Despite having won the race without losing a single man, he was in many ways overshadowed by Scott, whose doomed march had made him a hero in his native Britain. Scott, his friend Dr. Edward Wilson and another man Henry Bowers gamely continued the journey for another few days, but temperatures continued to plunge, and they were later caught in a blizzard only 11 miles away from one of their supply depots. located on the continent of Antarctica at the opposite end of the world from the North Pole Given the earlier start and shorter distance, Amundsen was off to a flier. In 1911, British explorer Robert Falcon Scott and Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen both aimed to be the first to reach the South Pole. The Race to the South Pole - Jim Pipe - 洋書の購入は楽天ブックスで。全品送料無料!購入毎に「楽天ポイント」が貯まってお得!みんなのレビュー・感想も満載。 The Norwegians took an untested route that forced them navigate a frozen maze of crevasses, mountains and glaciers, but by early December, they had penetrated farther into the heart of Antarctica than anyone in history. At around 3pm on 14 December 1911, Amundsen raised the flag of Norway at the South Pole. Bunny Fuchs is crossing Antarctica and Ed is on the opposite side setting up supply bases for the second half of Bunny’s journey. (Credit: Bettmann / Getty Images), Scott’s frozen ordeal had begun over a year earlier, when his ship Terra Nova had arrived on Ross Island in Antarctica’s McMurdo Sound. Amundsen and Scott relied on vastly different forms of transport during their journeys. (Credit: Universal History Archive/Getty Images), Thanks to the speed of his dog teams, Amundsen’s party managed to race toward the Pole at a pace of over 20 miles per day. The Stunning Survival Story of Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition, When Hitler Sent a Secret Expedition to Antarctica in a Hunt for Margarine Fat. (Credit: Public Domain). The tortuous return journey was faced with stoicism and dignity. This gained the Norwegians a 60-mile advantage over Scott, who chose to land at McMurdo Sound. The severely frostbitten Lawrence Oates followed a month later after sacrificing himself in a blizzard to avoid slowing down the team. He had reached the Pole a full 33 days before Captain Scott arrived. On 18 October 1911, after the Antarctic winter, Amundsen's team set out on its drive toward the Pole. For school and homeschooling projects or just reading Amundsen later tried to get a head start by beginning his journey early in September 1911, but was forced to turn back after temperatures dipped as low as 68 degrees below zero. All Rights Reserved. Information for kids K-6 about the race to reach the South Pole between expeditions led by Roald Amundsen and by Robert Scott. Finally, on October 20, 1911, conditions improved enough for his five-man team to begin their dash to the Pole. From the Stories From History series, The Race to the South Pole takes a completely factual look at the all but impossible journey to the South Pole. The men planted the Norwegian flag, smoked celebratory cigars and posed for snapshots, but they only remained for a few days before beginning the arduous trek back to their base camp. Scott recruited men from his original Antarctic voyage and from Ernest Shackleton’s ship Nimrod, which had recently returned from the Antarctic. Weak from exhaustion, hunger and extreme cold, his last diary entry is dated 29 March 1912. The preferred transport was a major difference between the two parties. Amundsen's expedition at the South Pole (courtesy of Wiki Commons). Amundsen, meanwhile, relied solely on skis and sled dogs to cross the tundra. [William Bixby] -- An account of four separate expeditions in search of the South Pole; Scott in 1901, Shackleton in 1907, Amundsen and Scott in 1911-12. South: The Race to the Pole describes the extraordinary challenges faced and hardships endured in their attempts: Scott's first British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901-04 The exploits of Shackleton's British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-09 Before leaving on the expedition, he had vowed “to reach the South Pole and to secure for the British Empire the honor of this achievement.”, Scott’s mission was made all the more urgent by the knowledge that another explorer was seeking the Pole. After spending the early part of 1911 laying down advance caches of food and supplies for their polar journeys, Amundsen and Scott’s expeditions took shelter and spent several months waiting out the dark and frigid Antarctic winter. With dog teams, they prepared to race the British to the South Pole. The race to the South Pole. Thirty-five days later, Robert F. Scott and four others followed. Amundsen's party returned to base on 26 January 1912. Scott’s five-man party had already endured brushes with blizzards and frostbite during their trek. “It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more.”, Robert Falcon Scott’s Pole party of his ill-fated expedition, from left to right at the Pole: Oates (standing), Bowers (sitting), Scott (standing in front of Union Jack flag on pole), Wilson (sitting), Evans (standing). Ed is bored and missing home. 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. Bowers took this photograph, using a piece of string to operate the camera shutter. Robert Scott, a British naval officer, was also preparing his team to reach the South Pole. Competed in both Regional and State Minnesota History Day. He finally reached the South Pole on 17 January 1912, disappointed to learn that Amundsen had beaten him to it. 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 … “Another hard grind in the afternoon and five miles added,” British explorer Robert Falcon Scott wrote in his diary. However, he wasn’t the only one. Amundsen’s ship, Fram, loaned by renowned Arctic explorer Fridtjof Nansen, was the elite polar vessel of her time. [Jim Pipe] -- An account, in graphic format, of the competition between explorers to reach the South Pole, with emphasis on the events of the rival expeditions led by the Norwegian On December 14, 1911, a Norwegian team led by Roald Amundsen became the first explorers to reach the South Pole. “Our chance still holds good if we can put the work in, but it’s a terribly trying time.” It was mid-January 1912, and the 43-year-old Royal Navy officer was nearly 800 miles into a journey to one of the last unexplored places on the globe: the geographic South Pole. In 1912, newspapers reported two rival expeditions in a race to the South Pole-- only one would survive. It read simply: “Beg leave to inform you Fram proceeding Antarctic. 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