Floral Gardens of Ushuaia

The port area had several landscaping with lovely flowers to welcome visitors arriving from the sea. Ushuaia serves as the major departure to Antarctica for expedition ships and is a must for all cruise ships rounding South America.

Street Art/Murals - Ushuaia

Streets of Ushuaia

The streets of Ushuaia are very colorful with bars, shops, funky little side walk scenes! We had a beer at the "End of the World Irish Bar" and lunch at a pardilla.

Lupines, views of Tierra del Feugo Park

Beautiful lupines were blooming at the End of the World train station. Views of the mountains in the park

The End of the World Train 2

More photos of the train ride in Tierra del Feugo National Park. The train made a stop alongside the river and near a water fall on its journey back toward Ushuaia.

The End of the World Train - "Fin del mundo"

We enjoyed a drive and ride through the most beautiful Tierra del Feugo National Park. Some official had introduced beavers into the park - much damage has been done with trees that have been destroyed.

Ushuaia was established as a penal colony. The End of the World Train follows a track used by prisoners working in the timber industry during the early settlement of the area. The train travels alongside the "Grande" River.

"Fin del mundo" - The end of the world.

Tierra del Feugo National Park - The Land of Fire

The End of the World and The Land of Fire are frequent names for this region of Patagonia. -

Tierra del Feugo National Park "Tierra del Fuego ( /tiːˈɛərə dɛl Spanish: [ˈtjera ðel ˈfweɣo]; Spanish for "Land of Fire") is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of a main island Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego divided between Chile and Argentina with an area of 48,100 km2 (18,572 sq mi), and a group of smaller islands including Cape Horn. Initially discovered by Ferdinand Magellan's expedition in 1520, the islands were not settled by people of European descent until the second half of the 19th century at the height of the sheep farming and gold rush booms. Today's economic activity in the northern part of Tierra del Fuego is dominated by petroleum extraction while in the south tourism, manufacturing and Antarctic logistics are important. The numbers of the native Selk'nam and Yaghans were greatly reduced by introduced diseases and by unequal conflicts with settlers. Today the Selk'nam are practically extinct as a distinct people, with all of their very few descendants being mestizos and their language extinct. Some of the few remaining Yaghans have settled in Villa Ukika in Navarino Island, others have scattered across Chile and Argentina."
The Pacific Coast Highway ends at Tierra del Feugo - It is 17,848 km to Alaska covering South and North America.

Wildlife in the Beagle Channel

Several of the small, rocky islands in the Beagle Channel were covered with birds - mostly comorants - and sea lions. One large male sea lion is surrounded by his "Harem" on Isla Los Lobos. We rode the catamaran into Tierra del Feugo National Park

Catamaran Ride in Beagle Chanel; Lighthouse

We started our day in Ushuaia with a catamaran ride through the Beagle Channel - viewing the beautiful mountain range and wildlife!
Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse (the French name "Les Éclaireurs" means "the Enlighteners" or "the Scouts") is a slightly conically shaped lighthouse standing on the northeastern-most islet of the five or more Les Eclaireurs islets, which it takes its name from, 5 Nautical mile east of Ushuaia in the Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego, southern Argentina. The brick-built tower is 10 metres (33 ft) high and 3 metres (10 ft) wide at the base, with its windowless wall painted red-white-red and topped by a black lantern housing and gallery. Only a door pointing to the west provides access to the building. The light is 22.5 metres (74 ft) above sealevel emitting white flashes every ten seconds with a range of 7.5 nautical miles (13.9 km). The lighthouse, still in operation, is remote-controlled, automated, uninhabited, and not open to the public, guarding the sea entrance to Ushuaia. Electricity is supplied by solar-panels. On December 23, 1920 the lighthouse was put into service - today probably the most photographed lighthouse in South America.

The yacht Octopus - owned by Microsoft's Paul Allen

The yacht "The Octopus" owned by Microsoft's Paul Allen was in port in Ushuaia, Argentina in Patagonia at the same time as our ship.
A day or so after we sailed - the helicopter crashed in the bay: Ruetuers story below
Neither Paul Allen nor co-founder Bill Gates were aboard
* Allen was on way to Octopus yacht for Antarctica cruise
* Helicopter co-pilot hurt in landing, taken to hospital (Adds byline, details on accident, expedition, yacht)
USHUAIA, Argentina, Jan 31 (Reuters) - A helicopter from a huge luxury yacht owned by Microsoft (MSFT.O) co-founder Paul Allen, made an emergency landing on water in Argentina on Monday, but neither Allen nor Bill Gates were on board.

