Greatest Antarctic explorers
PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
Antarctica is one of Hurtigruten Expeditions’ most popular destinations, especially for those who want to go off the beaten track and experience a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
An expedition to Antarctica means you follow some of the most intreprid explorers the world has ever seen – and become a modern-day explorer yourself.
in the footsteps of legends
Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Major Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton are two of the pioneers of British Antarctic explorations.
Scott made the first attempt on Antarctica in 1901 via New Zealand. In 1902, his Discovery expedition was his first attempt at the South Pole accompanied by Ernest Shackleton (who was sent back due to falling ill). Scott was forced to abandon this expedition due to conditions and poor planning.
Scott’s second expedition, named Terra Nova, came in 1911. This time it was Scott v Amundsen, UK v Norway, for who would reach the South Pole first. Amundsen triumphed,, although Scott did become the first British explorer to reach the South Pole.
Unfortunately, all his party succumbed to the harsh conditions on the return trip. Their bodies were found the following April and their diaries and samples were bought back to the UK – including the first-ever Antarctic fossils discovered.
Ernest Shackleton made numerous expeditions to Antarctica throughout his career. As mentioned above, he was part of Scott’s Discovery expedition in 1901-1904 but was sent home when he fell ill. His 1907-1909 Nimrod expedition attempted to reach the South Pole but fell short by 92 miles. He did, however, make history for the first ascent of Mount Erebus.
In August 1914-1916 Shackleton’s Trans-Antarctic expedition planned to cross Antarctica from the Weddell Sea to McMurdo Sound via the South Pole. But his ship Endurance became trapped in the ice and drifted for 10 months before sinking. Shackleton made the journey to South Georgia in a whale boat before being rescued.
Shackleton’s final expedition was the 1921 Shackleton-Rowett expedition to circumnavigate Antarctica. This ended in tragedy, with the intrepid explorer dying in Grytviken, South Georgia.
Both Scott and Shackleton achieved greatness and became household names despite dying in their quests for exploration.
Roald Amundsen was the Norwegian explorer who beat Scott to the South Pole by about a month and made history as being the first person ever to reach it. During Amundsen’s career he sailed onboard the ships Fram and Maud – both of which have modern namesakes in the Hurtgruten Expeditions fleet.
Your chance to be a modern-day explorer
While the race to explore the Antarctic first has been won, there’s still much to be discovered and it’s a region that few people ever venture to.
If you have a thirst for adventure, and a desire to see sights that many others will never experience, an Antarctic voyage with Hurtigruten Expeditions should definitely be on your travel list. It’s a unique opportunity to test your limits in unfamiliar landscapes.
Hurtigruten Expeditions sails to Antarctica between October and March on its ice-breaker ships – MS Roald Amundsen, MS Fridtjof Nansen, MS Fram and MS Maud.
Because of the remoteness of Antarctica, all Hurtigruten Expeditions cruises to the region are unique and its skilled captains change itineraries depending of the weather conditions. So you can be sure that even in 2025, expeditions need to be taken with great care – and only by the most adventurous!
Enjoy 5% off all Hurtigruten Expeditions
English Heritage Members can enjoy a 5% discount on any Hurtigruten Expeditions cruise.
Go to the offer
