What was the Nimrod Expedition?
The Nimrod Expedition, more formally known as the British Antarctic Expedition 1907-09, was the first of three expeditions to the Antarctic led by the explorer Ernest Shackleton, who would become one of the most famous Antarctic explorers. Despite its name, the expedition was not sponsored by the state or any large institutions, but by wealthy individuals, who benefited by having natural features named after them. The Nimrod Expedition, named after its ship, the 300-ton Nimrod, departed Great Britain on 7 August 1907. The expedition was characterized by the use of fancy flourishments, such as motor traction and Manchurian ponies, which hindered more than helped it. The expedition also brought sledge dogs, which in 1911 were used by Roald Amundsen to reach the South Pole, but these were only employed by Shackleton at base camp. After journeying overseas from Britain to New Zealand, the Nimrod was towed by a government ship to the Antarctic circle, a distance of 1,650 miles (2,750 km). U
The Nimrod Expedition, more formally known as the British Antarctic Expedition 1907-09, was the first of three expeditions to the Antarctic led by the explorer Ernest Shackleton, who would become one of the most famous Antarctic explorers. Despite its name, the expedition was not sponsored by the state or any large institutions, but by wealthy individuals, who benefited by having natural features named after them. The Nimrod Expedition, named after its ship, the 300-ton Nimrod, departed Great Britain on 7 August 1907. The expedition was characterized by the use of fancy flourishes, such as motor traction and Manchurian ponies, which hindered more than helped it. The expedition also brought sledge dogs, which in 1911 were used by Roald Amundsen to reach the South Pole, but these were only employed by Shackleton at base camp.
