This article was written by Phin Upham
Douglas Mawson was an Australian explorer and academic with aspirations to cross the Antarctic region. He led 31 men into the white in November of 1912.
He wanted to map the uncharted interior of the Antarctic, a place missed by the Robert Scott expedition the year prior. Though he could not make a name as the first man to explore the territory, Mawson meant to be the first person to chart the region.
His group had reached a point 300 miles away from the hut by the time they were 35 days out. Mawson and company had crossed glaciers, hidden fissures carved into the ice, and snow bridges that were perilously thin.
They lost one of their explorers early into the expedition, and most of their best gear and sledding dogs along with him. He tumbled away into the abyss, the only evidence he left behind were scattered satchels and one of his dogs (which was in view of Mawson, but impossible to reach).
The two improvised a shelter to keep them warm during the below freezing temperatures. Their tent was flimsy, but it held. In the end, they had to shoot several dogs for food, after the huskies gave out and collapsed in the snow. Mawson’s partner soon fell ill and lost most of the strength to continue. His partner soon died, and Mawson lost the souls of his feet. They literally detached from his body, which he had to reattach through gauze. He had some serious struggles, but he did make it back. Unfortunately, he missed his boat by five hours which forced him to live an additional year in the Arctic.
About the Author: Phin Upham is an investor at a family office/hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media and Telecom group. You may contact Phin on his Phin Upham website