The one who reached the south pole first. Who discovered the South Pole Conquest of the South Pole in what year
The tragic discovery of the South Pole
Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen (1872–1928) became famous in 1906 as the first traveler to sail a small ship from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean through the so-called Northwest Passage.
In the fall of 1910, Amundsen set off to the North Pole on Nansen's ship Fram. However, on the way, he received news that Cook and Piri had already been there. Then Amundsen decided to change the expedition route to the exact opposite. His goal was the South Pole.
As he knew (he consulted!), an English expedition led by Royal Navy captain Robert Scott (1868–1912) had sailed there. Before that, he made routes in Antarctica at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1907, Ernest Shackleton (formerly in Scott's group) and four comrades passed beyond 8 8° south latitude on their way to the South Pole. And although less than 200 km remained to the goal, due to terrible fatigue and lack of food, they were forced to return back (more than a thousand kilometers).
R. Amundsen: “Since childhood I dreamed of the North Pole, but conquered... the South”
So, setting course for the Southern Hemisphere, Amundsen notified Scott of his intention. The competition has begun - a race.
We must pay tribute to Scott: his expedition pursued largely scientific goals, was equipped with a variety of instruments, and carried out regular weather observations along the route. All this, of course, made progress difficult.
We relied on technology, taking a motor sleigh; but they quickly failed. Due to some absurd misconception (why didn’t the experienced Amundsen dissuade us?) they used horses and ponies that could not withstand the terrible Antarctic cold. And the clothes of polar explorers in those days were bulky and not insulated enough.
Amundsen avoided all these mistakes. He chose a shorter route (almost 100 km) and took a mobile group equipped in the “Eskimo style” with dog sleds. During the winter, his people set up intermediate bases, food and fuel warehouses along a significant part of the route.
His attempt to leave much earlier than Scott - at the end of August - failed: he had to return due to severe frosts. The harsh polar spring has not yet arrived. On October 15, they stormed the South Pole.
Scott's squad set out a little later due to problems with their equipment. They also crossed the gigantic, wide Ross Ice Shelf. Amundsen's group had an advantage: their route to the Arctic Circle was half as long. With well-chosen dog sleds, his group of five climbed the glacier, about 3 km high, in four days. In total they had to cover 2250 km.
With great efforts, dragging a sleigh with things and provisions, trying to conduct scientific observations, Scott and his companions made their way to the Pole: Lawrence Oates, Edward Wilson, Edgar Evans, Henry Bauer.
Amundsen's group, which set out a little later than them, moved faster and a little easier, although less explored, and was the first to reach the South Pole on December 14, 1911. They hoisted the Norwegian flag, all holding onto the staff together.
Amundsen wrote in his diary: “No one was probably further from the goal of his life than I was at that moment. Since childhood I dreamed of the North Pole, but I conquered... the South Pole.”
They walked back quickly along the familiar route from base to base, despite the severe frost. They were excellent endurance skiers, accustomed to the Arctic. On January 26, 1912, they all returned to the coast. Here the Fram was waiting for them, having managed to make a research trip.
By that time, Scott and his comrade had already reached (January 17) the cherished point, from which all roads lead to the north. The British saw the Norwegian flag from a distance and approached the trampled area.
This was a terrible shock in the lives of these strong people. They were physically exhausted and mentally devastated.
“All the work, all the hardships and torment - to what end? Empty dreams that have now come to an end.”
The return journey turned out to be painful and tragic. Penetrating cold. Scott and Evans fell into a deep crack. Evans was seriously injured, apparently suffering a concussion. He began to quickly lose strength and died on February 17.
The remaining four reached the base warehouse. Here a new blow awaited them: all the kerosene leaked out of the tanks at very low temperatures. They were left without fuel.
Every day the weather deteriorated. The temperature dropped below 40 °C. The ill Oates, sacrificing his life, left the tent at night in a snowstorm on March 16 and froze to death. Scott writes two days later: “We are almost exhausted ... My right leg is gone - almost all my fingers are frostbitten.” After 4 days: “The snowstorm does not subside... There is no fuel, there is only enough food left for once or twice. The end must be near."
