The Treacherous Race to the South Pole In the early 1910s, explorers Roald Amundsen Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions and a key figure of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. He led the first expedition to traverse the Northwest Passage in 1906 and the first expedition to the South Pole in 1911. He led the f… Robert Falcon Scott CVO was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery expedition of 1901–1904 and the ill-fated Terra Nova expedition of 1910–1913. On the first expedition, he set a new southern record by marching to latitude 82°…Roald Amundsen
Robert Falcon Scott
Who was the race to the South Pole between?
In 1911, British explorer Robert Falcon Scott and Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen both aimed to be the first to reach the South Pole. In the early 20th century, the race was on to reach the South Pole, with a number of explorers testing themselves in the freezing Antarctic.
Why was there a race to the South Pole?
Amundsen was to try for the North Pole but changed his plans when he heard that Americans Cook and Peary had claimed to have reached there, fearing he would be financially ruined (not even telling his own crew until they were headed south) and so set the scene unilaterally for a "race".
Who won the great race to the South Pole and by how long?
Overview. The outcomes of the two expeditions were as follows. Priority at the South Pole: Amundsen beat Scott to the South Pole by 34 days. Fatalities: Scott lost five men including himself returning from the pole, out of a team of 65.
When did the race to the South Pole start?
In the early 1910s, explorers Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott engaged in a frantic, and ultimately tragic, race to be the first man to reach the South Pole. “Another hard grind in the afternoon and five miles added,” British explorer Robert Falcon Scott wrote in his diary.
Who arrived at the South Pole first?
Norwegian Roald AmundsenOn December 14, 1911, Norwegian Roald Amundsen becomes the first explorer to reach the South Pole, beating his British rival, Robert Falcon Scott. Amundsen, born in Borge, near Oslo, in 1872, was one of the great figures in polar exploration.
Why can't people fly over Antarctica?
Antarctica has no flight paths due to weather conditions and no infrastructure to assist with landing anywhere on the continent.
Did they find Scott's body?
Gran's journal records how he and his team found the bodies of Scott – who he refers to as “The Owner” – and his companions on 12 November 1912. “It has happened – we have found what we sought – horrible, ugly fate – Only 11 miles from One Ton Depot – The Owner, Wilson & Birdie. All gastsly [sic].
Why did Scott lose the race to the South Pole?
It was thanks to these experiences on board the Belgica that Amundsen understood how important it would be to constantly eat fresh meat when he set off for the south pole in 1911. “His diet was absolutely one of the key reasons he managed to beat Scott,” said Sancton. Scurvy ravaged Scott and his team in 1912.
Which explorer died in Antarctica?
Robert Falcon ScottRobert Falcon ScottDiedc. 29 March 1912 (aged 43) Ross Ice Shelf, AntarcticaAllegianceUnited KingdomBranchRoyal NavyYears of service1881–19127 more rows
Has anyone made it to the South Pole?
There have been many subsequent expeditions to arrive at the South Pole by surface transportation, including those by Havola, Crary and Fiennes. The first group of women to reach the pole were Pam Young, Jean Pearson, Lois Jones, Eileen McSaveney, Kay Lindsay and Terry Tickhill in 1969.
Who founded Antarctica?
Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen found it on December 14, 1911.
Who was the second person to reach the South Pole?
Robert Falcon ScottRoald Amundsen's polar party was the first to reach the South Pole on December 14th, 1911; five weeks later the polar party led by Robert Falcon Scott was the second.
Why did Scott lose the race to the South Pole?
It was thanks to these experiences on board the Belgica that Amundsen understood how important it would be to constantly eat fresh meat when he set off for the south pole in 1911. “His diet was absolutely one of the key reasons he managed to beat Scott,” said Sancton. Scurvy ravaged Scott and his team in 1912.
Why did Scott go to the South Pole?
During all his planning of the British Antarctic Expedition on the Terra Nova, Scott had intended that the main objective was "to reach the South Pole, and to secure for the British Empire the honour of this achievement".
Who was the third person to reach South Pole?
This book tells the story of three men who were to embody the spirit of the time to be the first to discover the South Pole – Robert Falcon Scott, Roald Amundsen and Ernest Shackleton...
Who has been to the South Pole?
American explorer Richard E. Byrd became the first person to fly over the South Pole, in 1926, and the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station was established thirty years later. However, the next overland expedition to the South Pole was not made until 1958, more than 40 years after Amundsen and Scott's deadly race.
Who was the first person to reach the South Pole?
In 1911, British explorer Robert Falcon Scott and Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen both aimed to be the first to reach the South Pole. In the early 20th century, the race was on to reach the South Pole, with a number of explorers testing themselves in the freezing Antarctic.
How long did it take Captain Scott to reach the South Pole?
At around 3pm on 14 December 1911, Amundsen raised the flag of Norway at the South Pole. He had reached the Pole a full 33 days before Captain Scott arrived.
Who was the first Norwegian explorer to reach the South Pole?
