Norwegian explorer of polar regions, Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) photographed at the South Pole. The Antarctic expedition of 1910-12, of which he was the leader, was the first to reach the geographic South Pole. Amundsen set up his base camp on the Ross Ice Shelf in the Bay of Whales, and set out on October 20, 1911. Averaging over 20 miles per day, the 5-man team arrived on the 14 December 1911. Thirty-four days later on January 17, 1912, the British Polar 'Terra Nova' Expedition of Robert Falcon Scott finally reached the pole. Neither Amundsen nor Scott acknowledged or planned for a race, but both expeditions included the goal of being the first man to reach South Pole. They both led five-man teams, though whilst Amundsen's returned alive and well, Scott's party all died on the return journey. |