![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
So, I've made two Ernest Shackleton icons. And now I can't decide which one I like better. The differences are subtle, but I'm calling upon you to help me decide. Cos, you know, people like polls? And I need fresh eyes.
Option 1, No-mittens:
Option 2, Mittens:
[Poll #1267086]
Frankly, I don't understand why "Shackletonian" isn't already a commonly used word. Guys. He made his third trip to Antarctica in a ship called the Endurance. Do you know why it was called the Endurance? Shackleton changed the name after his family motto, "By endurance we conquer."
The Endurance Expedition, also known as the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, did not achieve its goal of crossing the continent on foot. This has not stopped it from going down in history as one of the most amazingly epic journeys ever undertaken. Holy crap! It's amazing. I mean, cos things didn't go well, but the amazing part is how successfully they overcame it. 28 men were stranded in the Antarctic seas for months, and all of them survived. Do you know why? BECAUSE OF SHACKLETON.
Seriously, like. It's not just that he undertook dangerous and intense rescue missions, and made the right decisions and everything. He also was able to keep everyone's spirits up, and create a camaraderie - he chose his men based on temperament as well as skill, which is really, really important when you're going to be stuck together for months in a frozen wasteland. And he had a more inclusive style of leadership than other antarctic explorers of his time. ::coughcoughScottcoughcough:: This meant that even scientists and higher ranked members would share in the chores, and it helped create a brotherly feeling. And he arranged events and stuff, to keep everyone amused and their spirits up while they were stuck on the ice. And it worked! It also earned him the nickname "The Boss." Eat that, Bruce Springsteen.
What happened was that the Endurance sailed into pack ice, and got stuck - this happens. They were trying to work their way out, but it was incredibly intense and they got sealed in. So then their only option was to drift with the pack - which, of course, was taking them no where useful. The ship drifted in ice for the ENTIRE WINTER. ANTARCTIC WINTER. When the ice starts to break up, it buckles and pushes into the ship, and eventually the pressure causes the ship to splinter and fall apart. Shackleton orders everyone off the ship, and they take supplies and stuff. They don't go far, they stay on the ice near the ship. So at first they tried to fix it but soon that was clearly impossible, the ship is getting torn to bits. They get as much as they can off the ship, because the wreckage of the ship remains afloat for a few weeks.
So basically now they're stuck. Not stuck on Antarctica. They're stuck in the middle of the goddamn Ocean (technically, the Weddell Sea). They are actually on the ice. 28 men. Three lifeboats, some supplies, some sled dogs (uh, at first). In the middle of the antarctic sea. Shackleton wants to avoid a long trip in the lifeboats, so he attempts to have everyone walk across the ice. That way, they can get closer to their destination while the water is still frozen, and avoid a long journey on rough seas. (Those of you who know the story can start laughing now) Anyway, this tack proves impossible, because the ice is ridiculously uneven and impossible to traverse. Frank Hurley, the expedition's amazingly awesome photographer, took this picture of it. CRAZY. So, they camp on the ice. On an ice floe. A "flat and solid-looking" one. For months. Then, when the thing starts to fall apart, they all get into the lifeboats, and travel in them for a full week. You know, soaked in ice water all the time, all that good stuff.
They finally reach Elephant Island, where at least they're able to get out of the lifeboats and set up on land. And it's spring now, so it's only, like. . . a few degrees below freezing. Except, no one ever comes to Elephant Island. They would have to go get help. Shackleton chooses a crew of 6 men (including himself) to take an 800 mile open boat journey over some of the roughest ocean in the world. It's like, apparently known as one of the greatest boat journeys of all time. They rig up one of the lifeboats as best they can to make it seaworthy, and set sail. Holy monkeys, guys, this is what it looked like. (By the way, I'm so amazed and excited that there is actual photographic documentation of all these crazy amazing things. It was just at the very start of cameras being used on this sort of thing and it's incredible that I'm seeing an actual photograph of the James Caird - the lifeboat - being launched. Actual photographs of the camp on Elephant Island, and so on.) This is at a latitude that is not only freezing cold, but also has incredibly rough seas - the waves get huge because there is no land at that latitude anywhere around the globe, so wind and waves just build and build.
The James Caird voyage is. . . I'm actually just gonna have to send you to Wikipedia for that one, because I don't really have words. Dudes were awesome. This is a lifeboat! It was 22.5 meters long. Tom Crean was one of the men Shackleton chose to go on the trip with him, and he is so cool. He was on, like, every major British Antarctic mission of the time. Not only was he a capable and experienced polar traveller, he was also, by every account, a great guy. Really good-natured and pleasant and calm and fun, and dependable, dedicated, tough. I'm a huge fan. Also look at this picture of him holding puppies.
