World renowned raconteur, Rob Caskie, presents exhilarating stories of three explorers: Scott, Amundsen and Shackleton.
The South Pole was the ultimate quest at the turn of the last century and a race ensued to only end in bitter tragedy; who conquered and who perished?
With the South Pole reached, Shackleton was forced to rethink his polar ambitions and attempt to cross Antartica from sea to sea - a distance of 2500km. An epic of human struggle and a triumph of the human spirit!
Race To The Pole:
At the turn of the last century the South Pole was as foreign to Mankind as the surface of the moon, the race to the pole sparked huge public interest. Bitter rivalry between two Brits, Ernest Shackleton and Robert Scott, created hitherto "the furthest south" in 1909.
Imagine Scott's horror in 1910, when reaching Australia, he received a telegram informing him that Norwegian Roald Amundsen was also proceeding south. The race had reached new heights. Amundsen with a virtuoso team of Olympic quality skiers and fantastic dogs would triumph, reaching the South Pole on 14 December 1911.
Many believe Scott's team of five died psychologically when they saw the Norwegian flag at the South Pole on the 16 January 1912. En route back to Cape Evans, 1100km away, beset by terrible weather and a shortage of fuel and food, every man in Scott's party would perish. The last three died only 17km away from a large fuel and food depot.
It is the stuff of legends.
Shackleton's Remarkable Journey:
With the South Pole reached by Amundsen and Scott, Shackleton decided to attempt to cross Antarctica from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea, via the South Pole - a distance of 2500km. Only one day's sailing from land, their ship Endurance was beset by ice in January of 1915.
For nine long months, 28 men were carried along by current and wind, until the ice crushed Endurance in November 1915. Shackleton's crew were then to live on floating ice floes for seven months, until finally able to paddle three small lifeboats to Elephant Island.
From there Shackleton would attempt the impossible - sail 1200km across the Southern Ocean in the James Caird lifeboat to seek assistance. He made it to South Georgia, and then had to cross the mountainous island on foot. After three false starts, hindered by ice, all 22 men were rescued after a 21 month ordeal.
An epic of human struggle and a triumph of the human spirit.
Thursday 1 November 2012
11h30 Race to the Pole
18h30 Shackleton's Remarkable Journey
Friday 2 November 2012
11h30 Shakleton's Remarkable Journey
18h30 Race to the Pole
Talk in the Ballroom followed by a full buffet in Reuben's One&Only
R230-00 per person
Date: 01 November 2012
to 02 November 2012
Time: 11:30
Venue: One&Only Cape Town, Cape Town
Cost: R230-00
More info: One&Only Cape Town Ballroom followed by a full buffet in Reuben's One&Only Cape Town
