Shackleton's ENDURANCE Multi-Cache

Shackleton placed that ad in a London newspaper, seeking recruits for his 1914 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. He received nearly 5,000 applications from eager members of the community to join the adventure. The 27 men chosen to travel with him on the ship ENDURANCE would embark on one of the greatest voyages and survival stories of all time.

If you have never read this story, you may find what you are about to read unbelievable. Sir Ernest Shackleton was an Irish-born polar expedition veteran. He made it to within 745 miles of the South Pole with Robert Scott on the 1901 Discovery expedition, then pressed to within 97 miles on his own Nimrod expedition of 1908.

In Shackleton's own words, "After the conquest of the South Pole by Amundsen who, by a narrow margin of days only, was in advance of the British Expedition under Scott, there remained but one great main object of Antarctic journeyings--the crossing of the South Polar continent from sea to sea".

Shackleton felt that the first crossing of the Antarctic Continent, from sea to sea via the Pole, apart from its historic value, would be a journey of great scientific importance. The distance would be roughly 1800 miles, and the first half of this, from the Weddell Sea to the Pole, would be over unexplored territory.

Shackleton and his men, aboard the ship ENDURANCE, set sail for Antarctica on December 5, 1914. By the January 19th 1915, the ENDURANCE was solidly frozen between gigantic floes. Eventually, the ice crushed the ship, forcing the ill-prepared men to endure the Antarctic winter on an ice floe, drifting aimlessly. The 28 men had only five tents, and they did not have enough sleeping bags or protective clothing for everyone. After being adrift on an ice floe for 16 months, they were able to make it to the uninhabited and inhospitable Elephant Island, in the South Shetlands. Shackleton knew their only chance for survival was if he could make the dangerous voyage to a whaling station on South Georgia, 800 miles away through the most storm-swept area of water in the world. The men would have to face these conditions in a small, open boat, in subfreezing weather for an anticipated month's voyage. Their only navigational instruments were a sextant, aneroid, prismatic compass, anchor, some charts and a pair of binoculars. You know how difficult it is to find a cache when the coordinates are off a few degrees. Imagine being off a few degrees on a course over 800 miles, where computing exact coordinates was your only hope for survival. Try your hand at it with this interactive webpage.

Seventeen days later, after enduring almost unceasing gales and even a hurricane, they landed their 22-foot boat on the remote but inhabited island of South Georgia. It is unfathomable that they survived such a long voyage despite stormy weather and ferocious seas in a small boat. How they successfully navigated to the tiny South Georgia Island is a testament to the unparalleled navigating skills of Frank Worsley (Captain of the ENDURANCE), who was able to take only four sightings during the voyage, on a boat pitching wildly on enormous seas.

Unfortunately, finding the island was just the beginning. The men were 17 miles from the Stromness whaling station: a journey over South Georgia's mountains and glaciers awaited them, an effort no one had ever accomplished. I won’t spoil the ending….

Read more about this kindred spirit's unbelievably incredible adventure. There are many books available, but I suggest South - The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition 1914-17 by Ernest, Sir Shackleton (Edited by Peter King). What better account of the tale to read than by the man who led it and the photographer who captured it on film!! Copies of this book were awarded to the 1st three finders: