Shackleton and Scott's Huts

Shackleton's Cape Royd Hut

Just over a year ago I posted about a magnificent 360 degree view tour of Mawson's Hut at Cape Denison and just recently I came across a site with full interior views of Shackelton's base at Cape Royds and Scott's base at Cape Evans.

Shackelton's hut was erected in 1908 at Cape Royds, Antarctica; this is where he and nine of his men were left to winter before commencing their push for the pole. Unfortunately Shackleton was forced to turn back with just 97 miles to go, but he did travel further south than anyone before and he was was the first to summit the polar plateau. Other members of his expedition accomplished similar magnificent feats by being first to successfully climb Mount Erubus and also the first to reach the Magnetic South Pole.

Cape Royds Interior

You can navigate around the hut here. Someone once told me there were boxes of Kendel Mint Cake on the shelves somewhere within the hut but no matter how hard I look I haven't found them - let me know if you do.

Scott's Cape Evans Hut is in fact his second property on the antarctic, the first being Discovery Hut on Ross Island from the 1901 Discovery Expedition. The Cape Evans hut was constructed in 1911 as part of the Terra Nova Expedition where Scott set off from on his ill-fated journey to the pole. Cape Evans was named after Edward Ratcliffe Garth Russell"Teddy" Evans, Scott's second in Command. He chose this location in the hopes that it would not ice over like the Discovery Hut, enabling his ship to come and go more reliably.

Scott's Cape Evans Hut

You can navigate through Scott's Cape Evans hut here. I'm not sure if it's just the sentimentality that comes with knowing the outcome of these huts, or something in the way that they we're photographed, but there seems an unmistakable somberness to Scott's Cape Evan's hut - a sadness that doesn't come through in Shackleton's. These huts are magnificently preserved thanks largely to the efforts of the United Kingdom and New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trusts they are both incredibly moving time capsules from the Golden Age of Exploration.

Mawson's Hut

Mawson's Hut, Cape Denison

Sir Douglas Mawson was an Australian geologist, explorer and accedemic during the early 1900s. So much has been written about this great man I do not feel qualified to add any more, but I came across a fascinating site which I wanted to share. At "360 Cities" they have a full 360 view inside Mawson's hut at Cape Denison. Looking around this preserved piece of history sends shivers up my spine.

It is well worth taking some time exploring this amazing place.
 Explore the Main Hut here, Mawsons Room here and Frank Hurley's Darkroom here

This was the main base used during the 1911-14 Australasian Antarctic Expedition. Where Mawson stumbled back to, alone, after his ill-fated 1912 outing to survey King George V Land. His fellow explorers Xavier Mertz and Lieutenant Belgrave Ninnis had been killed forcing Mawson to walk the last 100 miles solo. Take a moment to pay your respects at Ninnis and Mertz Memorial Cross, Azimuth Hill.

Mawson's hut is being preserved by the Mawson's Huts Foundation and the Australian Antarctic Division.