{"id":17838139,"date":"2026-08-14T09:22:36","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T07:22:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/?p=17838139"},"modified":"2026-08-14T09:22:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T07:22:36","slug":"meeting-with-henri-gerlache","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/en\/meeting-with-henri-gerlache\/","title":{"rendered":"Meeting with Henri de Gerlache"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=\u201d1\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||0px||false|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d900px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||0px||true|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d4_4\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201d67498989-fe43-4cc1-80eb-d194df7858f4\u2033 header_2_font=\u201d|600|||||||\u201d header_2_text_align=\u201dcenter\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 header_2_font_size=\u201d38px\u201d header_2_line_height=\u201d1.4em\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||0px||true|\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 header_2_font_size_tablet=\u201d28px\u201d header_2_font_size_phone=\u201d22px\u201d header_2_font_size_last_edited=\u201don|phone\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

Once upon a time, there were the Antarctic pioneers\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u00a0[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 header_2_font_size=\u201d33px\u201d header_2_line_height=\u201d1.4em\u201d custom_padding=\u201d||40px||false|false\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

Film-maker<\/strong> Henri de Gerlache, a great-grandson of Belgian pioneer Adrien de Gerlache, has just returned from another voyage to the Antarctic<\/a><\/u> with PONANT EXPLORATIONS aboard L\u2019Austral<\/a><\/u><\/em>. Film camera in hand, this storyteller of the Far South<\/a><\/u> is preparing an ambitious documentary series<\/strong> on the heroic age of polar exploration<\/strong>. The epic story he tells is a collective one<\/strong> in which humility in facing the elements outweighs the race to conquer the poles.<\/p>\n

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Why does your series focus on the collective perspective, rather than a lone hero?<\/h2>\n

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While I was preparing an exhibition<\/strong> in Antwerp<\/strong>, I learned of the rich correspondence<\/strong> between the great polar pioneers<\/strong>: Adrien de Gerlache, Roald Amundsen, Frederick Cook, Robert F. Scott, Jean-Baptiste Charcot<\/a><\/u> and others\u2026 these men virtually worked as a team. And yet history has often chosen to remember individual exploits<\/strong> in pursuit of national glory, even though in reality each person\u2019s progress helped the others push further forward.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=\u201dhttps:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Belgica_01_2.jpg\u201d alt=\u201dThe Belgica sailing in the \u201cGerlache Strait\u201d, 1898 \u00a9Gerlache Polar Memory\u201d title_text=\u201dmeeting-with-henri-gerlache\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d||13px|||\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

The Belgica<\/em> sailing in the \u201cGerlache Strait\u201d, 1898 \u00a9Gerlache Polar Memory<\/p>\n

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Roald Amundsen<\/strong> reached the South Pole<\/strong> first, in 1911<\/strong>, largely as a result of what he had learned from Frederick Cook<\/strong> during the Belgian Antarctic Expedition (1897\u20131899, editor\u2019s note), when they were forced to overwinter together on the Belgica<\/em><\/strong>. The ability to tackle the continent from all angles was attributable to a powerful combination of circumstances<\/strong>. There was competition, of course, but it was healthy. When facing such extreme conditions<\/strong>, one man\u2019s ego didn\u2019t count for much: sharing information was vitally important to success.<\/p>\n

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The epic story of the Belgica<\/h2>\n

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On August 16, 1897, the Belgica\u00a0\u2013 <\/em>a wooden three-masted ship with a reinforced hull\u00a0\u2013 left Antwerp on the first Belgian Antarctic Expedition<\/strong>, later renamed the Belgica Expedition. Its commander, the young Adrien de Gerlache<\/strong>, was a man with an ambition: to uncover the mysteries of the Antarctic, the last unknown land. On board were fewer than twenty men of different nationalities, including two whose names would soon become legendary: American doctor Frederick Cook<\/strong> and a young Norwegian lieutenant named Roald Amundsen<\/strong>. In April 1899, after more than a year of radio silence, a telegram was sent: the Belgica<\/em> was returning in triumph, having endured 15 months in Antarctica and the very first polar overwintering in history<\/strong>, and bringing back a wealth of scientific results.<\/p>\n

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Did the experience they gained during their Arctic expeditions play a role in their exploration of Antarctica?<\/h2>\n

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Yes\u2014even though this was a colonial era<\/strong>, a time when people believed empires and Western power could conquer anything. But Antarctica<\/strong> proved bigger than they were. Amundsen had sufficient humility to spend five years in the Far North<\/a><\/u> learning from the Inuit<\/strong> people before setting off for the pole. The idea that people who had always lived there might have something to teach us was very new at the time.<\/p>\n