Scott's last entry on March 29: “It's a shame, but I don't think I'm in any condition to write yet. R. Scott." However, he found the strength to say his last words: “For God’s sake, don’t leave our loved ones.”
The search team found the tent 8 months later. In it lay the frozen bodies of three travelers. Scott sat leaning against the counter with a notebook under his head.
On the monument erected on their grave, the inscription: ““Fight, seek, find and do not give up” was the motto of their life” (a line from a poem by Alfred Thenisson).
Amundsen was shocked by the news of the death of his “rivals.” Not without reason, he felt a considerable share of his guilt in this.
He had an ambitious dream to be the first earthling to visit both poles of the planet. In 1918 and 1925, he tried to reach the North Pole by airplane and seaplane, but was unsuccessful. The third attempt was made on the airship "Norway", built according to the design of engineer Nobile in Italy at the expense of the American Ellsworth. They made a trans-Arctic flight from Spitsbergen to Alaska in May 1926, dropping Norwegian, Italian and American flags over the North Pole.
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From the author's bookCampaign to set up a southern warehouse By mid-September, a sufficient supply of provisions, kerosene and equipment had already been transported to Cape Hut. Everything needed for the journey to the South Pole was delivered there so that we could set off from a base located perhaps as far south as possible.
From the author's bookThe contender for the crown of the Pole, Ernest Henry Shackleton, was born on February 15, 1874 in Ireland. He began his career in the English fleet as a cabin boy. Going to sea for the first time, he compiled a memo for himself, where under the first paragraph he wrote: “A sparkling star shines on those whose life is filled with great things.”
At the beginning of the 20th century, the fever of discovering new lands began to subside. The lands of South America, Australia, the New Zealand Islands and Africa have been fully explored. And only a few dared to turn their gaze to the harsh lands of the poles. Everyone knows the names of those who were the first to reach the South Pole. But not everyone knows that the “Napoleon of the polar countries,” the conqueror of the southern point of the Earth, Raoul Amundsen, was ready to give his triumph for the lives of those who did not reach there.
By sea to the south
The first person to reach the southern continent on a fragile wooden ship was J. Cook. In 1772, his ship reached 72 degrees south latitude, but further his path was blocked by insurmountable ice.
Officially, the discovery of the mainland is attributed to F. Bellingshausen and M. Lazarev. On two boats in 1820, they approached the shores of Antarctica.
Twenty years later, the ships of J. C. Ross sailed around the mainland along the coastline.
Conquest of land
The competition for the title of "First Man to Reach the South Pole" is full of tragic events. In 1895, the Australian G. Buhl camped on land. But he made no attempt to go deeper into the mainland.
An attempt to become the first to reach the South Pole was made in 1909 by E. Shackleton. The Englishman did not reach 179 kilometers, his food ran out and his strength was exhausted. Before him, in 1902, the attempt of his compatriot Robert Scott failed, three researchers miraculously returned to the starting point.
Competition for championship
October 1911, two famous explorers entered the struggle to conquer the Pole: the Norwegian Roald Amundsen and the British Robert Falcon Scott. Interestingly, Amundsen was going to the North Pole. But he could no longer become a pioneer: the American flag had stood there since 1908. The ambitious Roald invites partners Oscar Wisting, Helmer Hansen, Sverre Haasel and Olaf Bjaland to become the first among the conquerors of the other pole. It is these names that will go down in Antarctic history as those who were the first to reach the South Pole.
The story of those who made it but ended up second
After an unsuccessful attempt in 1902, Robert Scott had high hopes for the campaign. He prepared carefully and for a long time, purchased a motor sled and developed a route. From the very beginning he was haunted by disappointments. Motorized sleds turned out to be useless in overcoming hummocks. The ponies that were the expedition's means of transportation soon became exhausted and were euthanized. Robert decided to send part of the group back, and five people continued their journey to their cherished goal.
Overcoming incredible difficulties, carrying all their luggage, on January 17, 1912, they reached the mathematical pole. But we ended up second: the Norwegians had already been here. Moral shock affected their return journey. The youngest participant, Edgar Evans, was the first to die; he hit his head when falling into a crack. Then Lawrence Oates left into the night, considering himself a burden to his comrades (his feet were frostbitten).