Paul Allen's spokesman said a co-pilot was hurt when the helicopter came down on chilly waters in the bay off the southern Argentine tourist city of Ushuaia, a jumping off point for Antarctic cruises.
"Paul landed in Ushuaia soon after the accident ... He was going to join up with the Octopus on a private vacation to explore Antarctica," spokesman David Postman said, referring to the $200 million Octopus yacht.
Facilities on the vessel -- once the world's largest privately owned yacht -- include two helicopters and a professional recording studio. It has a permanent staff of 60 crew members.
The helicopter took off from the Octopus carrying two crew members at about 8 a.m. local time (1100 GMT). It was not clear why an emergency landing was necessary, Postman said.
Crew members rushed to activate flotation devices and landed upright. A photograph showed the helicopter bobbing in the water, its rotor blades twisted.
"This was a close call," Postman said. "We're glad that the there was no danger to guests or crew."
Allen, who founded Microsoft with Gates in 1975, is one of the world's wealthiest people and a well-known philanthropist and adventurer."

The lost anchor! A fact! Delays! Missed schedules! The Joys of Sailing!

We love sailing with Oceania Cruises - so don't take this the wrong way. We had heard from our tour guide in Port Stanley that the ship had lost an anchor in the harbor (as I have previously reported). Note the photo of the empty chamber - I snapped this photo just as we exited the ship (from the catamaran) - but these photos help play out the drama of the lost anchor as the replacement is being lifted by a crane while at dock in Ushuaia. Captain Fulvio Calandro from Italy. Actually - we met with delays at almost every port in addition to the lost day at Port Stanley as well as the reduction of 1 day in Antarctica. With limited time in port and the lengthy process of disemarking - these delays were unfortunate.

