Shackleton Commemorative Route

View down the Shackleton Valley to Stromness

The Shackleton Commemorative Route is a gruelling walking route across South Georgia, from King Haakon Bay to Stromness Bay. It was devised to follow the route taken by Earnest Shackleton, Frank Worsley and Thomas Crean in crossing the island in the winter of 1916 to seek rescue for their crew stranded on Elephant Island.

The route starts, as did Shackleton's, at Peggotty Camp in King Haakon Bay on South Georgia's south coast. From there is climbs north through the Shackleton Gap, which reaches a summit on the Razorback, a sharp ridge separating the Murray Snowfield from the Crean Glacier, making this a hazardous bealach to cross.

An important navigational feature on the route here, between the Shackleton Gap and Murray Snowfield, is the James Nunatak, at 1,570 feet above sea level. (It was named in later years after Shackleton's little boat, the James Caird and in conjunction with the Caird Nunatak found later on the route.) The route then descends the Compass Glacier (named after Frank Worsley's compass which was critical to use on the expedition).

The route first touches the island's north coast below the Gap on Possession Bay. There is no inhabited station on Possession Bay, nor was there when Shackleton's party reached it, so the route follows his path up again, climbing in order to head eastward.

The route follows Shackleton's route eastward crossing the Crean Glacier and the Nineteen-sixteen Snowfield. On this stretch the Caird Nunatak at 2,750 feet in an important waymark, found to the north of the Cornwall Peaks and west of the Fortuna Glacier: Frank Worsley described using 'a huge dome-shaped rock... for a guide'. (It was later named in commemoration of the James Caird.) On from here is the great Fortuna Glacier which flows slowly eastward down towards Fortuna Bay.

The Fortuna Glacier

The party crossed through the Breakwind Gap, a jagged notch between two peaks in Breakwind Ridge, and which is still an important navigational landmark on the Shackleton Commemorative Route. Worsley compared it with 'the gap left when a tooth has been drawn'. Here the route begins the difficult descent to Fortuna Bay.

Shackleton thoughts the glacier led to Stromness Bay, his destination, but it did not, and the party found themselves instead at the head of Fortuna Bay. There was no whaling station on Fortuna Bay, nor is there any station today, though it is used an alternative end point in the Shackleton Commemorative Route for those who will not complete the whole traverse.

The party climbed again, retracing their steps up what is now called the Turnback Glacier (an outlet glacier from Fortuna Glacier). Then came the final traverse of the Busen Region.

After starting the final climb at Worsley Beach, Tom Crean discovered Crean Lake by breaking through its ice. The final obstacle on their journey involved a perilous clamber down what is now the Shackleton Falls with the aid of just 50 feet of rope,

This last peril passed, the party finally came into the Shackleton Valley which leads own to Stromness, where the party reached habitation. This is today the finish point of the Shackleton Commemorative Route.

Development as a walking route

The British Antarctic Survey has published a map of South Georgia, which features completely new, detailed mapping for the route of the crossing of the island by Shackleton, Frank Worsley and Tom Crean in May 1916.

As a walking route, it is far beyond what hikers would expect in the settled lands. This is a distant island uninhabited but by servicemen and research staff. There is no path - just untamed, undinted rock and ice, ever-moving, all-crushing glaciers, shattering cold and scoured mountain heights. All walkers must go with an experienced hand or survival is not a realistic possibility. Traverses are rare.

Outside links

• New map of South Georgia unveiled: British Antarctic Survey, 24 August 2017
• 'Shackleton Epic Expedition ends triumphantly': Laura Hodgetts in Practical Boat Owner 111 February 2013