What route did Ernest Shackleton take?

Ernest Shackleton's most famous journey was the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, which took place from 1914 to 1916. The expedition aimed to cross the Antarctic continent via the South Pole.

The expedition left Plymouth, England, in 1914 and sailed to South Georgia, where they established a base camp. From there, they sailed to the Weddell Sea and entered the Antarctic pack ice.

The ship, the Endurance, became trapped in the ice and was eventually crushed. The crew abandoned ship and camped on the ice. They drifted for several months before reaching Elephant Island.

Shackleton and five others then sailed to South Georgia in a small boat, a journey of over 1,000 miles. They crossed the island on foot and reached a whaling station, where they were rescued.

The remaining members of the expedition were rescued from Elephant Island by the Chilean ship Yelcho.

The route taken by Shackleton and his crew is shown on the map below.