Experience the legendary 1914-1917 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition - one of history's greatest survival stories. Follow Sir Ernest Shackleton and his 28-man crew through their epic struggle against the Antarctic ice and their ultimate triumph of leadership and endurance.
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Departure from London aboard Endurance - "We are leaving now to carry on our white warfare"
Altitude: 10m
Arrival at Grytviken whaling station, South Georgia. Warned by whalers about severe ice conditions
Altitude: 5m
Departure from Grytviken - last contact with outside world for 18 months, last contact with land for 497 days
Altitude: 5m
First encounter with pack ice, two days into voyage south
Endurance becomes beset - trapped in ice just one day's sail from intended landfall
Furthest south position reached - ice now drifts north carrying Endurance with it
Endurance crushed and abandoned - "ship and stores have gone – so now we'll go home"
Ocean Camp established 2km from Endurance wreck - living on sea ice
Endurance finally sinks - "At 5pm she went down by the head... I cannot write about it"
Patience Camp - drifting north with ice, hoping for better position
Launch boats - ice breaking up, three lifeboats take to water for Elephant Island
Landfall at Elephant Island - first solid ground in 497 days! "Conceive our joy"
Altitude: 50m
Point Wild established - moved camp from dangerous Cape Valentine to rocky spit
Altitude: 80m
James Caird launched - Shackleton and 5 men begin 800-mile voyage to South Georgia
Altitude: 80m
James Caird reaches King Haakon Bay, South Georgia after 17 days through "tempestuous storm-swept" seas
Altitude: 5m
Epic 36-hour march across uncharted South Georgia interior with screws in boots for crampons
Altitude: 450m
Arrival at Stromness whaling station - "unrecognisable" after epic crossing
Altitude: 10m
Successful rescue of all 22 men from Point Wild on fourth attempt using Chilean tug Yelcho
Altitude: 80m
Trans-continental crossing of Antarctica
Greatest survival story in polar exploration
8/8/1914 - 5/30/1917
Sir Ernest Shackleton
28 men (all survived)
Endurance (crushed by ice Nov 1915)
Jan 1915 - One day from intended landfall
Oct 1915 - Ship abandoned to ice pressure
497 days on drifting ice floes
800 miles open boat navigation
Aug 1916 - Not one life lost
"Ship and stores have gone – so now we'll go home"
Maintained morale through two Antarctic winters
Made impossible decisions with confidence
Leader ate last, slept least, worried most
The Endurance expedition, officially known as the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914-1917), represents one of the most extraordinary survival stories in the history of exploration. Led by Sir Ernest Shackleton, the expedition's original goal was to be the first to cross Antarctica from coast to coast via the South Pole.
When the ship Endurance became trapped in pack ice, Shackleton's leadership transformed potential disaster into legendary triumph. For 22 months, he kept his crew of 28 men alive in one of Earth's most hostile environments. The expedition became a masterclass in leadership, teamwork, and human endurance under impossible conditions.
This example demonstrates how modern expedition tracking systems could document such historic journeys. Each coordinate represents a crucial moment in their survival story, from the initial departure from London to the final rescue from Elephant Island. The route showcases the incredible distances traveled - not by choice, but by the relentless drift of Antarctic ice.
Shackleton's leadership principles are still studied in business schools and military academies worldwide.
Frank Worsley's navigation and Frank Hurley's photography provided invaluable scientific records.
The Endurance wreck was discovered in 2022, perfectly preserved 3,008 meters below the Weddell Sea.