What happened to Robert Falcon Scott in 1913? His expedition to Antarctica, the Terra Nova, was doomed from the start. Attempting to be the first man to stand on the south pole, Scott led several attempts but each time was pushed back by bad weather. At the same time, several other expeditions were attempting to race to the south pole—the pressure was on. That is, until Robert Falcon Scott announced his next march.
Beardmore Glacier
Beardmore Glacier was a prime route for Scott’s doomed Antarctic Expedition. It was thought to be the best and smoothest pathway through the Central Transantarctic Mountains. What the party didn’t know is that, only a short distance ahead was a rival team using the unknown Axel Heiberg Glacier. That rival team beat the Terra Nova team to the south pole. But what happened to Scott’s party was a perfect storm for disaster.
Left On The Glacier
While running out of rations on their way back to the their relief camp, the Terra Nova expedition was supposed to be relieved by Atkinson’s party. Atkinson was supposed to leave a rationing of supplies at a relief station. Instead, he sent Cherry-Garrard with confusing directions. Although Cherry-Garrard made it to the deposit point, it was too late for Scott’s doomed antarctic expedition. The Terra Nova team was struggling about 70 miles away. The terrible Antarctic weather was making it impossible for anyone to reach Robert Falcon Scott and his team.
Journals and Photos
In 1913, a rescue team was finally deployed that could make it through the harsh weather. But what they found was a small tent with frozen bodies. This is what remained of the Terra Nova, Robert Falcon Scott’s doomed antarctic expedition to the south pole. One of the bodies was identified as Scott himself, and his last journal entry detailed that he was sick, and hoping for the blizzard to clear. The bodies were interred in the ice, and the recent discovery of photographs from their journey has shown a new light on the doomed antarctic expedition.
In the rush to claim the south pole, several antarctic teams died or faced extremely perilous moments. And it is generally agreed that Scott himself was eager to beat other teams to the south pole, and would often make hasty decisions. On top of that, the failed attempts to give relief to the Terra Nova expedition only worsened their fate.
