Explorers:
Britain: Captain Scott
Norway: Captain Amundsen
For thousands and thousands of years, no humans had ever been to Antartica. They weren’t even sure it existed! In the 18th to 19th centuries, many brave explorers tried to find it. Eventually, humans found Antartica.
Reaching the South Pole
In 1902, Robert Scott, Edward Wilson and Ernest Shackleton set off to try to find the South pole on the discovery Expedition.
The Discovery Expedition
The team travelled on a sledge pulled by dogs. They reached futher south than anyone had before. Eventually, they were forced to turn back before reaching the south pole. By the time they returned to their ship, the explorers were all suffering from scurvy and frostbite.
Nimrod Expedition
In 1908, Ernest Shackleton made another attempt to reach the South Pole on the Nimrod Expedition. Alongside were Frank Wild, Eric Marshall. Travelling across Antartica was extremly hard work. They had to make their way across ice and through thick snow, using pickaxes to clear their path.
The team had to battle against tempertures as low as – 90c. They had to carry all of their food, clothes, maps and other essentials. They had to set up camp on the ice when they needed to rest. Could you imagine building your home every bedtime?? (They also had limited suply on food) The team also encountered many penguins.
The Nimtod team managed to get futher than Scott’s Discovery team. However, they became very ill and didn’t have enough food to complete the mission. They returned home before reaching the South pole.
Terra Nova Expedition
In 1910, Robert Scott set off on another expedition to reach the South Pole. On the way to Antartica the ship encountered several problems.
- Another explorer, Amundsen had sent Scott a telegram. In it, he explained that he was also going to the South pole.
- The ship was struck by a storm. The crew had to use buckets to stop water from flooding in and sinking the ship.
- The ship then ran into ice that it couldn’t sail thrpugh. They weree delayed by 20 days.
In 1911, the Terra Nova team set up a hut on Antartica in a place they named Cape Evans. It was while doing scientific research that the team found out that the rival explorer, Amundsen, was camped on Antartica too!
There was now a clear race to reach the South Pole. Scott wrote in his diary that he was going to carry on as usual, ignoring Amundsen and his team. He intially set out with a group of 12 men. Along the way, some of the crew returned to the base. In 1912 the team finally achieved their incredible goal! The team of five men reached the South Pole and planted their British flag. But there was just one problem..
Amundsen Expedition
The Amundsen Expedition had already reached the South Pole! Roald Amundsen, Helmer Hanssen, Sveerre Hassel and Oscar Wisting were the first people to ever reach the south pole. It was over a month later on January 17th 1912, that Scott and his team reached the South pole and discovered that the Norwgians had beaten them to it. They were extremely disappointed. After planting their flag, Scott’s team headed for home.
A dangerous Mission
Scott’s Terra Nova Expedition ended in tragedy. No one survived the return journey. Later that year, a seacrh party set out to find Scott and the Terra Nova team. They put up a cross that now acts as a memorial to these brave explorers.