Across South Georgia

In Shackleton's Footsteps across South Georgia

Sir Ernest Shackleton was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. The story of his expedition is one of the most predominant out of this era. For 100 years, the name Shackleton has stood for leadership and perseverance.
Through his leadership and his pioneer crossing of South Georgia, he saved the lives of his fellow crew members. We follow the route Shackleton chose over 100 years ago and step in the footsteps of one of the greatest explorers of all time:

In 1914, Shackleton made a further attempt to reach the South Pole. His ship, the Endurance, got caught and enclosed in pack ice in the Weddell Sea. The crew members set up camp and in November 2015 were forced to watch as the ice crushed the Endurance eventually causing it to sink. Various attempts to reach stations set up by previous explorers all failed. On April 14, 1916, after having spent 497 days on ice and at sea, the men reached Elephant Island, a inhospitable place far off the main shipping routes.
With no hope of rescue, Shackleton decided to take things in his own hands: On April 24, 1916, along with Captain Frank Worsley and four other crew members, Shackleton started off in a lifeboat, the James Caird, hoping to reach one of the whaling stations on South Georgia. They spent 15 days in an open boat over the tumultuous seas of the South Atlantic until on May 8th, they sighted South Georgia and managed to go ashore at King Haakon Bay on the inhabited south side of the island. Due to horrible weather, Shackleton decided against further travel by boat and instead to cross the island by foot. He started off on this unknown route along with Tom Crean and Frank Worsley. On May 20, 1916, after having walked for 36 hours over a frozen mountain range, they reached the whaling station Stromness..
From here, he sent off a boat to rescue the three remaining crew members left behind on the north shore of the island. After various unsuccessful attempts to rescue the rest of the crew waiting on Elephant Island, Shackleton turned to the Chilean government for help. The hauler Yelcho under the lead of Captain Luis Pardo, reached Elephant Island on August 30, 1916. All 22 men still holding out there were rescued.

We will visit every station of this historic adventure on South Georgia, follow the Shackleton Route over the majestic mountain landscape in a subantarctic environment and also explore the island upon arrival in Stromness.

Travel Information

Our starting point is London. From there, we will board a military plane to the Falkland Islands where our accommodation, the sailboat Santa Maria Australis, will be waiting for us. From the Falkland Islands, we will sail back to the south coast of South Georgia and go ashore at King Haakon Bay. This is where Ernest Shackleton first stepped on solid ground after his odysee with the James Caird. As opposed to Shackleton, we will be crossing the island in 4 - 5 days, not in 36 hours and with significantly better meals. We will travel towards the east, our final destination being Stromness on the north coast. Stromness is a deserted whaling station, penguins and seals lounge about between rusty tanks and dilapidated buildings which decorate the skyline.
The Santa Maria Australis will be waiting for us there. During several further excursions on shore, you will be able to see some large colonies of king penguins, sea elephants and fur seals. All landings are influenced strongly by weather conditions. We will then sail back from South Georgia to the Falkland Islands, catching a military plane back to London from there.
Temperatures in November in South Georgia lie between +10°C and -10°C. Sunshine during the day cause temperatures to be warm up to very warm. During the crossing, accomodation is in tents, on the Santa Maria Australis in basic cabins. On the tour we traverse glaciers, at times roped up and for this reason will be practicing crevasse rescue prior to heading out. Some experience in cross country skiing or ski touring is helpful but not mandatory. We will be walking an average of 7 - 9 hours per day in South Georgia, taking hourly breaks in between. Our walking speed will be determined by weather conditions and the group. Each participant will pull a polar sledge holding their own baggage and some of the group material. The group will be equipped with the latest material available, our polar sledge especially standing out from polar sledges used on other expeditions. All participants will be supplied with a polar sledge specially designed by Thomas Ulrich for polar expeditions, making the load pulling significantly easier. For the traverse, a permit from the British authorities is required, issued only to those possessing sufficient previous expedition experience..

Sailing to the south coast of South Georgia