I’ve just turned the final page, closed the cover, and let out a deep, shivery breath. The book? Apsley Cherry-Garrard’s The Worst Journey in the World. And the timing couldn’t be more profound.
Why? Because in just a few days, I am heading to Antarctica. I’ll be boarding the Quark Expeditions vessel, the state-of-the-art Ultramarine, and sailing into the notoriously icy Weddell Sea with one singular goal: to hopefully witness the majestic Emperor Penguins.
Reading Cherry-Garrard now feels like a stark, almost unbelievable, journey into a past where polar exploration was synonymous with unimaginable suffering and heroism. It makes me keenly aware of the gulf between their experience and what I am about to embark upon.
The Unthinkable ‘Worst Journey’
Cherry-Garrard’s book is a staggering account of Scott’s final, ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition (1910–1913). The title, while referring generally to the entire ordeal, is perhaps most pointedly aimed at the three-man, mid-winter trek he undertook with ‘Birdie’ Bowers and ‘Bill’ Wilson to collect Emperor Penguin eggs for science.
Their objective was an Emperor Penguin rookery at Cape Crozier, 60 miles from their base. In the depths of the Antarctic winter, with temperatures plummeting to −60∘F and relentless blizzards, they clawed their way across the ice in perpetual darkness. They were, quite literally, trying to achieve the impossible.
It makes my upcoming trip – on a luxury, purpose-built ship designed for polar waters, equipped with heated cabins, gourmet food, and expert guides – feel like a Sunday stroll.
Cherry-Garrard perfectly captures the audacious, almost desperate, nature of these early explorations with a stunning observation from that penguin egg journey:
“More than once in my short life I have been struck by the value of the man who is blind to what appears to be a common-sense certainty: he achieves the impossible.”
These men weren’t blind to the danger; they simply valued the objective – scientific discovery and national honour – above all else, pushing past the point where common sense would have screamed ‘Turn back!’.
The Burden of Decision and the Ultimate Sacrifice
Beyond the sub-zero horror of the egg journey, the book details the devastating final leg of the expedition when Scott, Wilson, Bowers, Oates, and Evans perished returning from the South Pole.
Cherry-Garrard, often ill-prepared for the sheer scale of the tasks assigned to him, was nonetheless thrust into pivotal, life-and-death situations. One harrowing moment was his assignment to take essential supplies to One Ton Depot, a critical supply cache, where he was tasked with meeting Scott’s returning team. He describes his own terrifying lack of experience:
“I had never driven one dog, let alone a team of them, I knew nothing of navigation, and One Ton was a hundred and thirty mile away out in the middle of the Barrier and away from landmarks… And so as we pushed our way out through the wind and the drift that night I felt there was a good deal to be hoped for, rather than to be expected.”
It is a testament to the raw grit of these men that they survived such situations at all. The decisions Cherry-Garrard had to make – when to wait, when to press on – were fraught with an immense, lonely responsibility.
Scott’s Noble Character
The book is not just a catalogue of suffering; it’s a profound character study, particularly of Captain Scott. Cherry-Garrard holds nothing back, painting a complex portrait of a leader who was sometimes flawed, but ultimately possessed of an incredible spirit.
He details Scott’s amazing character, his resilience, and his noble nature right up until the end. Reading the diary entries included in the book, you can’t help but be struck by the sheer moral courage that sustained them until their final breath.
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A New Era of Exploration
As I pack my thermal layers, my camera gear, and prepare for the relative luxury of the Ultramarine with its balconies and heated lounges, I’ll be carrying the memory of Cherry-Garrard’s struggle with me.
Today, we go to Antarctica to observe, to learn, and to be humbled by its incredible beauty and power. We rely on technology, safety protocols, and the legacy of scientific knowledge forged by those early, heroic endeavours.
I’m seeking the Emperors in the Weddell Sea – my ‘impossible’ journey is merely hoping for a break in the weather and a clear photograph. Their journey was survival itself.
If you love tales of true adventure, scientific obsession, and heart-breaking human endurance, you simply must read this book. It is, despite its title, a beautifully and movingly written masterpiece.
Wish me luck as I cross the Drake! Would you like me to share any of Cherry-Garrard’s other compelling insights or quotes from the book?