In the last ten years, internationally acclaimed mountaineer Stephen Venables has twice repeated Sir Ernest Shackleton’s famous crossing of South Georgia.

One of the great epics of exploration, Shackleton’s treacherous expedition to cross Antarctica via the South Pole is a tale of escape and survival more miraculous than any fiction. Forced to set out in a lifeboat in search of help after his ship was crushed in the Antarctic ice, Shackleton made a sixteen day voyage 800 miles across the Southern Ocean. On reaching South Georgia, he and his companions continued on foot with no mountaineering equipment and minimal supplies, crossing thirty miles of unknown, unmapped glacial mountains. They finally reached the whaling station of Stromness where they were able to summon a successful rescue for their remaining 22 companions marooned on board the ship.

The first Briton to climb Everest without supplementary oxygen, Stephen brings Shackleton’s extraordinary expedition to life, using his highly acclaimed photos and natural gifts as a storyteller to illustrate this treacherous journey and capture the thrill of climbing, skiing and sailing in a place of such haunting beauty.

“Stephen is a superb lecturer -his slide shows are brilliantly illustrated, fast-paced, gripping, witty and full of fascinating historical background.” Sir Chris Bonington

“Venables is superb on the terror and exhilaration of climbing” The Sunday Telegraph