Following Shackleton

We are now heading towards South Georgia and this is almost the same route that Sir Ernest Shackleton took after leaving the small Elephant Island. 6 men sailed in a small lifeboat hoping to reach South Georgia’s whaling station. The James Caird was only 7 m long and due to the bad weather conditions (yesterday we experienced how the Southern Ocean can be!), they only managed to take 4 times their position during the 17 days of their journey. It seems almost a miracle that despite all odds, including a hurricane that hit them just when they reached South Georgia, they finally managed to land safely.
On board Fram, we have the opportunity to learn all about these great expeditions during lectures and through documentaries shown on board. On top of this, we are lucky to have Henryk Wolski with us – he is an adventurer himself and repeated the odyssey of Shackleton in a replica of the James Caird in 2000. That means we got first-hand information on the hardships and challenges that have to be faced in such a hazardous journey. 

Lectures! - Photo © Annke Timmerberg


Luckily, Fram is much more comfortable then the James Caird! The hardships that we have to face entail things such as trying to avoid putting on weight or having to take the tough decision whether to attend a lecture, to eat some waffles or to just relax in the hot whirlpool on deck!

Waffles! - Photo © Annke Timmerberg




Bridge Tour! - Photo © Annke Timmerberg