The Shackleton Epic – Honouring History
Leadership
Shackleton’s story remains one of the greatest examples of courage, endurance and leadership ever told. Today, Shackleton’s leadership style is central to curricula at many business schools (e.g. the book Shackleton’s Way). Whether it is climate change or the state of disarray in the credit markets, Shackleton’s message of individuals putting differences aside and working to their strengths to collectively overcome seemingly insurmountable problems has continuing resonance 100 years later.
Environmental Change
The expedition will start from Elephant Island off the Antarctic Peninsula, adjacent to where much of Antarctica’s ice cap melt has occurred, several hundred kilometers from the infamous Larsen B Ice Shelf. The expedition aims to film spectacular footage showing the status of Antarctic ice melt in the region both to add another dimension to the film but also as part of ongoing interest in the field by Jarvis in his role as a leading environmental scientist. Whereas Shackleton’s goal was to save his men from Antarctica, we are trying to save Antarctic from man – an unfortunate irony.
Education & Science
The project will aim to show the current status of the environment in the regions through which the expedition travels as well as linking in with science and maths curricula in schools. This program will be supported by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Association of Science Technology Centers (ASTC) in the United States, the Royal Institution in Australia (RiAus) and Open University in the UK.
The Boat Journey
A dedicated group of sailing and climbing expert will undertake the expedition. The crew will sail the Alexandra Shackleton, an exact replica of the James Caird, exactly as Shackleton did. The only concession to using period equipment will be modern emergency gear on board.
the replica of the James Caird, the Alexandra Shackleton
The Climb Across South Georgia
Tim Jarvis travelled to Elephant Island and South Georgia in January 2011 as part of the risk assessment process for the project. This included undertaking parts of the traverse of South Georgia.
The main potential risks associated with it relate to crevasse fall, climbing injury and weather-related risks including exposure, frostbite and associated injuries. These risks will be managed by a dedicated plan being prepared in accordance with South Georgia authorities’ environmental permitting requirements.
Route Maps
The map below depicts Shackleton’s original journey in the Endurance from South Georgia to the edge of the Antarctic coast, where the Endurance was beset in ice (red line).
journey of the Endurance
Thereafter, the crew of 28 men drifted on the pack ice, first in the Endurance and then in its three lifeboats, ultimately reaching Elephant Island (green line). The blue line depicts the perilous 800-mile open boat voyage of the James Caird that Shackleton and his five-man crew made from Elephant Island to South Georgia.
This blue line represents the journey that The Shackleton Epic Expedition team will seek to recreate, including climbing over the mountains of South Georgia when landfall is made.