The remaining researchers did not come to the camp. Only eight months later they were found 18 kilometers from their final destination. Their fate is known from the diary of Robert, who died last. The blizzard that caught them, running out of supplies and the bitter cold caused their death.
Robert Falcon Scott, Henry Bowers, Lawrence Oates and Edgar Evans, as well as physician Edward Wilson - diaries and geological exhibits weighing about 15 kilograms, and their heroic feat recorded these names in the history of Antarctica.
The story of those who reached the first south pole
The ambitious Amudsen thought through every detail of his journey. He relied on dogs as draft power. At the same time, no matter how cruel, he calculated the weight of the dogs as food and wrote out a schedule for using this source of protein. The costumes were specially made from blankets - durable, light and warm. The expedition of five people reached its goal on December 14, 1911 and 99 days later returned to its starting point in full force, becoming the courageous five who were the first to reach the South Pole.
Bitter victory
Amundsen himself, having learned about the fate of his rival Robert Scott, wrote: “I would sacrifice fame, absolutely everything, to bring him back to life. My triumph is overshadowed by the thought of his tragedy. She's stalking me! This triumph went down in history along with tragedy. But the Pole remembers both purposeful polar explorers, their names are forever united in the name of the Amundsen-Scott scientific station, located at the site of the defeat of one and the victory of the other.
Hundreds of daredevils conquered the South Pole after the pioneers.
Once man managed to conquer the North Pole, sooner or later he had to reach the South Pole, located in the center of the icy continent of Antarctica.
It's even colder here than in the Arctic. In addition, the fierce hurricane winds almost never subside... But the South Pole also surrendered, and the history of the conquest of the two extreme points of the Earth was curiously linked together. The fact is that in 1909, the famous polar explorer, like Piri, intended to set out to conquer the North Pole
They have tried to get to the southernmost point of the Earth before. IN1902 Captain of the English Royal NavyRobert Scott together with two satellites managed to reach 82 degrees 17 minutes south latitude. But then I had to retreat. Having lost all the sled dogs with which they began the journey, the three brave men were barely able to return to the coast of Antarctica, where the expedition ship Discovery was moored.
IN
1908 year, another Englishman made a new attempt -Ernst Shackleton . And again, failure: despite the fact that only 179 kilometers remained to the goal, Shackleton turned back, unable to withstand the hardships of the journey.Amundsen actually achieved success the first time, having thought through literally every little detail.
His journey to the Pole was played out like clockwork. Between 80 and 85 degrees south latitude, at every degree, the Norwegians had pre-arranged warehouses with food and fuel. Amundsen set off on his journey
The costumes for the participants in the hike were made... from old blankets. Amundsen's idea, unexpected at first glance, fully justified itself - the costumes were light and at the same time very warm. But the Norwegians also faced many difficulties. The blows of the blizzard cut the faces of Hansen, Wisting and Amundsen himself until they bled; These wounds did not heal for a long time. But seasoned, courageous people did not pay attention to such trifles.
They stayed here for three days, making astronomical determinations of the exact location to eliminate the slightest possibility of error. At the southernmost point of the Earth, a tall pole with the Norwegian flag and the Fram pennant was erected. All five left their names on a board nailed to the pole.
The return journey took the Norwegians 40 days. Nothing unexpected happened. And early in the morning of January 26, 1912, Amundsen and his companions returned to the shore of the icy continent, where the expedition ship Fram was waiting for him in Whale Bay.
Alas, Amundsen's victory was overshadowed by the tragedy of another expedition. Also in 1911, a new attempt was made to reach the South Pole.
Robert Scott . This time she was successful. ButJanuary 18, 1912 Scott and four of his companions found the Norwegian flag at the South Pole, left by Amundsen back in December. The disappointment of the British, who arrived only second to the goal, turned out to be so great that they no longer had the strength to withstand the return journey.A few months later, British search parties, concerned about Scott’s long absence, found a tent in the Antarctic ice with the frozen bodies of the captain and his companions. In addition to pitiful crumbs of food, they found 16 kilograms of rare geological samples from Antarctica, collected during the trip to the pole. As it turned out, the rescue camp, where food was stored, was only twenty kilometers away from this tent...
Amundsen and Scott
They were never on the same expedition, in the same “bundle,” but that’s exactly what Amundsen-Scott is, now called the American Antarctic research station located right at the South Pole.
