Indonesian Digital News Archive

The story of Ernest Shackleton's Endurance expedition is one of the most legendary tales of survival in the history of mankind. When his ship became stuck in Antarctic pack-ice, and was eventually crushed and sank, Shackleton and his crew were forced to survive out on the ice for months on end. The crew endure difficult weather conditions, supply shortages and daring open water crossings in a desperate attempt to stay alive. Eventually, Shackleton himself led a small team in search of help to South Georgia Island, where he and his men used their remaining strength to cross the island on foot, a feat that wouldn't be matched again for another 40 years. All told, the Shackleton and his men managed to survive for more than 16 months before being rescued, and it was testament to their leader that not a single member of the crew lost their life.

Shackleton's expedition began in 1914, so in the coming months you can expect numerous celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the launch of the expedition, which had originally intended to cross the length of Antarctica, via the South Pole, for the first time. There will no doubt be a number of centenary expeditions to celebrate the occasion. Most of those expeditions won't be open to you and I, but one travel company is offering a unique opportunity for adventurous folks looking to follow in Shackleton's footsteps – provided they have plenty of spare cash.

Intrepid Travel's Shackleton Epic is a 56-day journey that traces the same route as the legendary British explorer. It gets underway on January 3rd, 2013 when the TS Pelican sets sail from Punta Arenas, Chile. The ship will explore the Southern Ocean, visiting such places as Deception Island, King George Island, Elephant Island and of course, South Georgia, before eventually finishing in Rio de Janeiro in late February. Along the way, the crew, led by British/Australian explorer Tim Jarvis, will recreate Shackleton's 800-mile open water crossing between Elephant Island and South Georgia aboard a replica boat no less. Upon their completion of that undertaking, there will also be an opportunity to cross the island on foot, just as Shackleton had.



While this itinerary is being offered by one of the best adventure travel companies in the world, this is far from a typical trip. This will be a long and demanding journey that will test those who embark on it. But it is also the chance to trace the path of one of the greatest explorers of the 20th century and catch a glimpse of how difficult Shackleton's adventure must have been.

There are just ten berths available aboard the Pelican and they don't come cheap. If you're interested in joining the crew, the price is $30,000 with reservations being taken now. You can find out more specific information about the expedition, the ship you'd be sailing on, and leader Tim Jarvis by clicking here.

Now if only I could come up with the $30k to join this excursion.

Following yesterday's announcement that Sir Ranulph Fiennes would be attempting an Antarctic journey to the South Pole in the dead of winter, the BBC today asks what other adventures remain undone? The article laments the fact that satellite imaging and communications technology have taken some of the mystery out of exploration and that in the 21st century most of the remote places of our planet have been visited. Still, they do manage to come up with a list of adventures that have yet to be accomplished.

Some of the suggestions include a climb up Gangkhar Puensum in Bhutan. That 7570 meter (24,835 ft) peak holds the distinction of being the tallest unclimbed mountain in the world. The problem is, climbing ins forbidden on that mountain as the people of Bhutan see it as sacred. The BBC does suggest looking for unclimbed peaks in western China and Tibet however, where plenty of first ascents can still be made. They also note that K2, Makalu and Kangchenjunga have never been skied, although I'd say climbing K2 in winter should sit high on the list of big adventures yet to be done.

The BBC suggests that no one has gone to the North Pole in the dead of winter, but to that I'd say they are wrong. Back in 2006, Mike Horn and Borge Ousland made that journey on foot and without support. It is my belief (as well as that of some polar explorers that I've spoken to) that a trek to the North Pole will become increasingly rare in the years ahead as climate changes makes that journey a more difficult proposition.

According to the article, there are a number of "firsts" that can still be accomplished for the adventurous swimmer. For example, no one has completed a swim across the Pacific, although Ben Lecomte is planning on giving it a try. They also list the Straits of Hormuz, Gulf of Aqaba and Le Perouse Strait as all looking for their first swim as well. Perhaps the ocean depths are the next big area for exploration, as much of those areas have yet to be mapped. That requires a great deal of preparation, technology and planning and is not unlike traveling into space.

I thought this was an interesting article although I am of the mind that there are still plenty of adventurous things to do out int his wide world that we live on. The problem is, there is a perception amongst many that unless you're taking on the tallest or largest target, it really isn't that impressive. With that I definitely disagree. Besides, adventure is a very personal thing and it means something different to all of us. Finding our own adventures are what really matters.

A few weeks ago, on August 25, astronaut Neil Armstrong passed away at the age of 82. Armstrong, who mostly stayed out of the public eye, played a pivotal role in human history by becoming the first man to walk on the moon. To celebrate one of the more well known personalities in its history, NASA released the video below. It says a lot about the character of Armstrong, how chose to stay out of the public spotlight in the years that followed his historic mission. This is really great, inspiring stuff and a perfect way to launch a new week. Enjoy!

Explorer and anthropologist Julian Monroe Fisher is the subject of an excellent interview over at Explorers Web this week. Julian is gearing up for the second phase of his Great African Expedition, which will get underway in December, and in the two-part interview he shares a lot about that adventure and the world of exploration in particular.

