Exploration History
Antarctic Facts
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History of Antarctic Exploration
Even after James Cook circumnavigated the Antarctic continent, its shores remained elusive. The
mainland was not sighted until the early months of 1820. In 1840 James Clark Ross broke through the
encircling pack ice, reaching the shore line near the pole, an area later used as a base by Scott.
Though the natural resources of the surrounding Antarctic Islands were exploited early by sealers and
whalers, exploration of the mainland did not seriously get under way until the Sixth International
Geographic Congress began the 'Heroic Age of Arctic Exploration' in 1895. Heroic, because without
the safety net of wireless and air communications, expeditions at the turn of the century were
dangerous and physically gruelling. The Norwegian Amundsen, reached the Pole using dog teams in
1911, but the story of his rival Scott continue to grip the public imagination.
Scott & Amundsen
The story of Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen's great battle to be the first
to conquer the South Pole is well known. In 1911 they individually left to face
the unimaginably harsh weather of the South Pole, using equipment that would
today be considered hopelessly inadequate. They had none of the navigational
aids now available to the modern explorer, and no hope of rescue if they became
trapped by weather or injury. Agonisingly for Scott, his arrival at the pole in
January 1912 was preceded thirty three days earlier by the Norwegian explorer
Amundsen. Heartbroken and despondent, Scott's team headed back towards Cape
Evans, a distance of some eight hundred miles. Two men died during the journey
back towards their food dump, with Oates famously remarking, "I am just going
outside, I may be some time", before walking into the snow to die. Sadly, with
just eleven miles to go until One Ton depot, a dump containing provisions and
fuel, the team became trapped by the weather. With food supplies running low,
this was a disastrous situation that could not be escaped. The frozen bodies of
Scott, Wilson and Bowers were found eight months later by a search
party.
Despite Scott having perished on the return
journey, this ignited an interest in Antarctic exploration in the hearts of the
public. Expeditions continued, with attempts being made to map both the
geographic and magnetic south poles. Byrd, Mawson, Shakleton and Ellsworth were
amongst the names involved in the next thirty years of exploration. Today the
challenges of the continent may have been tempered slightly by modern equipment
and materials, but to walk to the South Pole remains one of the biggest physical
challenges that can be undertaken.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes
Described in 1984 as the 'World's Greatest Living Explorer' by the Guinness Book Of Records,
Cold Feat are very proud to have the support of this great explorer for their own expedition
to Antarctica in 2003. Read a brief history of Sir Ranulph
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Captain Robert Falcon Scott, RN, CVO, FRGS, Leader of the
National Antarctic Expedition 1901-04 and 1910-12
(Image courtesy of the National Maritime Museum)
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This photograph shows Scott, Simpson, Bowers and Evans leaving for
the Western Mountains, 15 September 1911.
(Image courtesy of the National Maritime Museum)
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