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Did this correspondence between the first explorers of Antarctica lay the foundations for future international cooperation over the \u201cWhite Continent\u201d?<\/h2>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=\u201dhttps:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Low-Resolution-N\u00b0171_CR01_O020123_Ushuaia-Ushuaia\u00a9StudioPONANT-Romain-Farge-1.jpg\u201d alt=\u201dSilhouette against the snowy mountains of Marguerite Bay, Antarctica\u201d title_text=\u201dmeeting-with-henri-gerlache\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d||0px|||\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|300|||||||\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 header_2_font_size=\u201d38px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d18px||21px||false|false\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

Some expeditions, like the Belgica<\/em>\u2019s, brought together several nationalities, scientists included. These men were conducting research: they weren\u2019t setting out just for the privilege of planting a flag. Without really intending to do so, they laid the groundwork for international cooperation<\/strong>, which would later take meaningful shape with the 1959 Antarctic Treaty<\/strong>. It\u2019s no coincidence that the twelve signatory countries<\/strong> all had a rich polar history and explorers from that same heroic era.<\/p>\n

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My grandfather Gaston de Gerlache<\/strong> became part of that story by establishing the Belgian Roi Baudouin scientific base in Antarctica in 1957<\/strong>, during International Geophysical Year, following the first bases [Chilean in 1947, Australian in 1954, American in 1955, Russian and French in 1956, editor\u2019s note]. Even today, this 14-million-square-kilometre continent remains an extraordinary global laboratory dedicated to peace.<\/p>\n

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A choral fresco amid the pack ice<\/h2>\n

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Scheduled for late 2027, Henri de Gerlache\u2019s next documentary series\u00a0\u2013 Antarctica: The Age of Heroism<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 will trace the intertwined paths of the major figures of polar exploration between 1895 and 1915. To film this large-scale historical fresco<\/strong>, he has surrounded himself with specialists in extreme conditions: Laurent Chalet, cinematographer of March of the Penguins<\/em>, and sound engineer and drone operator Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Heinrich. This joint \u201cchoral work\u201d highlights the vital collaboration between Adrien de Gerlache, Charcot, Amundsen, Scott, and Shackleton.<\/p>\n

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During this trip to Antarctica with PONANT, did you follow the Belgica\u2019s precise route?<\/h2>\n

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For the filming, we brought along photographs from the time so we could recreate the same framing. The landscapes haven\u2019t changed at all. It\u2019s striking to imagine what daily life must have been like for the crew back then, facing the cold and that leap into the unknown<\/strong>, entirely on their own in the middle of the ice: the Belgica<\/em><\/strong> was a 34-metre wooden ship<\/strong> with an engine that produced just 35 horsepower.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=\u201dhttps:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_4330.jpg\u201d alt=\u201dCameraman during the filming of the documentary Antarctica: The Age of Heroism \u00a9CLPB\/Belgica films\u201d title_text=\u201dmeeting-with-henri-gerlache\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|300|||||||\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 header_2_font_size=\u201d38px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d27px||21px||false|false\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

You quickly learn that it\u2019s always the elements<\/strong> that call the shots. On our way back through the Drake Passage<\/strong>, we hit ten-metre troughs<\/strong> with 150 km\/h winds<\/strong>. From the bridge, with waves<\/strong> reaching as high as the fifth deck, I found myself thinking that the Belgica<\/em> simply wouldn\u2019t have made it in those conditions.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d900px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||0px||true|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d4_4\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|600|||||||\u201d header_2_font_size=\u201d23px\u201d header_2_line_height=\u201d1.2em\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||2px||false|false\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

Your grandfather Gaston de Gerlache spoke of a real \u201caddiction\u201d to the Far South\u2026<\/h2>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=\u201dhttps:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Low-Resolution-No-2146_S190220_PAULET\u00a9StudioPONANT-OlivierBlaud-1.jpg\u201d alt=\u201dPaulet Islands, in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica\u201d title_text=\u201dmeeting-with-henri-gerlache\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|300|||||||\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 header_2_font_size=\u201d38px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d24px||17px||false|false\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

Antarctica is a unique place<\/strong>: completely uninhabited<\/strong> apart from scientific bases; here, the elements exist in their purest form. There\u2019s a deeply absorbing silence<\/strong> there that you just don\u2019t find anywhere else. All explorers say the same thing: once you\u2019ve seen these landscapes<\/strong>, the urge to go back is irresistible<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|300|||||||\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 header_2_font_size=\u201d38px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d13px||29px||false|false\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