Roald Amundsen was a respected Norwegian explorer who was determined to beat the British expedition and be the first to reach the South Pole. He kept his plans to head south very secret - he had originally planned to head north, but upon hearing that the North Pole had been reached, changed his mission. Amundsen's ship the Fram reached the Ross Ice ...
Which country gained a 60 mile advantage over Scott?
This gained the Norwegians a 60-mile advantage over Scott, who chose to land at McMurdo Sound. Amundsen's expedition at the South Pole (courtesy of Wiki Commons)
When did Amundsen die?
Weak from exhaustion, hunger and extreme cold, his last diary entry is dated 29 March 1912. He died in his tent alongside two of his men. Amundsen’s success was celebrated worldwide, and he received personal telegrams of congratulations from US President Theodore Roosevelt and King George V of England.
What is the race to the South Pole?
What has become known as the Race to the South Pole came about incidentally rather than by design. At no time did Amundsen and Scott acknowledge or plan for a race, they both planned expeditions that had as an ambition to be the first man to reach one of the last great geographic goals of the age, the South Pole.
How to get to the South Pole?
There are 3 parts to the route to the pole from the vicinity of the Ross Ice Shelf, 1 - cross the Ross Ice Shelf at low altitude, 2 - ascend to the polar plateau at the position of the Trans-Antarctic Mountains, 3 - the high altitude polar plateau from the Tran-Antarctics to the pole. Scott used Shackleton's route up the Beardmore Glacier that he had pioneered in the 1907-1909 Nimrod expedition. Scott's starting point was chosen as being a good place for scientific explorations, it was a compromise for a South Pole attempt being dependent on not totally reliable sea-ice in the early and late season.
Why did Amundsen not use Scott's route up the Beardmore Glacier?
He chose not to use Scott's route up the Beardmore Glacier in order to stay away from Scott's party and find his own route, this was I think an honourable decision of an Edwardian gentleman. Amundsen was very experienced in the Arctic and so anticipated the existence of other routes up onto the Polar Plateau which he found in what he named the Axel Heiberg glacier.
Why did Amundsen change his plans?
Amundsen was to try for the North Pole but changed his plans when he heard that Americans Cook and Peary had claimed to have reached there, fearing he would be financially ruined (not even telling his own crew until they were headed south) and so set the scene unilaterally for a "race".
Why were the Skelton sleds left behind?
The largest of the three motor sleds was lost while being taken ashore, the remaining two were unreliable and Skelton the expert in their use, was left behind for reasons of naval rank protocols in the South Pole journey, the remaining two sleds failed and could not be fixed.
How did Amundsen die?
He died in 1928 in what was assumed to be an airplane crash in the Arctic after wreckage but no bodies were found. Many lessons were learned about exploration in the Antarctic from both Amundsen and Scott from successes and failures that would be invaluable for future expeditions.
How many men did Scott and Amundsen lead to the pole?
They both led five man teams to the pole, though while Amundsen's team returned alive and well, Scott's party all died on the return journey. What has become known as the Race to the South Pole came about incidentally rather than by design.
Who was the first explorer to reach the South Pole?
The Race to the South Pole. In late 1911, Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian explorer, was determined to be the first explorer to reach the South Pole. However, he wasn’t the only one. Robert Scott, a British naval officer, was also preparing his team to reach the South Pole. While Scott’s team planned to gather scientific information along the way, ...
What was the goal of Amundsen and Scott?
While Scott’s team planned to gather scientific information along the way, the distinct difference between these two teams was that Amundsen had a singular goal – to be the first team to reach the South Pole. They would simply make the journey, be the first team to plant the flag and safely return home. Amundsen not only emerged the victor, but he ...
What was Scott's plan for the expedition?
The fate of the two expeditions has been widely discussed [1], but most research settles on Amundsen’s decision to use only dogs to transport his team as a key to his victory, while Scott’s plan conceived of a multi-tiered transport system of horses, dogs and motorized sledges, the last being a new technology at the time.
What Is The South Pole?
It is generally accepted as the place where the Earth rotates on its axis, although this is not the exact location. The South Pole sits at an altitude of 9,301 feet above sea level and is surrounded by a flat, frozen plateau. Interestingly, around 9,000 feet of its elevation consists of an ice cap, which means the land is actually much closer to sea level. The Bay of Whales can be reached 800 miles away and is the closest coastline to the South Pole.
Who was the first person to reach the South Pole?
Beginning The Journey To The South Pole. The desire to reach the South Pole had its peak in 1911 when two men, Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott, tried to beat one another to the destination. Amundsen earned the honor on December 14, 1911, when he and his team (made up of Sverre Hassel, Oscar Wisting, and Helmer Hanssen) ...
How long did it take Amundsen to reach the summit of the Heiberg Glacier?
It took the team 3 days to reach the summit of the glacier, marking the beginning of the final leg of the journey.
Why did the sled runners have to cut their daily journeys down to 5 miles?