So basically, they get to the island of South Georgia after 2 weeks of ridiculous, exhausting open-boat sailing. They almost capsize, spray is freezing to the boat, it's madness. They manage to arrive at the island only because Worsley, the captain of the Endurance, is an incredibly good navigator. It's just amazing, not only that they had the strength and skill to get the boat to go 800 miles, but to go 800 miles to their destination. And they get to South Georgia, but they're on the southwest side. Whaling stations, people, boats, warmth - that's all on the northeast side. And South Georgia (which is off the coast of South America, btw) is all mountains on the inside. No one has ever been more than a mile into its interior before. Two members of the crew aren't in good shape, so Crean, Worsley, and Shackleton leave them on the west side of the island with the other guy. Except first everyone collapses and does nothing for about five days, to recover from the journey. Then, Crean, Worsley, and Shackleton head across the island. They have no map, no mountaineering equipment, they've just made a two week trip across freezing ocean in an open boat, and now they have to hike across snow-covered mountains. They have no camping equipment, so they can't stop. They walk straight for 36 hours over mountains and glaciers until they reach Stromness, an inhabited whaling station. (By the way, it's not like they could call someone and say "what's a good island for us to go to near here, where is there a settlement on that island?" They had to rely on their own knowledge of the area to decide where to go. I think it's pretty cool.)
They're able to send someone to pick up the other three men on the other side of the island (by boat) but it isn't until three months that they're able to get to the men on Elephant Island, because winter had set in and there was once again too much ice for a ship to travel. Shackleton had left Elephant Island at the end of April, reached civilization on South Georgia about a month later, and he wasn't able to get a boat to the rest of the men until the end of August. But he did, by arguing with various governments and entities to let him use boats for no less than four separate rescue attempts. And all the men that left on the Endurance returned home safely. It's ridiculous to think of. All 28 men survived the entire ordeal.
So basically what I'm saying is don't mess with Shackleton. And also, oh my god, stories of Antarctic exploration are so crazy and intense and fierce and exciting and I'm slightly addicted.
Option 1, No-mittens:
Option 2, Mittens:
[Poll #1267086]
Frankly, I don't understand why "Shackletonian" isn't already a commonly used word. Guys. He made his third trip to Antarctica in a ship called the Endurance. Do you know why it was called the Endurance? Shackleton changed the name after his family motto, "By endurance we conquer."
The Endurance Expedition, also known as the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, did not achieve its goal of crossing the continent on foot. This has not stopped it from going down in history as one of the most amazingly epic journeys ever undertaken. Holy crap! It's amazing. I mean, cos things didn't go well, but the amazing part is how successfully they overcame it. 28 men were stranded in the Antarctic seas for months, and all of them survived. Do you know why? BECAUSE OF SHACKLETON.
Seriously, like. It's not just that he undertook dangerous and intense rescue missions, and made the right decisions and everything. He also was able to keep everyone's spirits up, and create a camaraderie - he chose his men based on temperament as well as skill, which is really, really important when you're going to be stuck together for months in a frozen wasteland. And he had a more inclusive style of leadership than other antarctic explorers of his time. ::coughcoughScottcoughcough:: This meant that even scientists and higher ranked members would share in the chores, and it helped create a brotherly feeling. And he arranged events and stuff, to keep everyone amused and their spirits up while they were stuck on the ice. And it worked! It also earned him the nickname "The Boss." Eat that, Bruce Springsteen.
What happened was that the Endurance sailed into pack ice, and got stuck - this happens. They were trying to work their way out, but it was incredibly intense and they got sealed in. So then their only option was to drift with the pack - which, of course, was taking them no where useful. The ship drifted in ice for the ENTIRE WINTER. ANTARCTIC WINTER. When the ice starts to break up, it buckles and pushes into the ship, and eventually the pressure causes the ship to splinter and fall apart. Shackleton orders everyone off the ship, and they take supplies and stuff. They don't go far, they stay on the ice near the ship. So at first they tried to fix it but soon that was clearly impossible, the ship is getting torn to bits. They get as much as they can off the ship, because the wreckage of the ship remains afloat for a few weeks.
So basically now they're stuck. Not stuck on Antarctica. They're stuck in the middle of the goddamn Ocean (technically, the Weddell Sea). They are actually on the ice. 28 men. Three lifeboats, some supplies, some sled dogs (uh, at first). In the middle of the antarctic sea. Shackleton wants to avoid a long trip in the lifeboats, so he attempts to have everyone walk across the ice. That way, they can get closer to their destination while the water is still frozen, and avoid a long journey on rough seas. (Those of you who know the story can start laughing now) Anyway, this tack proves impossible, because the ice is ridiculously uneven and impossible to traverse. Frank Hurley, the expedition's amazingly awesome photographer, took this picture of it. CRAZY. So, they camp on the ice. On an ice floe. A "flat and solid-looking" one. For months. Then, when the thing starts to fall apart, they all get into the lifeboats, and travel in them for a full week. You know, soaked in ice water all the time, all that good stuff.
They finally reach Elephant Island, where at least they're able to get out of the lifeboats and set up on land. And it's spring now, so it's only, like. . . a few degrees below freezing. Except, no one ever comes to Elephant Island. They would have to go get help. Shackleton chooses a crew of 6 men (including himself) to take an 800 mile open boat journey over some of the roughest ocean in the world. It's like, apparently known as one of the greatest boat journeys of all time. They rig up one of the lifeboats as best they can to make it seaworthy, and set sail. Holy monkeys, guys, this is what it looked like. (By the way, I'm so amazed and excited that there is actual photographic documentation of all these crazy amazing things. It was just at the very start of cameras being used on this sort of thing and it's incredible that I'm seeing an actual photograph of the James Caird - the lifeboat - being launched. Actual photographs of the camp on Elephant Island, and so on.) This is at a latitude that is not only freezing cold, but also has incredibly rough seas - the waves get huge because there is no land at that latitude anywhere around the globe, so wind and waves just build and build.
