Ku dhammee weedhan soo socota: Kadib markii uu Roald Amundsen gaadhay barta koonfureed ee koonfureed bishii December 1911, Shackleton, oo isku dayay inuu gaaro barta koonfureed, wuxuu ku qasbanaaday inuu dib u fiiriyo himiladiisii barta koonfureed. Wuxuu aaminsanaa in ay jirto "hal ujeedo oo weyn oo ah safarada Antarctic-ka <unk> ka gudubka qaarada koonfurta qaarada badaha kale". Shackleton wuxuu qorshihiisa ku salaysnaa qorshihii uu horey u sameeyay sahamiyaha reer Scotland ee William Spiers Bruce, Shackleton wuxuu qorsheeyay in uu kooxdiisa ugu weyn ku soo dego meel koonfureed sida ugu fog ee suurtogalka ah, xeebta Badda Weddell. Kooxdiisii transcontinental-ka waxay u sii mareen dhanka koonfureed ee geeska, ka hor inta aysan ka sii gudbin dusha sare ee barafka waxayna hoos ugu dhaadhaceen barafka Beardmore (oo uu Shackleton lahaa
waxaa la ogaadey 1909) ilaa barafka weyn ee barafka. Qeybta ugu dambeysa waxay ka gudbi doontaa Barrier-ka ilaa McMurdo Sound ee xeebta Ross Sea.