"The Plan, as they all knew, was to march toward Paulet Island, 346 miles to the northwest, where the stores left in 1902 should still be. The distance was farther than New York City to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and they would be dragging two of their three boats with them, since it was assumed that they would eventually run into open water(Page 63)."
The Dilemma (A situation that requires a person to decide between two equally attractive or equally unattractive alternatives) is to stay near the doomed ship, to go to a far off outpost, or to go to an even farther off outpost where stores from a previous voyage should be. In the end, Shackleton ultimately decides to lead his crew to the supply stockpile nearly 350 miles away.
Each of the crew members knows what tasks must be done in order to survive in the frozen, Arctic ocean. Though the journey is perilous, there is a mild excitement among the crew as they set off across the ice. As the time passed, the crew dropped more and more non-essentials t lighter the load that they had to carry.
A week into the walk to the store island, hope and optimism are dwindling. Soon, the crew returned to the doomed ship and hunt for treasure in the parts of the ship that are still above the water. Blizzards halt recovery efforts. The crew created a semi permanent camp near the ship where they decided that food rations would last them until January at full rations. Soon Shackleton developed a plan for escape and rescue that would put them in a position that whalers frequently visit. It is the only plan that they have, despite the risks involved.
This section of the book reminds me of the film, Poseidon(remake) where the survivors are faced with a difficult choice that means life or death, but the risk of death on the way to freedom is great. Ultimately, the crew members and the survivors on the ship decide to risk life or limb for the chance of rescue and freedom.
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