Castle Rock, three miles (4.8 km) northeast of Hut Point, in 2000. Photo by Josh Landis. [1]Scott at last made a start for Cape Evans at nine in the morning, after three more days' delay due to bad weather. "Party consisted of self, Bowers, P.O. Evans, Taylor, one tent," he wrote, "[Lt.] Evans, Gran, Crean, Debenham, and Wright, second tent. Left Wilson in charge at Hut Point with Meares, Forde, Keohane, Oates, Atkinson, and Cherry-Garrard." Scott reckoned that a new route could be found along the base of Mt. Erebus to the north; the dogs and ponies would have to wait to go back the usual way over the sea ice to Cape Evans.
"All gave us a pull up the ski slope; it had become a point of honour to take this slope without a 'breather.' I find such an effort trying in the early morning, but had to go through with it." [2]
Their way led past Castle Rock, northeast of Hut Point, and on to Hutton Cliffs, within sight of Cape Evans. They had to lower themselves and the loaded sledges by Alpine rope down these cliffs, which at one point dropped a sheer 24 feet (7.3 m).
"It was a good piece of work getting everything down safely," Evans later wrote, "and I admired Scott's decision to go over; a more nervous man would have fought shy because once down to the sea ice there was little chance of our getting back and we had to fight our way forward to Cape Evans somehow." [3]
"Quite pleased with the result," noted Scott.
Notes:
[1] Wikipedia.
[2] R.F. Scott, diary, 13 April, 1911, quoted in Scott's Last Expedition, v.1.
[3] E.R.G.R. Evans, South with Scott, p.105, quoted by David Crane in Scott of the Antarctic (New York : Knopf, c2005), p.435.
No comments:
Post a Comment