Beagle Channel - arrival at Ushuaia, Argentina

"The End of the World" - we have arrived at Ushuaia, Argentina - located on the Beagle Channel in Patagonia. Ushuaia is located with a spectular backdrop of the Darwin Cordillia Mountains.
Fun Facts about Ushuaia and Things to do: "Ushuaia (Spanish pronunciation uˈswaʝa) is the capital of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego. It was founded in October of 1884 but the location was considered too remote for most people. It was designated it a penal colony in 1896. Up until that time, the entire region was occupied by the Yamana Indians and a handful of missionaries. The last of the Yamanas perished at the end of the 20th century. It is commonly regarded as the southernmost city in the world. Ushuaia is located in a wide bay on the southern coast of the island of Tierra del Fuego, bounded on the north by the Martial mountain range and on the south by the Beagle Channel. Its population is estimated at about 64,000 and has an area of 3,625 sq miles. Temperatures average 33 °F in the coldest month, and 48 °F in the warmest month. On average the city experiences 160 days of rain or snow a year, with many cloudy and foggy days. Strong winds whip the town. Trees tend to follow the wind direction, and are therefore called "flag-trees", for their uni-directional growth pattern. Cruise ships dock in the center of town, a short walk along the pier to the Coastal Avenue (Maipu) and just a block from the main shopping street, San Martin. The dock itself has several shops in glass-enclosed kiosks for those last-minute purchases, but be warned, prices are much higher than they are in the town itself. At the very end of the dock proper is a visitor's center with maps and info about the area, but unfortunately little of it is in English. In the same area, to the right of the dock's end, are several booths for tourist activities and excursions.
Museo Maritime (Museum Maritime) is located in the old prison ‘Presidio de Ushuaia’ (Jail of the end of the world) building which was started in 1902 and finished in 1920. The prison was built to lodge re-offenders, but it ended up with a mixture of the most dangerous criminals, thieves and political prisoners. It is a building with five two-story pavilions, with 380 cells intended for one prisoner each. The prison held up to 600 prisoners at a time before closing in 1947. There are nine different museums within the building. Pavilion 4 on the ground floor has the prison museum with life-size department store dummies of the most infamous inmates clad in prison stripes. Pavilion 2 on the ground floor has the art gallery. Pavilion 3 on the second floor has an art museum featuring the work of local artists. Pavilion 4 on the second floor has a display on Antarctic exploration. Pavilion 2 on the second floor is perhaps the most worthwhile part of the museum with the exhibit containing incredibly detailed scale models of famous ships such as Darwin's Beagle and Amundsen's Fram spanning 500 years of maritime history. Informative pamphlets in English for this exhibit are available at reception. In the courtyard are the remains of the world's narrowest-gauge freight train, which transported prisoners between town and work stations in Tierra del Fuego. The museum has only two drawbacks: there’s too much to see in a single day, and the English translations could use some polishing.
Museo del Fin del Mundo (Museum of the End of the World) has a collection of birds from Tierra del Fuego, the figurehead of the Duchess of Albany and library dedicated to the history and nature of Tierra del Fuego. Room 1 is devoted to the aboriginal groups of Tierra del Fuego and to the first voyagers that arrived into the island. The most significant one is the figurehead of the Duchess of Albany. The Duchess of Albany was an English vessel that sank on the coasts of Tierra del Fuego in 1883. Room 2 is the Grocery Stores that were the most important trading points in the city. Room 3 contains a large collection of the prisoner’s original uniforms and pieces made by the prisoners such as cigar boxes, sewing baskets, penholders and walking sticks. Room 4 has a collection of 180 different species of birds from Tierra del Fuego.
Antigua Casa de Gobierno is the former governor’s house and legislature, has interesting exhibits on the shipwreck of the Monte Cervantes, Fueguian maps and old photos of the city.
Museo Mundo Yámana is a privately run museum with several dioramas of the indigenous Yámana nation that once lived along the Beagle Channel’s coasts. An open-air section includes representations of a Yámana encampment and dwellings, plus machinery used in early agriculture and forestry.
Tren del Fin del Mundo (Southern Railway Fueguino) was originally constructed in 1902 as a train to move prisoners logging the Tierra del Fuego region to provide wood for the population in Argentina’s interior. It is the first train to be used for tourist purposes in Latin America. Today it is an elegant and antique formation of heated wagons, with wide windows pulled by a German steam locomotive that was built in 1938. You have unbeatable panoramic views of the Tierra del Fuego region as it tranquilly traverses the 8 miles between its “Fin del Mundo” and “Del Parque” Stations. You pass by the "cemetery of the trees" and go to Macarena Waterfalls, where a short stop of 10-15 minutes will give you enough time to walk up to the waterfalls. The round trip journey lasts 2 hours and 15 minutes. There are three to seven daily departures from the “Fin del Mundo” Station that is five miles outside town.
Tierra del Fuego National Park is just 10 miles outside of the city. It is one of the largest natural preserves and maintained National Parks in the world, with 150,000 acres of lush natural beauty to explore. Some highlights of the park include Lake Roca, the vista point looking into the Beagle Channel and Lapataia Bay.
Cerro Castor is the most modern and newest ski resort in Argentina. It has 9 ski lifts (4 quadruple chair lifts, 3 teleski and 2 magic carpets). The ski area has 1 terrain park. 1 ski cross circuit, 2 moguls courses and 25 slopes. The 6 Ski Lifts of Cerro Castor are able to uplift 7,000 skiers and snowboarders per hour. Cerro Castor has 4 restaurants. It also has artificial snow (snow making) on 2 slopes: EL Condor and Halcon Peregrino. Cerro Castor can boast a very impressive 2,533 feet of vertical descent. Cerro Castor ski resort was opened in 1999 and is in the National Park Tierra del Fuego. Castor resort is only 640 feet above sea level and the chair lift reaches a height of 3,470 feet. It is located 15.6 miles from Ushuaia.
Martial Glacier Resort is only 4.5 miles northeast from the city. The tourist resort opened in 1983 and one of the main attractions is the chair lift. The 100 double-seat chairs move parallel to the ski slope for 3,870 feet. The trip takes 8 to 10 minutes. The glacier is at an elevation of 3,450 feet. The chair-lift trip is an attraction because of the beautiful sights of the city from the top, but it also offers an interesting opportunity to go for walks to the glacier. From the top station, different paths lead to places such as the "portillo", from where you can observe the Andorra Canyon. Toward one side you will be able to see a panorama of the Beagle Channel and on the other side you will see the Martial Glacier. The chairlift operates daily from 10:00am to 7:00pm at a cost of $8USD.
Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse is five miles east of Ushuaia in the Beagle Channel. The brick-built tower is 33 feet high and 10 feet wide at the base. The light is 74 feet above sea level. The lighthouse is remote-controlled, automated, uninhabited, and not open to the public. Put into service in 1920 it is probably the most photographed lighthouse in South America.
Isla de Los Lobos (Sea Lions' Island) visit to observe the magnificent South American sea lions. Sea lions are called sea wolves in Spanish.
Isla de Los Pájaros (Bird Island) where magnificent imperial cormorants, Magellan cormorants, Fullman petrels, giant petrels, squas and albatross can be observed.
Beagle Channel Boat Tours start at the city port, where a catamaran is boarded to sail along the coast of Ushuaia and have a view of the most important buildings in the city, the Maritime Museum and the End of the World Museum. The boat then sails to the center of the Beagle Channel until reaching Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse. Then heading towards Isla de Los Lobos (Sea Lions Island), you can watch sea lions playing while the boat sails around the island for about 20 minutes. Then, the catamaran sails to Isla de los Pájaros (Birds Island) to have a view of the different species of sea birds: Magellan Cormorants, Imperial Cormorants, Albatrosses, Fullman Petrels, Giant Petrels, and Skuas. This tour will cost around $35 USD per person for a 2.5-hour trip on oversized catamarans such as the Ana B, Ezequiel B, and Luciano Beta. A longer tour of about 5 hours will include Isla Martillo and Estancia Harberton for about $50 USD. However you look at the penguins from the boat, as you cannot land on the island.
Estancia Harberton is the oldest ranch in Tierra del Fuego; it was founded in 1886 by the Reverend Thomas Bridges and declared a National Historical Monument in 1999. The principal house of the estancia is on the shores of a protected bay in Beagle Channel. It has been preserved in its original form and is built out of timber and zinc. Other buildings include a shearing shed, carpentry, stables and staff housing. The garden contains many species of native flora. It is located 53 miles to the east of Ushuaia." (facts provided by Lyle!)