The James Caird voyage is. . . I'm actually just gonna have to send you to Wikipedia for that one, because I don't really have words. Dudes were awesome. This is a lifeboat! It was 22.5 meters long. Tom Crean was one of the men Shackleton chose to go on the trip with him, and he is so cool. He was on, like, every major British Antarctic mission of the time. Not only was he a capable and experienced polar traveller, he was also, by every account, a great guy. Really good-natured and pleasant and calm and fun, and dependable, dedicated, tough. I'm a huge fan. Also look at this picture of him holding puppies.
So basically, they get to the island of South Georgia after 2 weeks of ridiculous, exhausting open-boat sailing. They almost capsize, spray is freezing to the boat, it's madness. They manage to arrive at the island only because Worsley, the captain of the Endurance, is an incredibly good navigator. It's just amazing, not only that they had the strength and skill to get the boat to go 800 miles, but to go 800 miles to their destination. And they get to South Georgia, but they're on the southwest side. Whaling stations, people, boats, warmth - that's all on the northeast side. And South Georgia (which is off the coast of South America, btw) is all mountains on the inside. No one has ever been more than a mile into its interior before. Two members of the crew aren't in good shape, so Crean, Worsley, and Shackleton leave them on the west side of the island with the other guy. Except first everyone collapses and does nothing for about five days, to recover from the journey. Then, Crean, Worsley, and Shackleton head across the island. They have no map, no mountaineering equipment, they've just made a two week trip across freezing ocean in an open boat, and now they have to hike across snow-covered mountains. They have no camping equipment, so they can't stop. They walk straight for 36 hours over mountains and glaciers until they reach Stromness, an inhabited whaling station. (By the way, it's not like they could call someone and say "what's a good island for us to go to near here, where is there a settlement on that island?" They had to rely on their own knowledge of the area to decide where to go. I think it's pretty cool.)
They're able to send someone to pick up the other three men on the other side of the island (by boat) but it isn't until three months that they're able to get to the men on Elephant Island, because winter had set in and there was once again too much ice for a ship to travel. Shackleton had left Elephant Island at the end of April, reached civilization on South Georgia about a month later, and he wasn't able to get a boat to the rest of the men until the end of August. But he did, by arguing with various governments and entities to let him use boats for no less than four separate rescue attempts. And all the men that left on the Endurance returned home safely. It's ridiculous to think of. All 28 men survived the entire ordeal.
So basically what I'm saying is don't mess with Shackleton. And also, oh my god, stories of Antarctic exploration are so crazy and intense and fierce and exciting and I'm slightly addicted.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-09-26 02:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-26 12:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-26 03:21 am (UTC)But I think the mittens deserve their own icon.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-26 12:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-26 03:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-26 12:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-26 05:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-26 05:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-26 09:24 am (UTC)*will read more about Shackleton later!*
no subject
Date: 2008-09-26 12:33 pm (UTC)Awww, Cherry - I plan to read his book if i can, but I'm a little scared. Holy crap! (Also his name is really silly. It doesn't fit with the whole "tough men in the frozen wilderness" thing at all.)
no subject
Date: 2008-09-26 10:23 am (UTC)I went through this intense Shackleton phase when I was itsy-bitsy (only second to my incredibly intense Lewis and Clark phase) where I read and watched everything I could get my hands on. <3
I like the mittens better because it looks more old-photo-albumy.
There's an interesting play by Ted Tally (the guy who wrote Silence of the Lambs) called, appropriately, "Terra Nova." In it Scott keeps hallucinating Amundsen taunting him for being behind.
I'll leave you with a quote from Red Dwarf:
"Captain Oates was a prat. If that'd been me, I'd've stayed in the tent, whacked Scott over the head with a frozen husky, and then eaten him...
History is written by the winners. How do we know that Oates went out for this legendary walk? From the only surviving document: Scott's diary. And he's hardly likely to have written down, "February the First, bludgeoned Oates to death while he slept, then scoffed him along with the last packet of instant mash." How's that going to look when he gets rescued, eh? No, much better to say, "Oates made the supreme sacrifice," while you're dabbing up his gravy with the last piece of crusty bread."
no subject
Date: 2008-09-26 12:37 pm (UTC)Yeah, you know, before I didn't like the mittens one as much, but the more I look at it the more I prefer the composition, somehow. Aaargh, can't decide, meaning that I still don't have a Shackleton icon with which to respond to comments. :(
Haha - I actually came across that quote somewhere. Oates in popular culture or something. XD And then a friend of mine asked if people ever had to resort to cannibalism on these expeditions and I was like "Yes. . . no wait, no, that was Red Dwarf."