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Day 24 December 7, 2008
The last peak to appear before the team today was one from the Holland Range adjacent to the Nimrod Glacier, emerging in the last hour of the day.
The team were also able to see the daily C130 US Hercules aeroplane flying to the Pole, it's vapour trail helpfully signposting the way to the Pole and reassuringly letting the team know they are heading in the right direction!
SITREP
1. Sitrep No 24 as at 0832 hrs GMT 07 Dec 08
2. Distance Covered Today : 15.4 nm
3. Total Distance Covered : 272.9 nm
4. Hours travelled: 7
5. Daily Average to Date: 11.37 nm
6. Days to RV on Jan 9 at 97 Mile Point: 34
7. Distance to RV: 420.89 nm
8. Distance to Pole: 517.89 nm
9. Required Daily Average to achieve RV: 12.38 nm
December 7th, 1908
Started at 8 A.M., Adams, Marshall and self pulling one sledge. Wild leading Socks behind. We traveled up and down slopes with very deep snow, into which Socks sank up to his belly, and we plunged in and out continuously, making it very trying work. Passed several crevasses on our right hand and could see more to the left. The light became bad at 1 P.M., when we camped for lunch, and it was hard to see the crevasses, as most were more or less snow covered.
After lunch the light was better, and as we marched along we were congratulating ourselves upon it when suddenly we heard a shout of "help" from Wild. We stopped at once and rushed to his assistance, and saw the pony sledge with the forward end down a crevasse and Wild reaching out from the side of the gulf grasping the sledge. No sign of the pony. We soon got up to Wild, and he scrambled out of the dangerous position, but poor Socks had gone. Wild had a miraculous escape. He was following up our tracks, and we had passed over a crevasse which was entirely covered with snow, but the weight of the pony broke through the snow crust and in a second all was over. Wild says he just felt a sort of rushing wind, the leading rope was snatched from his hand, and he put out his arms and just caught the further edge of the chasm. Fortunately for Wild and us, Socks' weight snapped the swingle-tree of the sledge, so it was saved, though the upper bearer is broken. We lay down on our stomachs and looked over into the gulf, but no sound or sign came to us; a black bottomless pit it seemed to be.
We hitched the pony sledge to ourselves and started off again, now with a weight of 1000 lb. for the four of us. Camped at 6:20 P.M., very tired, having to retreat, from a maze of crevasses and rotten ice on to a patch where we could pitch our tents. We are indeed thankful for Wild's escape. When I think over the events of the day I realize what the loss of the sledge would have meant to us. We would have had left only two sleeping bags for the four of us, and I doubt whether we could have got back to winter quarters with the short equipment. Our chance of reaching the Pole would have been gone. We take on the maize to eat ourselves. There is one ray of light in this bad day, and that is that, anyhow we could not have taken Socks on much further. We would have had to shoot him tonight, so that although his loss is a serious matter to us, for we had counted on the meat, still we know that for traction purposes he would have been of little further use. When we tried to camp tonight we stuck our ice axes into the snow to see whether there were any more hidden crevasses, and everywhere the axes went through. It would have been folly to have pitched our camp in that place, as we might easily have dropped through during the night. We had to retreat a quarter of a mile to pitch the tent. It was very unpleasant to turn back, even for this short distance, but on this job one must expect reverses.
Day 24 Sitrep
Day 24: Overview
- Distance covered:
- 15.4 nm
- Wind:
- 5 mph
- Conditions:
- Gloriously bright day with some high cirrus clouds
- Temperature:
- -7°C
The Heart of the Antarctic
This is the story of the “Farthest South” expedition, told by its leader. After enduring biting winds, short rations and crevasse-ridden glaciers for over a year, Shackleton’s party faced a desperate forced march to return to their ship, The Nimrod, or face being marooned on the ice.
Taken from Sir Ernest Shackleton’s own compelling chronicle of his first Antarctic expedition, written on his return in 1909.
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