The leader of the Terra Nova expedition was Captain Robert Falcon Scott.
Scott was born in 1868 and joined the training ship Britannia at the age of thirteen.
Between 1883 and 1887 he served as a midshipman on several vessels and was commissioned sub-lieutenant in 1887.
In 1899 he was given the command of the 1901-1904 Discovery expedition to the Antarctic. This expedition began the important relationship that he had with Sir Clements Markham, President of the Royal Geographical Society. The Discovery expedition saw the first major land exploration of Antarctica.
He was promoted to the rank of captain in 1906.
He married Kathleen Bruce in 1908 and the couple had one son, Peter Markham. At this stage of his career Scott had a staff job at the Admiralty as naval assistant to the Second Sea Lord.
Assessments of Scott as a person have varied. There have been serious criticisms of him because of the failure of the Polar party to reach safety but for decades he has been idealised as a hero displaying outstanding moral qualities.
There is no doubt that Scott had the ability to gain both the deep respect of people such as P.O. Evans and Wilson, but also the loathing of others such as Meares and, at times, Oates.
He was a sensitive person prone to depressive moods which could last for weeks. Cherry-Garrard noted that he cried more easily than any man he had known.
He showed a willingness to consider new technologies and to listen to ideas but often ignored critical advice from people who had wide and valuable experience. This is clearly seen in his transport arrangements especially with regard to the use of skis and over-reliance on the ponies.
He adhered quite rigidly to the naval methods of leadership. The hut at Cape Evans reflected this world with a separation of the 'mess deck' from officers and scientists.
His nickname on the Terra Nova expedition, 'the Owner', hints at this formal hierarchy.
In other respects his leadership style was one where he led from the front. Scott was perhaps the most competent sledger on the expedition and others constantly sought to match his efforts.
IceTrek is an expedition with no single leader. It is a shared leadership expedition. If there is a crisis, one of the team will take natural control as a result of having the greatest experience of in that situation.
The decision making process amongst the three team members is democratic. Discussion will be based on previous experiences.
Eric is the Polar specialist so his experiences will count for a lot initially. Eventually all members will be balanced and we will be on an even keel.
Similarly with kiting skills. Eric has more experience but the others will catch up quickly.
Of the three team members, Eric and Peter have the greater amount of Polar experience.
Eric spent 6 months at Mawson station and has crossed Greenland and Ellesmere Is. Peter has climbed Mt Vinson and has flown to the North Pole.