Even this frozen wasteland has some fascinating cultural history.
I recently had the opportunity to go on a day trip out to Cape Evans (16 miles outside of McMurdo Station). We visited the famously preserved Scott's Hut. It is one of Antarctica's few historic sights, and
National Geographic named it as one of the World's 100 Most Endangered Monuments.
The hut was originally built, supplied, and occupied by British explorer, Robert Falcon Scott in 1909 for one of his exploration missions. Robert Scott and Sir Earnest Shackleton were rival explorers. Each expedition was planned in tandem with the competitor, and they progressively raced across the continent of Antarctica. Scott's men eventually left the hut and attempted to traverse to the South Pole. But they somehow took a wrong turn and tragically froze to death. The hut was empty.
A few years later, several of Shackleton's men, who were marooned on the Ross ice shelf nearby, moved into the fully-supplied hut. Ten men lived for two years in this hut waiting to be rescued. They lived off the left-over supplies from the Scott expedition. They slaughtered seals and made clothes and shoes out of their hides. They ate their sled dogs and seal meat. They barely survived.
Two year later, Shackleton returned on another expedition and rescued the half-crazed men, leaving the hut abandoned.
The hut is remarkably well-preserved due to the consistently sub-freezing conditions.
Scott's hut was rediscovered in 1956 when US expeditioners dug it out of snow and ice. It has been restored, protected and most of the original contents remain in the hut.
When I walked around the hut, I sensed the desperation these men must have felt. The rancid-smelling seal meat still lies in frozen layers, waiting to be devoured by some hungry pilgrim.
A person could easily trip over one of the many "rocks" scattered around the outside of the hut (they are actually mummfied carcusess of 100-year-old sled dogs).
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| Seal blubber |
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| A mummified penguin next to a copy of The London Times |
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| Me trying to read The London Times to the penguin |
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| Food Supplies |
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| Their feeble attempt to make a telegraph from the ship's wiring |
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| More mummified seal carcuses |
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| The anchor from their ship |
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| "Hey Man! I know we are starving to death and there's a blizzard outside, but fancy a bike ride?" |
I recently had the opportunity to go on a day trip out to Cape Evans (16 miles outside of McMurdo Station). We visited the famously preserved Scott's Hut. It is one of Antarctica's few historic sights, and National Geographic named it as one of the World's 100 Most Endangered Monuments.
The hut was originally built, supplied, and occupied by British explorer, Robert Falcon Scott in 1909 for one of his exploration missions. Robert Scott and Sir Earnest Shackleton were rival explorers. Each expedition was planned in tandem with the competitor, and they progressively raced across the continent of Antarctica. Scott's men eventually left the hut and attempted to traverse to the South Pole. But they somehow took a wrong turn and tragically froze to death. The hut was empty.
A few years later, several of Shackleton's men, who were marooned on the Ross ice shelf nearby, moved into the fully-supplied hut. Ten men lived for two years in this hut waiting to be rescued. They lived off the left-over supplies from the Scott expedition. They slaughtered seals and made clothes and shoes out of their hides. They ate their sled dogs and seal meat. They barely survived.
Two year later, Shackleton returned on another expedition and rescued the half-crazed men, leaving the hut abandoned. 
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