Once man managed to conquer the North Pole, sooner or later he had to reach the South Pole, located in the center of the icy continent of Antarctica.
It's even colder here than in the Arctic. In addition, the fierce hurricane winds almost never subside... But the South Pole also surrendered, and the history of the conquest of the two extreme points of the Earth was curiously linked together. The fact is that in 1909, like Piri, the famous polar explorer Roald Amundsen intended to set out to conquer the North Pole - the same one who, several years earlier, managed to navigate his ship from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean by the northwest sea route. Having learned that Piri had achieved success first, the ambitious Amundsen, without hesitation, sent his expedition ship “Fram” to the shores of Antarctica. He decided that he would be the first to the South Pole!
They have tried to get to the southernmost point of the Earth before. In 1902, Captain Robert Scott of the English Royal Navy, together with two companions, managed to reach 82 degrees 17 minutes south latitude. But then I had to retreat. Having lost all the sled dogs with which they began the journey, the three brave souls were barely able to return to the coast of Antarctica, where the expedition ship Discovery was moored.
In 1908, another Englishman, Ernst Shackleton, made a new attempt. And again, failure: despite the fact that only 179 kilometers remained to the goal, Shackleton turned back, unable to withstand the hardships of the journey. Amundsen actually achieved success the first time, having thought through literally every little detail.
His journey to the Pole was played out like clockwork. Between 80 and 85 degrees south latitude, at every degree, the Norwegians had pre-arranged warehouses with food and fuel. Amundsen set off on October 20, 1911, with four Norwegian companions: Hansen, Wisting, Hassel, Bjoland. The travelers traveled on sleighs pulled by sled dogs.
The costumes for the participants in the hike were made... from old blankets. Amundsen's idea, unexpected at first glance, fully justified itself - the costumes were light and at the same time very warm. But the Norwegians also faced many difficulties. The blows of the blizzard cut the faces of Hansen, Wisting and Amundsen himself until they bled; These wounds did not heal for a long time. But seasoned, courageous people did not pay attention to such trifles.
On December 14, 1911, at 3 pm, the Norwegians reached the South Pole.
They stayed here for three days, making astronomical determinations of the exact location to eliminate the slightest possibility of error. At the southernmost point of the Earth, a high pole with the Norwegian flag and the Fram pennant was erected. All five left their names on a board nailed to the pole.
The return journey took the Norwegians 40 days. Nothing unexpected happened. And early in the morning of January 26, 1912, Amundsen and his companions returned to the shore of the icy continent, where the expedition ship Fram was waiting for him in Whale Bay.
Alas, Amundsen's victory was overshadowed by the tragedy of another expedition. Also in 1911, Robert Scott made a new attempt to reach the South Pole. This time she was successful. But on January 18, 1912, Scott and four of his companions found a Norwegian flag at the South Pole, left by Amundsen back in December. The disappointment of the British, who arrived only second to the goal, turned out to be so great that they no longer had the strength to withstand the return journey.
A few months later, British search parties, concerned about Scott’s long absence, found a tent in the Antarctic ice with the frozen bodies of the captain and his companions. In addition to pitiful crumbs of food, they found 16 kilograms of rare geological samples from Antarctica, collected during the trip to the pole. As it turned out, the rescue camp, where food was stored, was only twenty kilometers away from this tent...
“I have the honor to inform you that I am leaving for Antarctica - Amundsen”
This telegram was sent by the Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen to the head of the English expedition, Robert Scott, and this was the beginning of the drama that played out in the southern polar latitudes 100 years ago...
December 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of one of the important events in the series of geographical discoveries of the twentieth century - the South Pole was reached for the first time.
The Norwegian expedition of Roald Amundsen and the English expedition of Robert Scott succeeded.
The pole was discovered by Amundsen on December 14, 1911, and a month later (January 18, 1912) it was reached by Scott's group, which died on the way back to the Ross Sea.
The geographic south pole, the mathematical point at which the Earth's imaginary axis of rotation intersects its surface in the Southern Hemisphere, is not located in the central part of the Antarctic continent, but closer to its Pacific coast, within the Polar Plateau at an altitude of 2800 m. The ice thickness here exceeds 2000 m The minimum distance to the coast is 1276 km.
