desolate spot, while Ernest Shackleton and 5 others made their way 800 miles to the Island of South Georgia to raise help. Left in charge, Frank Wild kept morale high by starting each morning with the lines “lash up and stow boys; the boss may come today.” And turn up he miraculously and eventually did, aboard the Chilean Tug, Yelcho on August 30th, 1916. It is the captain of the Yelcho, Piloto Pardo whose likeness (see photo of the bust) now marks the spot where all 22 men were finally relieved from their Antarctic ordeal.
As for us, we took a little time to contemplate their incredible misfortunes and their incredible odds of ever being rescued. Then we returned to the National Geographic Endeavour to grapple with lunch.
Imagine yourself a crew member aboard the HMS Endurance, one of a tough breed of sailors inconceivable in our age of satellite phones and GPS, Zodiacs and back-in-time-for-tea-landings. Imagine the courage and sense of trepidation it must have taken to bite at Shackelton’s now-famous hook: “Men wanted for hazardous journey, low wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, safe return doubtful, honour and recognition in case of success.” Now envisage the dread that must have rippled through the ship with the first shudder of enveloping ice, a mere precursor to 10 months of your shelter, comfort and safe journey home - the Endurance herself - being slowly crushed in the moving pack ice. Complete the picture with five months of make-shift camping on shrinking sea ice and a terrifying seven day open-ocean crossing in a tiny lifeboat and you begin to understand how this celebrated crew felt upon finally sighting Elephant Island.
For us the experience was much more comfortable, and it was with a coffee in hand that we watched the National Geographic Endeavour approach Point Wild – a speck of land jutting out from a tidewater glacier on Elephant Island. Taking to our Zodiacs, it seemed inconceivable that 22 men could spend 137 days huddled beneath theEndurance’s upturned boats in this freezing, desolate spot, while Ernest Shackleton and 5 others made their way 800 miles to the Island of South Georgia to raise help. Left in charge, Frank Wild kept morale high by starting each morning with the lines “lash up and stow boys; the boss may come today.” And turn up he miraculously and eventually did, aboard the Chilean Tug, Yelcho on August 30th, 1916. It is the captain of the Yelcho, Piloto Pardo whose likeness (see photo of the bust) now marks the spot where all 22 men were finally relieved from their Antarctic ordeal.
As for us, we took a little time to contemplate their incredible misfortunes and their incredible odds of ever being rescued. Then we returned to the National Geographic Endeavour to grapple with lunch.
