Plog: Going Inside Shackleton’s Nimrod Hut

Friday, 30 January 2015 (part II)
In the Ice — Ross Sea
Current Position: 76°05’ S / 166°38’ E

Like Amundsen and Scott, Shackleton dreamed of being the first to achieve the South Pole.

He first came to these polar latitudes as a member of the 1901-1904 Discovery Expedition, which was led by Scott.  On that trip, he accompanied Scott and Wilson — both of who were to die in 1912 after achieving the South Pole — on a journey that set a record by marching south to 82° … further than anyone else before them.  Unfortunately, Shackleton was shipped home when his health started to fail after the march, but it lit a polar fire in his veins that was not to be extinguished.

Third-Time Lucky: Cape Royds … Before Ortelius Turns its Bow North

Friday, 30 January 2015 (part I)
In the Ice — Ross Sea
Current Position: 76°05’ S / 166°38’ E
Temps: 32F (0 C) @ 6:45a (UTC +12)
Distance Since Ushuaia: 4,195 NM (4,827 miles / 7,769 km)

Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo.
H. G. WELLS

An early morning today — with pre-breakfast pastries and coffee in the bar at 5:45a; and the first passenger group scheduled to fly ashore to visit the Nimrod Hut at Cape Royds — popularly known as Shackleton’s Hut — at 6:15a.  According to the posted list, our two-person Group H was estimated to fly last at 7:25a.  Well, the snacks were in the bar on time, but everything else lagged a while.  No matter, we had a gorgeous day and enjoyed the sunshine on the bridge deck.

On Expedition Day 22 we visit Cape Royds before Ortelius turns its bow north.

PostCards from the Ross Sea … Expedition in Review (Part II)

Part II of the ‘PostCard’ summary of our voyage … just to whet your appetite until I write the saga ;-) …

After more than a week of traveling the seas of the Southern Ocean — and a missed landing at remote Peter I Øy [island] in the Bellingshausen Sea — M/V Ortelius negotiated the sea ice belt and entered the Ross Sea.  What a spectacular part of the world … and so much Antarctic exploration history.

Helicopter Flightseeing over the Ross Ice Shelf — known as
the Barrier to the Antarctic explorers of the Heroic Age.

Mount Erebus carries the distinction of being the second highest
volcano in Antarctica and the southernmost active volcano on earth.

While we wait for our turn to visit Scott's Hut, we go for a hike across ash-covered Cape Evans.

Scott’s hut on Cape Evans served as the headquarters of the British Antarctic
Expedition of 1910-1913 — the ill-fated expedition on which Robert Falcon Scott
and four of his companions died on their way back from the South Pole.

Scott’s hut with mighty Erebus serving as a magnificent backdrop.

Parked at the edge of the fast ice in New Harbour, the gateway for …

… a helicopter trip to the Dry Valleys — a seldom visited unique area of Antarctica.
Canada Glacier — Taylor Valley

The hut at Cape Royds served as the headquarters for Shackleton’s Nimrod Expedition
of 1907-1909.  It was on this expedition that Shackleton attained his Farthest South
latitude before turning back just 97.5 nautical miles (180.6 km;/112.2 mi) from the pole.

The interior of Shackleton’s Hut at Cape Royds is preserved as a
living museum that few in the world have the opportunity to visit.

Thru the broken floes of the sea ice we merrily make our way.  This is a big ice year in Antarctica.

In sight of the Adare Peninsula — Don’t let all that blue water deceive you …

… there is plenty of ice between us and Cape Adare.
Will the ice and wind allow us to land?  That’s the big question!

There is just as much ice to the starboard of the ship as there is to the port.

Thanks to the helicopters that taxi us to Cape Adare, we get to visit one of the biggest Adélie penguin colonies in the world — and what a setting they have chosen for themselves.

A most amazing tabular iceberg off the ice shelf — one of the many fabulous sights
we enjoy during our helicopter flightseeing over the waters near Cape Adare.

And thus ended a wonderful time in a wonderful part of the world.  Many more sea days followed to bring us to New Zealand where we now begin the final phase of our winter — or is it summer — travels.

P.S.  The fit inside the helicopters was too tight for ‘selfie shenanigans’ — yup; I faked those postcards.

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