The sun at the pole does not set below the horizon for six months (from September 23 to March 20–21, excluding refraction) and does not rise above the horizon for six months,
but until mid-May and from the beginning of August, astronomical twilight is observed, when dawn appears in the sky. The climate near the pole is very harsh. The average air temperature at the pole is -48.9 °C, the minimum is -77.1 °C (in September). The South Pole is not the coldest point in Antarctica. The lowest temperature on the Earth's surface (-89.2 ºС) was recorded on July 21, 1983 at the Soviet scientific station "Vostok". The American scientific station Amundsen-Scott is located at the geographic point of the South Pole.
The English navigator James Cook in 1772-75 twice came quite close (less than 300 km) to Antarctica. In 1820, the Russian expedition of F. F. Bellingshausen and M. P. Lazarev on the ships “Vostok” and “Mirny” came almost close to the shores of Antarctica. Extensive scientific work was carried out in Antarctic waters, currents, water temperatures, depths were studied, and 29 islands were discovered (Peter I, Alexander I, Mordvinov, etc.). The expedition ships circumnavigated Antarctica. In 1821-23, the hunters Palmer and Weddell approached Antarctica. In 1841, the English expedition of James Ross discovered an ice shelf (Ross Glacier, where the path to the Pole began). Its outer edge is an ice cliff up to 50 m high (Ross Barrier). The barrier is washed by the waters of the Ross Sea. By the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, many expeditions carried out work off the coast of Antarctica, collecting data on depths, bottom topography, bottom sediments, and marine fauna. In 1901-04, the English expedition of Scott on the Discovery vessel carried out oceanological work in the Ross Sea. The expedition members penetrated deep into Antarctica to 77°59" S. Oceanological research was carried out in the Weddell Sea in 1902-04 by the English expedition of Bruce. The French expedition of J. Charcot on the ships "France" and "Pourquois-Pas" conducted in 1903-05 years and 1908-10 oceanographic research in the Bellingshausen Sea.
In 1907-09, the English expedition of E. Shackleton (of which R. Scott was a participant) wintered in the Ross Sea, conducted oceanological and meteorological research here and made a trip to the south magnetic pole.
Shackleton also made an attempt to reach the geographic pole.
On January 9, 1909, he reached the latitude of 88° 23" and, being 179 miles from the pole, turned back due to lack of food. Shackleton used short horses of the Manchurian breed (Siberian ponies) as draft force, but during the ascent to the glacier Beardmore ponies had their legs broken, were shot and kept as food for use on the return journey.
The South Pole was first reached on December 14, 1911 by a Norwegian expedition led by Roald Amundsen.
Amundsen's original goal was the North Pole. The expedition ship Fram was provided by another great Norwegian, Fridtjof Nansen, who made the first ever drift across the Arctic Ocean on it (1893-1896). However, having learned that the North Pole had been conquered by Robert Peary, Amundsen decided to go to the South Pole, which he notified Scott about by telegram.
On January 14, 1911, the Fram arrived at the expedition landing site chosen by Amundsen - Whale Bay. It is located in the eastern part of the Ross Ice Barrier, located in the Pacific sector of Antarctica. From February 10 to March 22, Amundsen was busy creating intermediate warehouses. On October 20, 1911, Amundsen with four companions on dogs set out on a campaign to the south and on December 14 was at the South Pole, and on January 26, 1912 he returned to base camp. Together with Amundsen at the South Pole were the Norwegians Olaf Bjaland, Helmer Hansen, Sverre Hassel and Oscar Wisting.
Robert Scott's expedition on the ship Terra Nova landed on January 5, 1911 on Ross Island, in the western part of the Ross Glacier. From January 25 to February 16, warehouses were organized. On November 1, a group of British led by Scott, accompanied by auxiliary detachments, reached the Pole. The last auxiliary detachment left on January 4, 1912, after which Robert Scott and his comrades Edward Wilson, Lawrence Oates, Henry Bowers and Edgar Evans moved on, towing sleighs with equipment and provisions.
Having reached the Pole on January 18, 1912, on the way back Scott and his comrades died from hunger and deprivation.
