But the ship that was to return to pick them up, the Antarctic, under command of Captain Carl Larsen, was crushed by the ice and sank, leaving the expedition to spend a second winter on Snow Hill Island, with no communication with the mainland or the Antarctic party, which was stranded and spent the winter in rough shelter on Paulet Island.

Upon return to Argentina Sobral left the navy and went to Sweden to study geology at the Uppsala University, where he doctored in 1913.

He retired in 1935, but continued travelling around Argentina and giving geology lectures until his death in Buenos Aires in 1961, coincidentally on his 81st birthday.

Sobral wrote a number of books on the Argentine army, Argentina-Chile relations, geology, and his antarctic adventure.

The Argentine summer Base Alférez de Navío Sobral was built in 1965 and is located at 81°05' S, 40°00' W, in Edith Ronne Land facing the Filchner Ice Shelf.