Roald Amundsen

Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (July 16, 1872–June 18?, 1928) was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the Antarctic expedition of 1910–1912 which was the first to reach the South Pole.

The South Pole

After the Northwest Passage Amundsen made plans to go to the North Pole. On hearing in 1909 that first Frederick Cook and then Robert Peary claimed the Pole, he changed his plans. Using Fridtjof Nansen's ship Fram ("Forward") he instead set out for Antarctica in 1910.

Related Topics:
North Pole - 1909 - Frederick Cook - Robert Peary - Fridtjof Nansen - Fram - 1910

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Amundsen told no one of his change of plans except his brother Leon and the officer on board Fram. He was afraid that Nansen would rescind use of Fram if he learned of the change. And he probably didn't want to alert Robert Falcon Scott that he would have a competitor for the pole. Since the original plan called for going around the horn to the Bering Strait he waited until Fram reached Madeira to let his crew know of the change. Every member agreed to continue. Leon made the news public on October 2.

Related Topics:
Robert Falcon Scott - Bering Strait - Madeira - October 2

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On 14 January 1911 they arrived at the Ross Ice Shelf at a location known as the Bay of Whales. Amundsen set his base there and named it Framheim, literally, "Home of the Fram." It was 60 statute miles (96 km) closer to the Pole than McMurdo Sound where the rival British expedition led by Scott stayed. But Scott had a route, discovered by Ernest Shackleton, up the Beardmore Glacier to the Antarctic Plateau. Amundsen would have to find his own path through the Trans-Antarctic Mountains.

Related Topics:
14 January - 1911 - Ross Ice Shelf - Bay of Whales - Framheim - Statute mile - Ernest Shackleton - Beardmore Glacier - Antarctic Plateau - Trans-Antarctic Mountains

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During February and March Amundsen and his men laid supply depots at 80°, 81° and 82° South. This gave him experience of Antarctic conditions and their equipment. During the winter at Framheim they kept busy improving the equipment, particularly the sleds.

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Amundsen began his drive for the pole on 20 October 1911, and along with Olav Bjaaland, Helmer Hanssen, Sverre Hassel, and Oscar Wisting, arrived at the Pole on 14 December 1911, 35 days before Scott. Amundsen named his camp at the South Pole Polheim, "Home of the Pole". Scott had the misfortune to find Amundsen's tent and his letter upon arrival. Amundsen's extensive experience, preparation, and use of the best sled dogs available paid off in the end. In contrast to the misfortunes of the Scott expedition, the Amundsen expedition proved rather smooth and uneventful.

Related Topics:
20 October - 1911 - Olav Bjaaland - Helmer Hanssen - Sverre Hassel - Oscar Wisting - 14 December - Polheim

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As neither expedition carried the very bulky wireless telegraphy equipment which would then have been the only way to communicate directly from the Pole, Amundsen's success was not publicly announced until 7 March 1912. Amundsen recounted his journey in the book The South Pole: An Account of the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition in the "Fram", 1910–1912.

Related Topics:
Wireless telegraphy - 7 March - 1912

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Detailed analysis of the data recorded in the expedition's diaries determined that members of the Amundsen expedition actually got to within 200 metres (220 yd) of the precise mathematical point of the South Pole. In contrast, when Scott reached the Pole, analysis of his data showed that his expedition was no closer than 450 metres (490 yd) from the mathematical point.

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The reasons for Amundsen's success and for Scott's failure in returning from the South Pole has always been the subject of controversy. Whereas Admundsen returned, Scott's party of five lost their lives on the Ross Ice Shelf on the return journey from the pole. There are many reasons why Amundsen was successful, but a major factor was his ruthless use of dogs during the journey. Amundsen's only transport was strong Greenland Huskies to pull his sleds across Antartica. These sled dogs are powerful and are used to the cold temperatures. Amundsen saved weight by killing dogs progressively and feeding the carcasses to the others. Although Scott also used dogs for the initial stages, it was not so intensively as Admundsen. Scott also used tractors, which broke down, and Mongolian Ponies, which died within a few days. Scott's party was therefore forced to pull their own sleds sooner than they had planned. The other key reason for Admundsen's success was the better weather on his more easterly route. It is now known that Scott's route normally has much worse weather and furthermore Scott endured conditions that were 20 °C (35 °F) colder than the average. Scott experienced prolonged blizzards that might only be expected once in a century, causing delays that consumed a large part of their rations. The low temperatures made the snow behave like soft sand rather than a slippery surface for sledging. The physical effort in man-hauling the sledges in those conditions resulted a massive loss of body-weight. The resulting lack of body fat made them even more susceptible to the cold. Consequently Scott's party succumbed to starvation, the extreme cold, exhaustion and scurvy.

Related Topics:
Scott's - Ross Ice Shelf - Greenland Huskies - Sled dog - Mongolian Ponies - Scurvy

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