The last entry in Scott's diary (It is a pity but I do not think I can write more - R. Scott - For God's sake look after our people - It's a pity, but I don't think I can write anymore - R. Scott - For God, do not forsake our loved ones) refers to March 29.
The reasons for the tragic outcome of Scott’s expedition and the prerequisites for Amundsen’s successful campaign have long been discussed in various literary sources, ranging from Stefan Zweig’s extremely emotional short story “The Struggle for the South Pole” (in my opinion, very biased) and ending with the publications of Amundsen himself and scientific articles based on on modern knowledge about the climate of Antarctica.
Briefly they are as follows:
Amundsen had an accurate calculation of forces and means and a strict attitude towards success; Scott's lack of a clear plan of action and his mistake in choosing transport can be seen.
As a result, Scott returned in February-March, that is, at the beginning of the Antarctic autumn, with lower temperatures and snowstorms. It was because of a severe eight-day snowstorm that Scott and his comrades were unable to walk the last 11 miles to the food warehouse and died.
Without pretending to be an exhaustive review of the reasons and prerequisites, we will still consider them in a little more detail.
The beginning of the way
The Norwegian expedition found itself in more favorable conditions than the English one. The Fram site (the base camp of the Amundsen expedition) was located 100 km closer to the pole than Scott’s camp. Dog sleds were used as a means of transport. However, the subsequent road to the Pole was no less difficult than that of the British. The British followed the path explored by Shackleton, knowing the place of ascent to the Beardmore Glacier; the Norwegians crossed the glacier along an unexplored path, since Scott’s route was unanimously recognized as inviolable.
Ross Island was located 60 miles from the ice barrier, the journey to which already at the first stage cost the participants of the English expedition enormous labor and losses.
Scott placed his main hopes on motor sleighs and Manchurian horses (ponies).
One of the three snowmobiles specially made for the expedition fell through the ice. The remaining motor sleds failed, the ponies fell into the snow and died from the cold. As a result, Scott and his comrades had to pull the sleigh with equipment themselves 120 miles from the Pole.
The most important issue is transport
Amundsen was convinced that dogs were the only suitable mounts in snow and ice. “They are fast, strong, intelligent and capable of moving in any road conditions that a person can go through.” One of the foundations for success was the fact that when preparing intermediate food warehouses and on the way to the Pole, Amundsen also took into account the meat of dogs carrying food.
“Since the Eskimo dog produces about 25 kg of edible meat, it was easy to calculate that each dog we took to the south meant a decrease of 25 kg of food both on the sleds and in the warehouses. ...
I set the exact day when every dog should be shot, that is, the moment when it ceased to serve us as a means of transportation and began to serve as food.
We adhered to this calculation with an accuracy of approximately one day and one dog.” Fifty-two dogs went on a hike, and eleven returned to base.
Scott believed not in dogs, but in ponies, knowing about their successful use in expeditions to Franz Josef Land and Spitsbergen. “A pony carries the same load as ten dogs, and consumes three times less food.” It's right; however, the pony requires bulk feed, unlike pemmican-fed dogs; In addition, the meat of a dead pony cannot be fed to other ponies; a dog, unlike a pony, can walk on crusty crust without falling through; finally, a dog can withstand frosts and snowstorms much better than a pony.
Scott had previously had bad experiences with dogs and came to the erroneous conclusion that they were unsuitable for polar travel.
Meanwhile, all successful expeditions were carried out using dogs.
Pole team member Lawrence Oates, who was responsible for the horses, became convinced that dogs were better adapted to polar conditions than ponies. When he noticed how the horses were weakening from cold, hunger and hard work, he began to insist that Scott slaughter the weakest animals along the route and leave their carcasses in storage for the next season as food for dogs, and if necessary, for people. . Scott refused: he hated the thought of killing animals.
Scott also had a negative attitude towards the killing of dogs in Amundsen’s squad, speaking out against cruelty to animals.
By the way, the same fate befell the dogs during Nansen’s campaign to the North Pole and during the transition to Franz Josef Land in 1895, but no one accused him of cruelty. This is the high price one has to pay to achieve success, and often to survive.
