Shackleton's Endurance: Part 2 - Stuck at Sea

These puppies would look something like the ones born on
the Endurance. The men likely claimed they only wished
to cuddle them for extra warmth, not their adorability.

When you're trapped on the ice for seven months you have more problems than simply the obvious ones of food and warmth. Things get dark - and not just metaphorically dark, as in the feeling of hopelessness washing over them just like as the frigid waters of the Antarctic (a simile, not a metaphor) but literal lack of light. They would go massive stretches of time without sunlight, and the world would be plunged into a terrible stretch of cold and sunless months in which they could do little beyond sitting and waiting. Boredom became a significant problem as well. They tried to hold it back by putting on gramophone concerts, playing soccer on the ice (wow are they ever English), putting on plays, and playing with the puppies that had been born during their unwanted extended stay. Still, this worried Shackleton greatly; he had been on failed expeditions before where mutinies had occurred, and while he was a confident and capable leader he was not sure how far the men could be pushed before they started to lose it.

The sinking Endurance. Who would have
guessed it couldn't sail through those
waters?

Worse yet, the pressure was mounting around the boat. Ice floes come with tremendous degrees of pressure; bear in mind they're massive sheets of ice crashing into each other, and if one small boat comes in between them it alone isn't going to hold them off. These are great natural forces we're talking about, and in 1914 they will be hard pressed to create a boat to sustain those pressures. The men knew this too. One man wrote in his journal "It's only a matter of time. What the ice gets, the ice keeps" which I am fairly certain is simply a quote from a polar based horror novel he was quoting for the situation he was in. Continuing with the ominous messages, another man wrote of their situation, describing it as the "absolute embodiment of helpless futility" which I'm going to go right ahead and claim as a band name. Poor Shackleton was at the head of these rightfully pessimistic men, and it was up to him to get them out of it.

He had to make a move. On October 27th, 1915 (remember their departure date for some perspective on how long this has been already) Shackleton did what any captain is loath to do and abandoned his ship to to try their luck with three of the four lifeboats they had on the Endurance. They went to work clearing as many supplies as they could from the wreck, and it wasn't long before the men saw firsthand the ship finally collapse under the weight and pressure of the floes, literally crushing it from both sides. The expedition was a failure and their only option was to return, but that alone was no easy feat. Carrying capacity was now at a minimum, and each man was allowed only two pounds of possessions each except for a few exceptions - the medical professionals were allowed their tools, the photographer was allowed his, and one man was allowed to bring his banjo (which was fifteen pounds) as it was somehow supposed to prevent boredom and despair. While they had some food they couldn't afford to bring all of it as it would simply be too heavy, and they had to clear as much dead weight as they could. This meant the unfortunate task of having to kill the puppies and the cat they had on board (well, crap). If you think that's overly harsh, bear in mind that they were only allowed to bring the clothes on their backs as well, preventing a change until their return home. Food would also be minimal, but supplemented by the killing of seals and penguins that were plentiful on a number of areas on the island. Some would be so unaccustomed to humans that they would simply walk right into their camp to their deaths.

Shackleton pondering his next move, adorned
with his manliest thinking hat.

Once they were off the boat and have adequately set up their camp not far from the shipwreck, they surveyed the situation. They were currently sitting on a massive ice floe, hoping - really just hoping - that it would take them north and closer to their final destination. Unfortunately, the winds and currents weren't at their beck and call, so they would mostly be sitting and waiting with the occasional seal hunt while they drifted aimlessly in one of the most foreboding and dangerous seas on the planet. They were also only bringing three life boats that were strong but far from something you would want in treacherous waters and were mostly a last resort. On top of this all, the men were cold and starving and the situation was only getting worse - food was running even lower and their rations had to be reduced further (which would make them thinner and thus colder). On top of that their 1914 era clothing wasn't modern day J. Crew quality and was beginning to wear, making what was cold, then colder, colder still. They could only last so long. Shackleton knew it was the time for a desperate and last ditch plan to escape. They had to take to their boats and make a break for it as the ice floe was now getting thin to the point of collapse. The problem (amongst countless others) was where were they to go? 

Tune in for the third segment where this expedition starts to go poorly. It's been a walk in the park so far. (Oh, they also had to kill the rest of the dogs as well by the way.)