Fuchs and Hillary TransAntarctic Expedition

Finally, between 1955 and 1958, a joint British and New Zealand expedition succeeded where Shackleton had so heroically failed - they made the first TransAntarctic crossing. This was achieved using a great deal of equipment. By then, there were bases, run by different nationalities, all over Antarctica, including one at the South Pole itself.

The basic plan was similar to Shackleton's. The expedition would be divided into two parts. One part, the British team, would establish a base at the Weddell Sea end of Antarctica (nearest to South America) whilst the New Zealand team would build another base at the Ross Sea end, nearest to New Zealand itself.

Both teams were free to organise their arrangements for these camps as they thought fit. The differing approaches are described by Sir Vivian Fuchs and Sir Edmund Hillary, the expedition leaders, in "The Crossing of Antarctica". It is arguable that the British had the hardest base in terms of terrain (and possibly the sea itself). Both Scott and Amundsen had set of from the Ross Sea end. Fuchs landed an advance party to build the base and winter there, the main party landing the following spring.

Frost smoke drifting away from shore.

Landing was no easy matter as the sea continually threatened to trap the ship "Theron", just as it had Shackleton's in 1915. The captain had to steer back and forth through the ice fields in order to reach Antarctica and then keep an eye on the changing conditions and be ready to leave at half an hours notice or else risk being trapped for the winter. In the end they succeeded in landing the advance party which proceeded to build the base whilst cheerfully living in a sno-cat packing crate.

Hillary's account of the New Zealander's preparations are, in comparison, a masterpiece of planning. Each section, each nut and bolt and stove were test assembled beforehand to ensure that everyone knew what the had to do and to make sure everything worked properly. A triumph over British muddle.