"Ridge 2493", The Point of No Return

During the daytime of the first day of their trek from Shackleton Gap across the Murray Snowfield, Shackleton, Worsley and Crean approached the continuous rock and ice covered 'Ridge 2493' trending northeasterly and barring their eastward progress to Stromness Whaling Station.  It descends from a group of peaks collectively known as The Trident to join with the mountainous terrain between Possession and Antarctic Bays.  There was no way round and Shackleton had to try and cross it.

Throughout the late morning and afternoon and in bright sunshine Shackleton, Worsley and Crean made three weary attempts to climb and cross the ridge, but the drop on the further side was too precipitous and dangerous to descend.  Late in the afternoon with fog rising from the valley below, and temperatures falling a possible route down the other side was found at their fourth attempt.

After cutting a few steps they realised they had to get off the ridge before they were benighted high up on it and in freezing fog.  They were on a steep snow slope which they had seen previously and believed to become easier lower down.  Taking a chance that it continued to ease all the way down they coiled their alpine rope to sit on.  Clinging firmly together they risked the unproven snowy but exhilarating decent to the glacier below, to be pitched unharmed into a snow drift at the bottom.  There was now no possibility of returning to 'Peggotty Camp' and they were committed to go forward, the point of no return.

The stamp shows the most critical part of Shackleton's trek, 'Ridge 2493' extending seawards from The Trident, with Crean Glacier at the head of Antarctic Bay.  Shackleton's portrait masks the most easterly of the three peaks of The Trident group and overshadows the eastern shore of Antarctic Bay.  It seems more appropriate to depict him in his casual but distinctive Antarctic dress using for the portrait the well-known photograph by Frank Hurley taken at Patience Camp amid the pack ice of the Weddell Sea.

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