That fascination<\/strong> runs through the ages. Despite terrible hardships<\/strong> and extreme conditions<\/strong>, those pioneers already felt that same deep need to return to the ice. That\u2019s the real paradox of the continent: its harshness constantly reminds you of your vulnerability, yet its absolute beauty<\/strong> draws you back like a magnet<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=\u201dhttps:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Adrien-de-Gerlache.jpg\u201d alt=\u201dAdrien de Gerlache, 1897 \u00a9Gerlache Polar Memory\u201d title_text=\u201dAdrien de Gerlache\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d||15px|||\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

Adrien de Gerlache, 1897 \u00a9Gerlache Polar Memory<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=\u201d2_5,3_5\u2033 admin_label=\u201dMEA \u2013 decalage\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d900px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d28px||32px||false|false\u201d locked=\u201doff\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d2_5\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d background_enable_color=\u201doff\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|300|on||||||\u201d header_2_text_align=\u201dleft\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#ffffff\u201d header_2_font_size=\u201d23px\u201d header_2_line_height=\u201d1.4em\u201d background_color=\u201d#307f90\u2033 custom_margin=\u201d|-30%|||false|false\u201d custom_margin_tablet=\u201d|0%|||false|false\u201d custom_margin_phone=\u201d\u201d custom_margin_last_edited=\u201don|tablet\u201d custom_padding=\u201d30px|62.8%|30px|20px|true|false\u201d custom_padding_tablet=\u201d|20px|||true|false\u201d custom_padding_phone=\u201d\u201d custom_padding_last_edited=\u201don|tablet\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 header_2_font_size_tablet=\u201d23px\u201d header_2_font_size_phone=\u201d23px\u201d header_2_font_size_last_edited=\u201don|phone\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

Family portraits<\/h2>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=\u201d3_5\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d background_enable_color=\u201doff\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d background_color=\u201d#f7f7f7\u2033 custom_margin=\u201d50px|||-17.9%|false|false\u201d custom_margin_tablet=\u201d0px|||0%|false|false\u201d custom_margin_phone=\u201d\u201d custom_margin_last_edited=\u201don|desktop\u201d custom_padding=\u201d40px|43px|40px|43px|true|true\u201d custom_padding_tablet=\u201d|20px||20px|true|true\u201d custom_padding_phone=\u201d\u201d custom_padding_last_edited=\u201don|tablet\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n

    Adrien de Gerlache (1866-1934):<\/strong> a sailor and explorer who led the first scientific expedition to Antarctica aboard the Belgica<\/em> and overwintered there for the first time, from 1897 to 1899.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Gaston de Gerlache (1919-2006):<\/strong> an aviator and explorer who was instrumental in Belgium\u2019s involvement in the International Geophysical Year by establishing a scientific research base in Antarctica \u2013 the Roi Baudouin Base \u2013 in 1957 and 1958.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Henri de Gerlache (1973)<\/strong>: author and director of numerous documentary films, he grew up with the \u201cWhite Continent\u201d as a constant backdrop. In 2007, he directed The Legacy of Antarctica<\/em>, retracing\u00a0\u2013 through previously unseen archives and extraordinary testimonies\u00a0\u2013 the story of his forebears\u2019 exploration of Antarctica.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d900px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||0px||true|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d4_4\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|600|||||||\u201d header_2_font_size=\u201d23px\u201d header_2_line_height=\u201d1.2em\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||2px||false|false\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

    How do you see your role as a documentary filmmaker?<\/h2>\n

    [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|300|||||||\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 header_2_font_size=\u201d38px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d13px||29px||false|false\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

    The last thing I want is to come across as preachy. I\u2019d rather tell stories<\/strong> that draw people in. I showed my film \u201cThe Legacy of Antarctica\u201d<\/strong> aboard L\u2019Austral<\/em>, in the very places where the story unfolded. What I noticed is that audiences\u00a0\u2013 who often just picture a white continent and a few names like Roald Amundsen or Robert Falcon Scott\u00a0\u2013 end up fascinated<\/strong> as they discover an adventure that\u2019s<\/strong> infinitely more diverse<\/strong> and collective<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|300|||||||\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 header_2_font_size=\u201d38px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d13px||29px||false|false\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

    What strikes them most is the total lack of communication<\/strong> back in those days. Despite all the interactions they\u2019d had beforehand, once they had set off, there was no certainty about when they would return, and no way to send warning messages. Through my documentaries<\/strong>, I try to convey the idea that, faced with today\u2019s climate emergency<\/strong>, humanity will need to show that same remarkable adaptability<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=\u201dhttps:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Low-Resolution-1892_A090119_Ushuaia-Ushuaia\u00a9StudioPONANT-Sylvain-Adenot_M-1.jpg\u201d alt=\u201dLemaire Channel, Antarctica\u201d title_text=\u201dmeeting-with-henri-gerlache\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d||2px|||\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d900px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||0px||true|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d4_4\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|600|||||||\u201d header_2_font_size=\u201d23px\u201d header_2_line_height=\u201d1.2em\u201d custom_padding=\u201d10px||2px||false|false\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