The low temperatures caused ice crystals on the sled runners that made it difficult to progress. This, combined with the frostbite on Oate’s foot, forced the team to cut their daily journeys down to 5 miles. On March 16, Oates (also suffering frostbite on his hands) willingly left the tent, never to return.
What is the heroic age of Antarctic exploration?
The Heroic Age Of Antarctic Exploration. Interest in exploring the South Pole began to gain ground in the middle of the 19th century, when European explorers sought to understand more of the Antarctic region. The time spent focusing on this area of the world is often referred to as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, ...
How many dogs died in the South Pole?
The Final Stage Before Reaching The South Pole. By the time they reached the 10,600-foot elevation, 7 of the dogs had died and only 18 of those remaining would continue on with the rest of the trip. The sledge drivers were forced to kill 27 of the dogs for food to give both the dogs and the humans. The team members then prepared 3 sledges ...
How long did the exploration team stay at the pole?
The exploration team stayed an additional 3 days to record the exact location of the pole. Before leaving, the group set up a tent. Inside, they left some supplies for their rival, Robert Falcon Scott, and a letter for Scott to deliver to King Haakon.
What was the significance of the South Pole?
It was the “Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration,” and the South Pole represented one of the last unexplored areas on earth. Robert Falcon Scott hoped to claim the bottom of the world for England; Roald Amundsen wished to plant the Norwegian flag there on behalf of his countrymen.
Who was the scientist who led the expedition to the Pole?
Dr. Edward Atkinson, part of Scott’s scientific team. The scientific prong of Scott’s mission made their expedition more complicated, while Amundsen was able to focus all of his energy and efforts on being the first to reach the Pole.
What did Scott know about Amundsen?
As Scott trudged to the Pole, he found reason to hope that he might arrive there first, for he saw no sledge tracks or footprints along the way, and he assumed Amundsen would be using the same established path. What he did not know was that the Norwegian was on an entirely different course 500 miles to the west and already hundreds of miles ahead.
How many pairs of skis did Amundsen make?
The men made a series of tunnels and snow caves and turned them into what Amundsen called, “just one big workshop,” in which they crafted two pairs of custom skis for each man (one pair for back-up), modified the skis’ bindings to be more efficient, created better designed and lighter tents (Amundsen’s tents could be put up with one pole; Scott’s required five), lightened the sledges, and sewed their clothing and remade their boots four times until they fit perfectly and wouldn’t chafe.
Why did Amundsen put ten black flags on the sides of his depots?
Because finding each depot was so vital, and because it can be easy to get off track in a wasteland of ice and snow, especially when thick fog and blizzards cut your visibility , Amundsen placed a line of ten black flags, spaced a half mile apart, on both sides of his depots. If the men got within a few miles of the depot, they would run into one of the flags, and each flag was marked with its distance to and direction from the next depot. Scott marked his depots was just a single flag.
How far was Amundsen's route from the Pole?
Amundsen’s route had never before been taken, but it put his starting point 60 miles closer to the Pole than Scott’s.
Where did Amundsen camp?
Amundsen, on the other hand, made his base camp at the Bay of Whales, setting up his winter quarters on the edge of the Great Ice Barrier. No explorer had camped at that spot previously, for it was feared that the ice could fracture and send you floating away on a berg. But Amundsen had studied the records of past explorers who had been in the area, and saw that their descriptions of the ice had remained unchanged for decades, which Amundsen believed pointed to the area’s stability. Amundsen felt that camping there was a risk worth taking, for it positioned his starting point 60 miles closer to the Pole than Scott’s, which meant a total savings of 120 miles round trip. From the Barrier, Amundsen pioneered a route no man had trod before, and he took the straightest path possible to the Pole, traveling along a line of longitude. He had no idea what kind of terrain he’d face en route to his goal, but he was prepared to go up and over it.
The Race to The South Pole: Scott and Amundsen
Scott’s Expedition to The South Pole
- Robert Falcon Scott had attempted to reach the South Pole once before in 1902 but his party were forced to turn back due to ill health and sub-zero conditions. It was always Scott’s intention to return and, with the support of the British Admiralty and the government, he secured a grant of £20,000. Scott recruited men from his original Antarctic voyage and from Ernest Shackleton’s sh…
Amundsen’s Expedition
- Roald Amundsen was a respected Norwegian explorer who was determined to beat the British expedition and be the first to reach the South Pole. He kept his plans to head south very secret - he had originally planned to head north, but upon hearing that the North Pole had been reached, changed his mission. Amundsen's ship the Framreached the Ross Ice Shelf on 14 January 1911…
The Race
- On 18 October 1911, after the Antarctic winter, Amundsen's team set out on its drive toward the Pole. Captain Scott began his trek three weeks later. At around 3pm on 14 December 1911, Amundsen raised the flag of Norway at the South Pole. He had reached the Pole a full 33 days before Captain Scott arrived. Amundsen and his crew returned to their base camp on 25 Januar…