I feel no less sorry for the unfortunate ponies who first, on the road, suffered from seasickness, and then, falling into the snow and suffering from the cold, pulled the sleigh. They were doomed from the very beginning (Scott understood this perfectly well: in the polar group, food for the ponies was taken “one way”) and every single one of them died, and on December 9 the last ones were shot and... went to feed both dogs and people in Scott’s group. In Scott’s diary upon returning from the Pole we read: “It is great happiness that our rations are replenished with horse meat (February 24).”
When preparing food warehouses and on the trip to the Pole, they used motor sleighs (until they failed due to cracks in the cylinder block), and ponies, and... those same dogs. Scott's diary entry for November 11: "The dogs are working great." From December 9: “The dogs are running well, despite the bad road.”
However, on December 11, Scott sends the dogs back and is left without vehicles.
The change in seemingly unshakable principles suggests that Scott did not have a solid, clear plan of action. For example, it was only during the wintering of Terra Nova in Antarctica that some members of the route groups started skiing for the first time in their lives. And here is the entry in the diary dated December 11: “Everywhere... there is such loose snow that with every step you sink into it up to your knees...
One means is skis, and my stubborn compatriots have such a prejudice against them that they did not stock up on them.”
A very strange statement for the leader of the expedition - a simple statement of fact.
From the information below you can see how different the pace of movement of the Amundsen and Scott groups was. Scott launched 13 days later than Amundsen; at the Pole the lag was already 22 days. To the site of the last camp, which became the grave of Scott and his comrades, the lag was 2 months (it was already winter). Amundsen returned to base in just 41 days, which indicates the excellent physical condition of the participants.
Start from the base Pole Total Start from the pole End of the route Total Total
Amundsen 10/20/1911 12/14/1911 56 12/17/1912 1/26/1912 41 97
Scott 11/1/1911 17/1/1912 78 19/1/1912 21/3/1912 62 140
Searching for food warehouses
By preparing food warehouses at the preliminary stage of the expedition, Amundsen protected himself from searching for them in case of poor visibility on the way to the Pole and back. For this purpose, a chain of poles was stretched from each warehouse to the west and east, perpendicular to the direction of movement. The poles were located 200 m from each other; the length of the chain reached 8 km. The poles were marked in such a way that, having found any of them, it was possible to determine the direction and distance to the warehouse. These efforts were fully justified during the main hike.
“We just encountered the weather with fog and blizzards that we had counted on in advance, and these noticeable signs saved us more than once.”
The British stacked ice houris along the way, which also helped to navigate when returning, but the lack of perpendicularly located chains of signs sometimes made it difficult to find warehouses.
Shoes
Having tested ski boots during a trip to set up the first warehouse and identified their shortcomings, the Norwegians altered their boots, making them more comfortable and, most importantly, spacious, which made it possible to avoid frostbite. A little later, the British also took up this matter. Frostbite on the feet of Scott's group on the way back was most likely due to general exhaustion.
Kerosene story
The story with kerosene, which accelerated the fatal outcome in Scott’s group, is very indicative.
Here are Scott's diary entries.
02/24/1912: ...We reached the warehouse... Our supplies are in order, but there is not enough kerosene.
26.02 Fuel is terribly low...
2.03. ... We reached the warehouse... First of all, we found a very meager supply of fuel... With the strictest economy, it can barely be enough to reach the next warehouse, which is 71 miles away...
Instead of the expected gallon (4.5 L) of kerosene, Scott found less than a quart (1.13 L) in the can. As it turned out later, the shortage of kerosene in warehouses was not at all the result of an incorrect calculation of the need for fuel. This happened because, under the influence of low temperatures, the leather gaskets in the cans of kerosene shrank, the seal of the container was broken, and some of the fuel evaporated. Amundsen encountered similar kerosene leaks in extremely cold temperatures during his voyage through the Northwest Passage and made every effort to avoid them on his expedition to the South Pole.
Fifty years later, at 86 degrees south latitude, a hermetically sealed kerosene canister belonging to Amundsen was found.
Its contents have been completely preserved.