In Part One of the interview the explorer talks in some detail about Phase 2, which follows his successful journey from Cairo to Khartoum along the Nile River. That section of the expedition was completed in May of this year and progress was halted because of an ongoing dispute over oil rights between Sudan and the newly formed South Sudan. In December, Julian will resume the expedition by traveling from the South Sudan capital of Juba up the Nile and overland to Lake Albert, which he intends to circumnavigate by kayak, indigenous long canoe and on foot.

In that same article, Monroe Fisher talks about the recent attack of Davey du Plessis in the Amazon and his own brushes with conflict in Africa. Julian says his only real assault actually took place at home in Austria and now while traveling for miles on foot through the African bush.

Part Two of the interview continues the discussion with Julian sharing his thoughts on how he prepares for his journeys through potentially dangerous parts of the world. He also talks about the interesting tribes that he has encountered along the way and tells us what it was like to meet, and interview,  Jane Goodall. He also tells us why he is so drawn to Africa, a continent that I love dearly as well.

ExWeb's interview with Julian is a good one and if you want to read about a modern day explorer who is out in the field, following in the footsteps of other great explorers, I suggest you take a look. It is definitely an interesting read.

The SS Terra Nova holds a hallowed place in the history of exploration. The ship was used by Robert Falcon Scott on his ill fated mission to Antarctica that lasted from 1910-1912 and ended with his death on the return trip from the South Pole. After that the vessel was bought and commissioned for other types of service which eventually led to it running supplies to Greenland during World War II. In 1943 it hit thick ice and took damage to her hull, causing the ship to sink in the icy waters of the North Atlantic, never to be seen again. That is until now.

A research vessel for the Schmidt Ocean Institute was recently testing new equipment off the coast of Greenland when they came across the wreckage. Unsure of what they had found, the team took the opportunity to explore their discovery further by sending a submersible camera down to examine the ship more closely. The camera took images of the Terra Nova which were then compared to historical photos which confirmed the identity of the vessel.

Built in 1884, the Terra Nova was first used as a whaling and sealing vessel. In 1903 she was put to work as an expedition vessel under Scott, who sailed the ship into the Antarctic where her reinforced hull was perfectly suited for duty. Scott would take her back to the Antarctic seven years later when he made his bid for the South Pole. While Scott and his men were making their way to 90ºS, the Terra Nova and her crew were conducting scientific research off the coast of the frozen continent and making supply runs back to New Zealand.

Following Scott's death, the ship was sold to new owners who put her back to work at a seal fishery in Newfoundland. By 1942 the vessel had been pressed into service as a supply ship to Greenland and a year later it was sunk off the south-western tip of that country. She still sits there today, although the discovery of the ship will certainly be of interest to history buff and fans of explorers like Scott.

It would be amazing if the ship could be recovered and possibly added to a museum somewhere. But it seems that the Terra Nova incurred quite a bit of damage when she went down and now rests 1000 feet beneath the surface. It would be very expensive to try to recover the vessel, which could potentially fall apart if moved. So, she'll probably stay in her current location forever, a sunken monument to history long past.

I can't help but think that it is quite serendipitous that the Terra Nova was discovered exactly 100 years after the Scott expedition.

Author Chic Scott has written the definitive book on Canadian mountaineering. That book, entitled Pushing the Limits, examines 200 years of climbing history, introducing readers to the men and women who have been at the forefront of Canada's climbing community. In the short film below, which was made by Andre Querner, he takes a thoughtful, introspective look at mountaineering in general and what makes it such a unique, and at time enigmatic, sport.


The Gift from Andrew Querner on Vimeo.

A team of researchers are en route to a chain of remote islands in the South Pacific with the hopes of solving one of the great mysteries of the 20th century. Armed with new data, the team hopes to find the remains of Amelia Earhart, the famous aviator who went missing in 1937 while attempting to fly around the world.

A team of of researchers has used advanced technology to locate ancient ruins in the depths of the Honduras jungle. The site, which falls inside the fabled Mosquito Coast, could be the lost city of Ciudad Blanca (The White City) which inspired treasure hunters, archaeologists and historians for centuries.

The research team from the University of Houston used a survey plane equipped with a laser-based light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system to discover the site. These lasers are able to penetrate the thick canopy of the jungle and map the surface below it at an incredibly accurate level. The system has been used in recent years to get a clear picture of the Honduras' countryside but it has also helped to reveal these kinds of surprises too. The lasers have been accurate enough to map the newly discovered site, which includes a large central plaza with two pyramids at either end, one large one small. There are numerous other structures of various sizes near by as well.

The legend of Ciudad Blanca has been around since at least the 1500's when Spanish explorer Hernando Cortes went in search of the city. Cortes believed that it was a site with great wealth, including vast hoards of gold. He never found his treasure but that hasn't stopped other expeditions from continuing the search. Over the centuries some have claimed to have discovered it, but there has been no concrete evidence to support those claims and most archaeologists today regard the city as just a myth.

