Antarctica’s First Visitors
By Advisor. Filed in Florida |
Journeying back from the South Pole in the year 1912, Captain Robert Falcon Scott met his untimely end. His friends also perished due to starvation and hypothermia. His tragic end followed the bitter pill of relinquishing the title of first to the South Pole. His attempt at this competition ensured his status as national hero.
Because of several studies conducted through the years, we now know what types of severe conditions to expect when exploring Antarctica. During the winter the temperature can become as low as -90? celsius with the wind becoming as fiece as 67 hm an hour.Scott’s expedition would have been plagued with weather conditions such as these, but that doesn’t even begin to touch upon the true perils found in Antarctica.antarctica travel
A Polar Region scientist, Scott’s writings to wife describe extreme isolation.Even this day, scientists that work in the region concur with the extreme isolation, despite the availability of vastly better methods of communication.When Scott died, he left behind his wife and young son.
It was not until several months after his death that the explorer’s body was found, along with letters he had written to his wife.He was no more than 11 miles from safety. Captain Scott’s wife was in New Zealand, waiting for her husband to come back, when news of his death reached her.
The letters that Scott left behind gave historians a great deal of information about his expedition. The letters that were written during the first part of his journey spoke of his great health and he loved a hearty meal.There was little mention of bitter temperatures. Instead, he spoke of how a hot meal granted the body to recoup.antarctica holiday
At the trip’s end, Scott’s outlook depleted along with the supply of food.Scott began to focus on the fact that the frigid weather was challenging and unrelenting.He spoke about how he and his fellow explorers survived with only one hot meal and two days of cold food, in order to travel a distance of 11 miles.
Although Scott was a pioneer in the field of exploration, he’d bad luck twice over with this trek. He lost the race to the South Pole to Norwegian Roald Amundsen.Amundsen had begun his expedition on December 21st of 1911, and Scott’s expedition went underway January 18th of 1912.
Scott was referred to as a national hero due to his previous explorations of Antartic during the years 1902-1904.Scott and two others, Lieutenant Henry Bowers and Dr. Edward Wilson held onto the hope that they would survive.Captain Lawrence Oats and Petty Office Edgar Evans weren’t so lucky.
The expedition had to begin rationing provisions only 20 miles from a supply depot.Now, they’d hardly any meals or fuel left.In one of his later letters, Scott gave his wife permission to remarry in the event of his death as he then described the brutal seventy degrees below zero temps while only having a tent around him.
He never once expressed any remorse or regret for setting out on his final journey.He stated he enjoyed what he was doing rather than sitting idly by at home. Scott’s courage and determined attitude has given inspiration to many generations of British youngsters.
Roald Amundsen beat Captain Robert Scott’s team to the South Pole by several weeks.He is said to have died on March 29, 1912.His diary of events entitled “Scott’s Last Expedition” hit print in 1913.
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