Scenes from Antarctia

Several photographers from fellow bloggers attest to the beauty of Antarctica

The Southern Ocean and Cape Horn

We traveled in some of the least traveled and most dangerous waters on the planet - the great Southern Ocean and the Drake Passage. - The Southern Ocean, also known as the Great Southern Ocean, the Antarctic Ocean and the South Polar Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions. This ocean zone is where cold, northward flowing waters from the Antarctic mix with warmer sub-Antarctic waters.

The Drake Passage or Mar de Hoces -Sea of "de Hoces"- is the body of water between the southern tip of South America at Cape Horn, Chile and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It connects the southwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean (Scotia Sea) with the southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean and extends into the Southern Ocean. The passage is named after the 16th century English pirate Sir Francis Drake. Drake's only remaining ship, after having passed through the Strait of Magellan, was blown far South in September of 1578. This incident implied an open connection between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The 800 kilometres (500 mi) wide passage between Cape Horn and Livingston Island is the shortest crossing from Antarctica to the rest of the world's land. The boundary between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans is sometimes taken to be a line drawn from Cape Horn to Snow Island 130 kilometres (81 mi) north of mainland Antarctica). Alternatively the meridian that passes through Cape Horn may be taken as the boundary. Both boundaries lie entirely within the Drake Passage.

Dr. Don Walsh - Oceanographer/lecturer

We enjoyed 10 lectures by Dr. Don Walsh while sailing the Southern Oceans. Don is the "real deal" - I have copied some info from Wikipedia below! He has traveled on over 40 expeditions including 27 times to Antarctica. He holds the world record for the deepest dive.

Walsh has been associated with ocean science, engineering, and marine policy for more than 50 years. He was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy upon graduation from the United States Naval Academy in 1954. He attained the rank of Captain by the time he retired. He spent 15 years at sea, mostly in submarines, and was a submarine commander. He worked with ocean-related research and development for the Navy. Serving as Dean of Marine Programs and Professor of Ocean Engineering at the University of Southern California, Walsh initiated and directed the university's Institute for Marine and Coastal Studies. In 1989 his company, International Maritime Incorporated, contracted a joint venture with the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology to establish an underwater maintenance company, Soyuz Marine Service, which continues to operate in the Russian Federation.

