With only a month to go, there was no hope of getting everything into place that summer. They had to do as much as possible and finish the following year, hoping that Shackleton wouldn’t attempt to cross earlier. Their immediate aim was to lay two depots: one at 79º south near Minna Bluff and one at 80º south.

Time was running out fast, and it would be a struggle to get even the first two depots in place before winter began in earnest. Mackintosh ordered an immediate start, trying to make up for lost time by getting the party’s scientists to help with sledging.

Unfortunately most of the men couldn’t ski and, after months on board ship, the dogs were really out of condition. Joyce wanted to get the animals fitter and used to the snow before setting off, but his deeply rooted naval training meant that he ended up following orders.

The party’s first step was to check out Scott’s smaller ‘Discovery’ hut at Hut Point – thirteen miles south across the sea ice and a good starting point for the sledging. The ship couldn’t break through the frozen floes in the McMurdo Sound, so Hayward and some of the others made a risky trip across the sea ice on foot. Their journey took twelve hours.

When they got to the hut, they found the door blown open and the interior filled with drifts of snow. There were only two sleeping bags, so the men took turns to rest before setting off back to Cape Evans.