Whether or not this site is indeed Ciudad Blanca remains to be seen, as aside from the fact that researches now know it exists, little else is known about the ruins. A major archaeological expedition will need to be mounted to go in search of the place and excavation will likely not proceed for years. Such an expedition will be a challenging undertaking as the dense jungles of the Mosquito Coast will not be easy to penetrate, but those who do make the journey will be witnessing a lost history that man has not seen for a very long time.

If that expedition is in need of a blogger to join them on that journey and chronicle their findings, I'd be willing to come along!

The disappearance of Amelia Earhart is one of the most enduring mysteries of the 20th Century. The pioneering aviator went missing somewhere over the Pacific back in 1937 as she attempted to fly around the world, and there have been a host of search parties ever since. Now a new team says that they have found clues to her whereabouts and they believe that they have discovered her final resting place at last.

According to this story from Discovery.com, researchers now believe that Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan crash landed on Nikumaroro Island, an uninhabited atoll that is part of the tiny nation of Kiribati in the South Pacific. They believe that not only did they survive, but that they attempted to use the plane's radio to signal for help on numerous occasions. Some of those SOS attempts were recorded and the researchers studied them, concluding that 57 of the 120 transmissions that were examined have some credibility as belong to Earhart.

The research team behind the study says that they believe that Earhart and Noonan were able to continue broadcasting signals until the plane was eventually pulled out to sea by high tides a few days after the crash. They have reviewed tidal data for July 2nd through the 9th of 1937 as well, and that data holds well to their theory. The thought is that the two survived the crash and lived on the island as long as they could before eventually dying there.

If the radio signal evidence wasn't enough, explorers have also found another clue on Nikumaroro. While searching for evidence of Earhart's eventual resting place, they found five fragments of a glass jar. When that jar was reassembled it was discovered to be Dr.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬H Berry's Freckle Ointment, which was on the market at the time of Earhart's flight. It was also known that she not only had freckles but didn't like them, and used cosmetics to cover them up or in an attempt to remove them altogether. Some of the researchers believe that this jar belonged to the aviator.

Next July the team intends to mount an expedition to the island to search once more for the aircraft. Of course, this will be just the latest attempt to find her and while efforts in the past have provided intriguing clues, the mystery of what happened to Earhart has yet to be solved. It should be very interesting to see what it is they discover.

Australian adventurer Tim Jarvis has announced a major expedition that will follow in the footsteps of one of the greatest polar explorers in history – Ernest Shackleton. In January of next year, Jarvis will depart for the Antarctic where he will attempt to recreate what is considered by many to be the greatest survival story of all time. The journey will be a challenging, demanding one that hasn't been successfully replicated in nearly 100 years.

For those unaware of Shackleton's story, while he was exploring the Antarctic in January of 1915 his ship, the Endurance, became trapped in the pack ice. He and his crew used it as their shelter and store house for months as they waited for weather conditions to improve enough to free it from the ice, but before that could happen the ship's hull was breached and it began to take on water. In October, Shackleton and his men abandoned the Endurance for good, electing to build camps on the ice floes. They hoped that they ice would drift towards one of the nearby islands, allowing them to reach land and access supply caches, but after another five months they were no closer to dry ground and the ice floes started to break up. In a desperate move, the crew took to three life boats and headed for open water and after five days out on the freezing Southern Ocean that reached the desolate and remote Elephant Island. It was the first time they were on land in nearly 500 days.

Elephant Island was hardly a permanent refuge however and Shackleton knew he had to go for help. On April 24, 1916, he and a small group of men set out across treacherous waters for South Georgia Island, some 800 miles away. They went in a small boat dubbed the James Caird after one of the more generous sponsors of the expedition and all onboard knew that this was a one way trip. But somehow they managed to cross those 800 miles and land on South Georgia, although they were still miles from rescue. Shackleton and two of his men then crossed the island, covering 32 miles in 36 hours, along an unknown route, to reach a whaling station where they found help at last. A ship was eventually dispatched to retrieve the men still stranded on Elephant Island, which took some time due the ice, but they were all rescued and in the end, not a single life was lost, which makes the story all the more amazing.

The next successful crossing of South Georgia by foot wouldn't come until 1955, which gives you an idea of how challenging this undertaking was, and no one has ever managed to complete both the boat journey and the crossing. Next year, Tim Jarvis will attempt to do just that.

In preparation for the expedition Jarvis has had a replica of the James Caird built and he and his crew will use vintage 1916 gear along the way. They will attempt to first complete the 800 mile crossing from Elephant Island to South Georgia by sea and then traverse the island along the same route that Shackleton did. It will be a tremendous undertaking and the entire journey will be filmed for an upcoming documentary to celebrate the 100 anniversary of Shackleton's adventure.

You can read more about what promises to be an amazing expedition on the official website.

Shackleton's story has always been a fascinating one. He and his men suffered for months in some of the harshest conditions on the planet. But they managed to survive. Every one of them. It was a bold and hardy group to say the least, and none more so than their leader. Jarvis' expedition has a lot to live up to and it will be fascinating to see how he and his team fare.

Thanks to Lisa for sharing this inspiring story. Can't wait to see how it all plays out.