    If you could send a message in a bottle back through time, what would you say to your great-grandfather Adrien de Gerlache?<\/h2>\n

    [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|300|||||||\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 header_2_font_size=\u201d38px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d13px||19px||false|false\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

    I\u2019d tell him: \u201cHang in there, you\u2019re going to make it!\u201d During the polar night<\/strong> as they overwintered<\/strong>, they lost a man<\/strong> and had serious doubts about their chances of survival. Trapped in the pack ice<\/strong>, they only managed to break free in March the following year, which is extremely late in the season. Their greatest fear was having to face another year in the ice.<\/p>\n

    [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|300|||||||\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 header_2_font_size=\u201d38px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d13px||13px||false|false\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

    An ordeal<\/strong> like that would have been fatal<\/strong> for many\u2014the lack of provisions, the harsh conditions<\/strong> and the psychological strain<\/strong> were immense. But he kept going. He came through it very well, paving the way for all the remarkable expeditions<\/strong> that followed. It was in the wake of that success, and thanks to regular correspondence, that men like Jean-Baptiste Charcot, Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton went on to distinguish themselves on the \u201cWhite Continent\u201d in turn.<\/p>\n

    [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d900px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||0px||true|false\u201d locked=\u201doff\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d4_4\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d text_font_size=\u201d12px\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|300|||||||\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 header_2_font_size=\u201d38px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||25px||false|false\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    Photo credits: CLPB\/Belgica films; Gerlache Polar Memory; StudioPONANT\/Sarah Le\u00efla Payan; Romain Farge; Sylvain Adenot; Olivier Blaud<\/p>\n

    [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=\u201d1\u2033 admin_label=\u201dPUSH\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d||0px||false|false\u201d locked=\u201doff\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_row column_structure=\u201d1_2,1_2\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d background_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d1_2\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d|50px||50px|false|true\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_image src=\u201dhttps:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Low-Resolution-L1100678-PONANT-ANTARCTICA\u00a9PONANT-Ragnar-Axelsson-1.jpg\u201d alt=\u201dPONANT EXPLORATION ship sailing along the edge of the Antarctic ice cap\u201d title_text=\u201dmeeting-with-henri-gerlache\u201d align=\u201dcenter\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d445px\u201d module_alignment=\u201dcenter\u201d max_height=\u201d445px\u201d custom_margin=\u201d-90px||||false|false\u201d custom_padding=\u201d||20px||false|false\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=\u201d1_2\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d|50px|||false|false\u201d custom_padding_tablet=\u201d|50px||50px|false|false\u201d custom_padding_phone=\u201d|20px||20px|false|true\u201d custom_padding_last_edited=\u201don|phone\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d text_font=\u201d|700|||||||\u201d text_text_color=\u201d#ffffff\u201d text_font_size=\u201d38px\u201d text_line_height=\u201d1.4em\u201d width=\u201d70%\u201d width_tablet=\u201d100%\u201d width_phone=\u201d\u201d width_last_edited=\u201don|desktop\u201d custom_margin=\u201d10px||20px||false|false\u201d custom_padding=\u201d|||20px|false|false\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 text_font_size_tablet=\u201d\u201d text_font_size_phone=\u201d25px\u201d text_font_size_last_edited=\u201don|tablet\u201d border_width_left=\u201d5px\u201d border_color_left=\u201d#26afc2\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

    Let PONANT take you there<\/p>\n

    [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d text_text_color=\u201d#ffffff\u201d width=\u201d70%\u201d width_tablet=\u201d100%\u201d width_phone=\u201d\u201d width_last_edited=\u201don|desktop\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n

    Follow in the wake of the pioneers of polar exploration<\/p>\n

    [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=\u201dhttps:\/\/en.ponant.com\/destinations\/antarctica\u201d button_text=\u201dBrowse Antarctic cruises \u201d button_alignment=\u201dleft\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_margin=\u201d20px||20px||false|false\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Once upon a time, there were the Antarctic pioneers\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":17838202,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"thematique":[1412,1415,1430,1418],"class_list":["post-17838139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-encounter","thematique-antarctica","thematique-artists-and-guests","thematique-great-explorers","thematique-polar-adventures"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHenri de Gerlache: a legacy of Antarctic exploration | PONANT Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An interview with Belgian director Henri de Gerlache on Antarctic exploration, his polar pioneer ancestors and his 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