>>805136Shackelton is badass, without doubt, but it' shard to say he's more badass than the explorers who left europe for the unmapped, totally unknown, in the 15th-16th centuries. I mean, open-ocean shipping was dangerous and harrowing af in those days as it is, nevermind going out to the horizon having no idea if anything was even out there. There was no plan B, nobody knew if they would get anywhere. It was basically a death sentence until proven otherwise. I can't even imagine having the courage and leadership to undertake something so fucking horrifying like Polo, or Columbus, or even Cook did.
Not to mention the superstitions of the day - sea serpents, devils, etc. Must have been exhilerating but fuck. FUCK.
I'm not putting Shackelford down or anything, but he had maps, modern gear, and full modern scientific understanding of the currents and stars, and he knew where he was going. It was badass and almost killed him, but it's different.
