Two days after leaving South Georgia, "Endurance" encountered polar pack ice and progress slowed to a crawl. For weeks "Endurance" worked its way through the pack, averaging less than per day. By 15 January 1915, "Endurance" was within of her destination, Vahsel Bay. By the following morning, heavy pack ice was sighted and in the afternoon a gale developed. Under these conditions it was soon evident progress could not be made, and "Endurance" took shelter under the lee of a large grounded iceberg. During the next two days, "Endurance" moved back and forth under the sheltering protection of the berg.