Hercules Inlet is a large, narrow, ice-filled inlet which forms a part of the southwestern margin of the Ronne Ice Shelf. It is bounded on the west by the south-eastern flank of the

Heritage Range The Heritage Range is a major mountain range, long and wide, situated southward of Minnesota Glacier and forming the southern half of the Ellsworth Mountains in Antarctica. The range is complex, consisting of scattered ridges and peaks of mo ...

, and on the north by Skytrain Ice Rise. Hercules Inlet marks the southern end of Zumberge Coast and the northwestern end of Queen Elizabeth Land. The inlet was named by the

Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names The Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (ACAN or US-ACAN) is an advisory committee of the United States Board on Geographic Names responsible for recommending commemorative names for features in Antarctica. History The committee was established ...

for the LC-130 Hercules aircraft used by the U.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica, as a photographic and load carrying plane. Hercules Inlet is one of the common starting points for long distance expeditions to the

South Pole The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is the point in the Southern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True South Pole to distinguish ...

, taking anywhere from 25 to 81 days. The first expedition from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole took place in 1998, led by

Martyn Williams Martyn Elwyn Williams, (born 1 September 1975) is a Welsh former professional rugby union player who played as a flanker. He earned 100 caps for the Wales national rugby union team, Wales national team, the most by a forward until he was surpa ...

. This 50-day expedition opened up the doorway for South Pole overland journeys, and has become the classic route for most expeditions.

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

officer Preet Chandi, known for being the first woman of colour to complete a solo expedition to the South Pole, used this route, setting off from Hercules Inlet in November 2022. In December 2023 she used Hercules Inlet once again as the starting point for an expedition skiing solo to the South Pole, this time claiming to be the fastest woman to complete the journey (result to be verified). The slopes south of the inlet area are covered in crevasse fields, making travel through them treacherous without prior knowledge of their whereabouts. The Wilson Nunataks can be seen from the inlet as well.

References

Inlets of Antarctica Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf Bodies of water of Queen Elizabeth Land {{QueenElizabethLand-geo-stub