Roald Amundsen Engelbregt Gravning is a Norwegian polar explorer and sailor. He is the only explorer who reached both North and South poles. He is the leader of the first expedition to the South Pole between 1910 and 1912.
In 1926, Amundsen flied over the North Pole in an airship, making him the first. He is also the first who crossed the Northwest Passage West. He disappeared in June 1928, taking part in a search and rescue mission.
His youth
Amundsen was born July 16, 1872 in Borge, near Oslo (Norway). He is the son of a sea captain, Jens Amundsen. His mother wanted him to become a doctor and tried very hard to keep him away from the sea. Even though he began studying medicine to satisfy his mother, Amundsen decided at the age of 18 to become …show more content…
During this long period, he was occupied by magnetic measurements and continues to learn the techniques of the Inuit that Frederick Cook had initiated him. He learned to use sled dogs and to wear animal skin clothing instead of heavy woolen parkas. All this experience will be of a great interest for his next expedition to the South Pole (we will see that later on).
 The South North expedition 1910-1912
(this is the most interesting part of the expose)
It is now time for Amundsen to tackle the dream of his life: to be the first man to reach the North Pole, a project expected to last between four and five years. Even though, he was famous He began planning an expedition to the North Pole and in 1907 he ask Fridtjof Nansen if he could borrow from the FRAM, a
ship that Nansen has taken into the Artic.
He planned and calculated every aspect of the expedition with the vision of success.
At that time there was a polar competition for expeditions both for the North (Peary, Cook, Amundsen) and the South (Scott, Shackleton ). The competition for the North Pole is going to change the fate of …show more content…
It was better to make even a little progress than stay on place. The rough wind was piercing the skin. The dogs were covered with snow and refused to move. “It was sheer madness”. They were driving blind over unknown ground.
On 8th December, they arrived at the final point reached by Shackletons 3 years earlier.
No one adventured beyond.
“No other moment on the whole journey moved me as much as this” said Amindsen. It was like being a boy again.
At 3 PM, 14 December 1911, they have reached the South Pole. They have beaten Scott by 35 days. They pushed a Norwegian flag into the ground.
He wrote a note for Scott, asking him to give a message to the King in case in did not survive in the return journey. He also put letters for his companions.
Amudsen return to Norway on 1913 after a staying in South-America where he wrote “The South Pole” about his expedition.
Scott reached the South Pole on 17 January 1912. Scott died of starvation on 29 March 1912 on his way back, just 20 kilometers from the final point.
According to Amuldsen, “Victory awaits him, who has everything in order. Luck we call it. Defeat is definitely due for him, who has neglected to take the necessary precautions. Bad luck we call