Where is the most difficult place in the world to travel through?

On a circumnavigation, the most frightening thing is the foreboding nature's obstacles - especially in the world's harshest corners. The desolate Cape Horn, located at the southernmost tip of the South American continent, was once the only seaway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and was also the center of the worst navigation climate in the southern hemisphere.

When the strong wind blows across the thousands of miles wide rough ocean surface of the South Atlantic, it turns to pass through the narrow gap between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands due to the obstruction of the Andes Mountains. Relentless winds blowing from east to west set up waves against a steady eastward current, forcing large volumes of water in the opposite direction through the same narrow rift. And due to the sudden rise of the sea floor, the rolling waves reach a terrifying height - 36 meters or more.

Rough seas and strong headwinds may persist for months. For ships sailing here, Cape Horn is a terrible challenge - people may freeze or fall into the sea, and ships are always in danger of running aground on rocks or hitting icebergs. In December 1905, it took the British Isles more than two and a half months to trudge through these waters. This time is pretty normal.

This area of ??water is the most dangerous place in the world for yachts and other smaller vessels. Of course, there were many brave owners of speedboats: Chichester, Ross, Brian, Knox Johnston. However, as they freely admit, they were lucky enough not to encounter the worst of Cape Horn's weather. At this point, no matter how seaworthy and easy-to-maneuver the yacht, the mere rough waves are enough to make it difficult to deal with.

In January 1957, Commodore Miles Smerton, his wife Beryl, and their friend John Goodwill sailed a 14-meter long "Zihang" "The brig departed from Australia and sailed around Cape Horn, the "shortcut" from west to east. This risky move almost cost them their lives. Seven weeks later, they were trudging along in strong westerly winds. They approached the cape.

On St. Valentine's Day (February 14), the sea turned white due to strong waves, and strong winds forced the ship to shorten its sails and slow down. Under Guangguang's mast, a 110-meter rope was used to drag the stern of the ship in order to control the ship as it continued to move forward.

The air pressure has begun to rise, which is a sign of good weather. However, the strong wind continued to strengthen and the waves became more violent. At this time, a huge wave rushed up from the stern of the ship and slammed its tail continuously. Two masts were broken, the cabin roof was lifted, and half of the cabin was flooded. Although Beryl Smeaton was protected by a lifeline, he was swept out to sea by the huge waves.

However, all three survived. Beryl managed to swim back to the yacht, which filled with water. The three men scooped out the water and plugged the hole with a bed, a hatch and extra sails from the ship. The weather improved and they improvised masts and sails. In order to avoid the wind, the "Zihang" sailed towards the coast of Chile. After traveling 1,500 miles, they reached Talcahuano, where the damaged ship was repaired.

In December, Miles and Beryl Smeton set sail again. At Christmas time, they successfully arrived at Cape Horn again. But the air pressure dropped again, and as the boat sped southward, the wind and waves increased. At this time, the waves hit the beam of the ship. When the storm reaches its peak, the air pressure no longer drops. But at 4 o'clock in the morning on December 26, the yacht capsized from the side under the attack of another fierce wave.

The mast was broken again and the hatch cover was cracked. But once again the Smetons survived. Just like last time, they removed the water, put on temporary emergency sails, and sailed to a sheltered place - this time to Valparaiso (Chile port city) 1,770 kilometers away.

The ship experienced the raging weather of Cape Horn twice - but the Smertons still defeated the wind and waves. It was already midsummer.

It is impossible for a small boat to withstand the fierce wind and waves during navigation. However, a Frenchman named Marcel Badiouais circumnavigated Cape Horn from east to west in a boat he built that was only 11 meters long in mid-winter.

On May 7, 1952, Badioais arrived at a tip between the coasts of Staten Island and Tierra del Fuego. When the wind and tide go against each other, the unruly waters can become swollen, and the situation is horrifying. Therefore, Badioais hopes to choose a smooth sea channel and a calm time. But the strong wind stopped him. The temperature of minus 14 degrees Celsius and the storm made Badioais exhausted and he decided to take a rest. The only anchorage was a small bay along the coast. The waves surged and the current swept across the bay. This small, rocky shelter is located at the end of a narrow strait. The sky was pitch black, and under the impact of the tide, Badioais' boat lost control and rushed toward the reef ahead. All he could do was throw three heavy anchors into the water and tie ropes to a nearby rock.

When the sea calmed down, he pushed the boat onto the beach and slept for the first time in three days. He woke up 10 hours later. A heavy snowfall in the evening froze the sails tightly, and he had to soak them with sea water. Without any warning, a hurricane hit his ship. Just as Badioais went to the cabin to get a sea anchor, two huge waves overturned the ship.

The sails, hatch covers and everything fragile were destroyed or swept away, the hull filled with water, and he was soaked in water - the serious problem was that the temperature dropped below freezing. Later, Badioais dragged a rope tied to the stern of the boat, which he used as a makeshift anchor while bailing out water. He hoisted the spare sail, and by the time he had stabilized the ship, it had taken ten hours. By this time, he had suffered severe frostbite.

After two days of rest, the Frenchman returned to compete against Cape Horn. Condensed water mist and hail made it difficult for ships to navigate. He sailed against wind, snow and waves for 48 hours, and at times the conditions were so bad that he had to boil pot after pot of water to melt the ice on his sails.

At 12:30 noon on May 12, Badioais squinted towards the stern of the ship and saw heavy snowfall on a promontory. This is steep land, with snow drifting down into some narrow valleys. He found that Cape Horn was behind him and that he had safely rounded it.