prac I Robert Falcon Scott is one of the most famous heroes of Antarctic exploration. This may be because his expedition of 1912 ended in tragic and heroic failure Scott was determined to lead the first expedition to the South Pole. When he got there he was bitterly disappointed to find that Roald Amundsen of Norway had beaten him to it. However, the real tragedy was caused by Scott's failure to lead his expedition back to the safety of their base camp. His entire party perished on their return trip. It is thought that this was due to a mixture of bad luck and poor judgement. He had bad luck because the ‘weather was some of the worst on record. Bitter cold and heavy snowfalls meant that the expedition moved too slowly for safety. Scott's judgement has been questioned on several counts: « He included five men on the expedition although he only had provisions and skis for four. * The party hauled their own sledges instead of using dogs, as Amundsen had done. « He did not turn back to base when he realised how exhausted they were becoming. * The diet and clothing he provided for the party were both inadequate. However, he and his men will be remembered for their incredible heroism in the face of death. Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912) "Skill 3: Cause and EffectOne man, Edgar Evans, died after a fall. A second, Captain Lawrence Cates, developed frostbite in his foot, which meant that he needed constant assistance. This slowed down the progress of the whole party, lessening their chances of survival. Oates realised this and deliberately went out of the tent into a blizzard, sacrificing himself in an attempt to save the others. As he left the tent, he said to the others, “I am just going, outside and may be some time.” The remainder of the party faced death together in their tent with unfailing courage when they were too weak to struggle on. In these extreme conditions it is likely that the freezing cold, exhaustion, starvation and inadequate clothing brought about their deaths. But it is easy to use our modern knowledge and hindsight to criticise Scott. He and his men should always be remembered because they supported each other to the end, living with courage and dying without fear. Scott's diary, found in the tent with the bodies, ends with the words: “We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker of course and the end cannot be far. It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write any more. For God's sake look after our people. R. Scott.” dition in Antarctica, in 1902 ‘Scott (tight) and Edward Wilson on an earlier exPet 31 Endurance in Extreme Conditions