What could be harder than pursuing a goal and finding out at the finish line that you're second. For some people, it's unbearable. Especially if your ambition and thirst for discovery led you to Antarctica.

Robert Scott is a man who set grand goals for himself and literally trudged toward them through ice, cold, and storm.

At the beginning of the 20th century, there was not a piece of land on the globe where man had not had time to tread. It was a time of colonial races, desperate expeditions and new discoveries, sometimes at the cost of lives.

Yet there were still spots on the atlas that remained unshaded.

In 1909, Robert Peary was able to reach the North Pole. Now explorers had only one point left - the South Pole.

The South Point became the cherished goal of any polar explorer and discovery seeker.

But the question was not only in the sphere of geography. Politics is invariably attached to this kind of achievement. In the 20th century, it was extremely important which country's explorer would be the first to arrive in new places.

While Peary was an American, scientists from Great Britain and Norway fought for supremacy at the South Pole.

Robert Scott, a captain in the British Royal Navy, announced his plan to go to the South Pole. It happened in the middle of 1909.

Scott had already participated in these kinds of expeditions, which made his statement not an empty statement. So the fateful expedition was not his first experience.

The main difficulty of the trek is the choice of transportation. Scott decided to try. It was important to distribute the forces. Here ambition failed the confident captain.

Robert stocked up on motorized sledges. But their design was not credible. Scott realized this and decided to improve his chances by taking Siberian dogs. But the choice was a forced one. The captain himself did not really believe in the endurance of sled dogs. Practice had shown that the animals could not withstand the harsh load and frantic rhythm.

Although it could be due to a lack of nutrition. On the expedition to Antarctica, the fodder simply spoiled.

The third mode of transportation was horses. But not ordinary ones, but Manchurian horses - practically ponies. However, Scott did not understand much about horses and chose not the strongest ones. The fate of the animals was tragic. Some fell dead, and the rest were let to feed the dogs.

 

During the campaign, the captain received a gift from the Indian government - strong mules. But in conditions of low temperatures these animals also turned out to be useless.

Norwegian Roald Amundsen became aware of the British captain's plans. He decided to keep up, but did not tell about his idea. In wide circles were sure - the Norwegian is preparing for an expedition to the North Pole.

But Amundsen could not be satisfied with second place. He wanted to make a discovery.

In addition to means of transportation, he needed a team and money. Scott was fine with the former. His team was made up of military, navy, and scientists. Everyone was enthusiastic and believed in the idea.

Found a volunteer who laid out a thousand pounds for a ticket to the South Pole.

The team included Russians - stableman Anton and driver Dmitry.

With the means everything was not so smooth. There was money, but there was no need to be lavish. The team could afford a “worn” whaling ship “Terra Nova”. It was leaking and needed fixing.

The expedition started in 1910. It ended in 1913.

Trouble started before they arrived. The last stop, where supplies were bought, was New Zealand. But then the ship got caught in a storm. It almost sank, never seeing the shores of Antarctica.

The expedition itself was not a novelty - the North Pole had been conquered. However, the harsh conditions were a game changer. Cold, gale force winds and blizzards that blinded the eyes were the most harmless challenges. It was much more dangerous to fall into a crevasse between ice floes or to fall into the snow.

By the way, a blizzard in those places is a common thing. It could strike unexpectedly and circle for weeks, completely throwing off the route.

The expeditioners also had to get acquainted with the Antarctic winter. People were forced to go on a trip in the most inopportune period for this purpose by the thirst for discoveries.

One of the targets was penguin eggs. Scientists had few scientific facts about these birds. They wanted to study the embryos. However, the eggs were only incubated in winter. Previously, there had already been attempts to find clutches in the spring, but instead of them scientists got only small hatched cubs.

Because of the additional target, a detour had to be made. The expedition settled in two places - the warehouse at Cape Evans and Hut.

The captain set a speed of 25 kilometers. An unthinkable race given the conditions.

The trip lasted two weeks. But at the desired point, they were met with disappointment - a Norwegian flag.

Robert Scott came to the place on January 17, and Amundsen was able to reach it a month earlier - on December 14

In addition to the flag, a note was left for the “second”: “Report our success if we cannot return”.

Scott's diary entry: “Great God! This is a terrible place, and we are already horrified to realize that our labors have not succeeded in winning the championship. Of course, it means something to come here, too, and the wind may be our friend to-morrow! Now it's a dash home and a desperate struggle to be the first to deliver the news. I don't know if we can stand it.”

The British planted their flag and moved back, absolutely broken. Not a single member of the campaign was able to reach the anchorage. Robert Scott's entire party perished.

The last survivors were the captain and 2 polar explorers. The group did not reach the place with supplies 18 km away. The weakened men were mowed down by a sudden blizzard.

After the death of the expeditioners, the ship headed back. The ship's carpenters made a memorial to the brave searchers - a cross made of mahogany with the inscription: “To fight, to search, to find and not to give up” - a quote from “Ulysses”.

News of the tragedy became known when the Terra Nova reached New Zealand. Robert Scott became a national hero.