Cold resistance
In my opinion, the exceptional ability of the Norwegians to withstand low temperatures without losing strength and maintaining efficiency was of no small importance. This applies not only to Amundsen's expedition. The same can be said, as an example, about the expeditions of another great Norwegian, Fridtjof Nansen. In the book “Fram in the Polar Sea”, in the part where Nansen and Johansen’s campaign to the North Pole is told, we read lines that amazed me (remembering that they lived in a canvas tent, warmed only by a primus stove and only during cooking):
"21 March. At 9 am it was -42 ºС. Sunny, beautiful weather, perfect for travel.
March 29. Last night the temperature rose to -34 ºC, and we spent such a pleasant night in a sleeping bag as we have not had for a long time.
March 31. A south wind blew and the temperature rose. Today it was -30 ºС, which we welcome as the onset of summer.”
As a result, the Norwegians moved at the expected speed in weather conditions (for example, during a snowstorm on the way to the Pole), in which the British were forced to wait out, or at least significantly lose momentum.
“A terrible disappointment!.. It will be a sad return... Farewell, golden dreams!” - these are Scott's words spoken at the pole. Would Scott's group have survived if there had not been a "terrible disappointment" and the British had been the first to the Pole? Let's assume that Peary would not have reached the North Pole by 1910. In this case, Amundsen would certainly have set off on the Fram on a new drift into the Arctic Ocean with his original goal of reaching the North Pole. It seems to me that this “virtual” issue deserves attention. There is an opinion that
the main reason for the death of Scott’s group was the poor morale of its members,
as well as difficult route and climatic conditions. And if it weren’t for the race with Amundsen... However, an analysis of the events that took place allows us to draw a different conclusion.
The route conditions of Amundsen's group were no less difficult. Overcoming the glacier while climbing the Polar Plateau, the Norwegians encountered giant zones of cracks, which the British did not have. And a tight schedule during the return (alternating 28- and 55-kilometer day trips until returning to base) allowed Amundsen to return before the onset of autumn. The main reason for the death of Scott’s group is, first of all, the wrong choice of vehicles that does not correspond to the goal. The consequence of this was a loss of momentum and - due to a later return - exposure to difficult climatic conditions of the approaching winter (air temperature dropped to -47 ºС). Added to this circumstance was overwork and exhaustion of the participants.
These conditions increase the risk of frostbite - and everyone had frostbite on their feet.
The situation was further aggravated by the fact that Evans (February 17) and Ots (March 17) died during the return. Returning under such conditions was beyond human capabilities. There was practically no real chance of escape.
Scientific significance of expeditions
The assessment of the scientific results of the expeditions of Amundsen and Scott was to a certain extent affected by the drama of the events. In addition, there were no scientific workers on the wintering staff of the Norwegian expedition.
This sometimes led to preconceived notions about the "unscientific" nature of Amundsen's expedition.
Indeed, the British Antarctic expedition achieved more results in its scientific program than Amundsen's expedition. However, it turned out that the observations made by Amundsen's group make it possible to extend the conclusions of English researchers to much wider areas. This applies to geological structure, relief, meteorology. It was Amundsen's observations that made a significant contribution to the modern principles of calculating the ice mass budget of the Antarctic ice sheet. There are other examples. A true researcher will not evaluate which of the expeditions is “more scientific”; he will use the results of the work of both.
Despite the “terrible disappointment,” Scott acted actively upon his return, without losing the will to live.
The pages of the last notebook of Scott's diary are impressive evidence of true courage and enormous willpower.
Amundsen's expedition is still an example of the most accurate calculation of forces and means. So, while still in Norway and drawing up a plan for the campaign, he wrote down in 1910 (!): “Return to base camp after conquering the South Pole - January 23, 1912.” He returned on January 26.
The estimated time on the previously untraveled journey to the Pole and back, 2500 km of “the most difficult road on earth,” coincided with the actual time to within three days.
Even in the 21st century, such accuracy of calculations can be envied.
Roald Amundsen dreamed all his life of reaching the North Pole, but discovered... the South Pole. He died on June 18, 1928, somewhere in the area of Bear Island, flying to rescue the expedition of U. Nobile, whose airship crashed while returning from the North Pole.
On Ross Island, at its southern tip, a cross was erected in memory of Robert Scott and his comrades Edward Wilson, Lawrence Oates, Henry Bowers and Edgar Evans, on which their names and motto are inscribed: To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield - “Fight and search, find and not give up.”
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