Robert Falcon Scott's Race to South Pole, 1912

Robert Falcon Scott; Camp; Team Members, Ship: Terra Nova; At the South Pole after Amundsen's team had already arrived.
Terra Nova Expedition 1910–1913
Main article: Terra Nova Expedition


The routes to the South Pole taken by Scott (green) and Amundsen (red), 1911–1912.
[edit] Preparation
It was the expressed hope of the RGS that this expedition would be "scientific primarily, with exploration and the Pole as secondary objects"[48] but, unlike the Discovery Expedition, neither they nor the Royal Society were in charge this time. In his expedition prospectus, Scott stated that its main objective was "to reach the South Pole, and to secure for the British Empire the honour of this achievement".[48][49] Scott had, as Markham observed, been "bitten by the Pole mania".[48]
Scott did not know that he would be in a race until he received Amundsen's telegram in Melbourne, in October 1910.[50] Before this, he had set about fashioning the expedition according to his own preferences, without the restraints of a joint committee. So far as transport was concerned, he decided that dogs would be one element in a complex strategy that also involved horses and motor sledges, and much man-hauling. Scott knew nothing of horses, but felt that as they had seemingly served Shackleton well, he ought to use them.[51] Dog expert Cecil Meares was going to Siberia to select the dogs, and Scott ordered that, while he was there, he should deal with the purchase of Manchurian ponies. Meares was not an experienced horse-dealer, and the ponies he chose proved mostly of poor quality, and ill-suited to prolonged Antarctic work.[29] Meanwhile, Scott spent time in France and Norway, testing motor-sledges, and recruited Bernard Day, from Shackleton's expedition, as his motor expert.[52]
[edit] First season


Scott, writing his journal in the Cape Evans hut, winter 1911
The expedition itself suffered a series of early misfortunes, which hampered the first season's work and impaired preparations for the main polar march. On its journey from New Zealand to the Antarctic, Terra Nova was trapped in pack ice for 20 days,[53] far longer than other ships had experienced, which meant a late-season arrival and less time for preparatory work before the Antarctic winter. One of the motor sledges was lost during its unloading from the ship, disappearing through the sea ice.[54] Deteriorating weather conditions and weak, unacclimatised ponies affected the initial depot-laying journey, so that the expedition's main supply point, One Ton Depot, was laid 35 miles (56 km) north of its planned location at 80°S. Lawrence Oates, in charge of the ponies, advised Scott to kill ponies for food and advance the depot to 80°S, which Scott refused to do. Oates is reported as saying to Scott, "Sir, I’m afraid you’ll come to regret not taking my advice."[55] Six ponies died during this journey. On its return to base, the expedition learned of the presence of Amundsen, camped with his crew and a large contingent of dogs in the Bay of Whales, 200 miles (320 km) to their east.[56]
Scott refused to amend his schedule to deal with the Amundsen threat, writing, "The proper, as well as the wiser course, is for us to proceed exactly as though this had not happened".[57] While acknowledging that the Norwegian's base was closer to the pole and that his experience as a dog driver was formidable, Scott had the advantage of travelling over a known route, that pioneered by Shackleton. During the 1911 winter, his confidence increased; On 2 August, after the return of a three-man party from their winter journey to Cape Crozier, Scott wrote, "I feel sure we are as near perfection as experience can direct".[58]
[edit] Journey to the Pole
The march south began on 1 November 1911, a caravan of mixed transport groups (motors, dogs, horses), with loaded sledges, travelling at different rates, all designed to support a final group of four men who would make a dash for the Pole. Scott had earlier outlined his plans for the southern journey to the entire shore party,[59] without being specific about precise roles – no one knew who would form the final polar team. During the journey, Scott sent a series of conflicting orders back to base concerning the future use of the expedition's dogs, leaving it unclear whether they were to be saved for future scientific journeys or were to assist the polar party home.[60] Scott's subordinates back at base were unsure of Scott's intentions, and consequently failed to use the dogs in a concerted attempt to relieve the returning polar party when the need arose.[61]
The southbound party steadily reduced in size as successive support teams turned back. By 4 January 1912, the last two four-man groups had reached 87°34'S.[62] Scott announced his decision: five men (Scott, Edward Wilson, Henry Bowers, Lawrence Oates and Edgar Evans) would go forward, the other three (Teddy Evans, William Lashly and Tom Crean) would return. The chosen group marched on, reaching the Pole on 17 January 1912, only to find that Amundsen had preceded them by five weeks. Scott's anguish is indicated in his diary: "The worst has happened"; "All the day dreams must go"; "Great God! This is an awful place".[63]
[edit] Last march


Scott's group took this photograph of themselves using a string to operate the shutter on 17 January 1912, the day after they discovered Amundsen had reached the pole first.
The deflated party began the 800-mile (1,300 km) return journey on 19 January. "I'm afraid the return journey is going to be dreadfully tiring and monotonous", wrote Scott on the next day.[64] However, the party made good progress despite poor weather, and had completed the Polar Plateau stage of their journey, approximately 300 miles (500 km), by 7 February. In the following days, as the party made the 100-mile (160 km) descent of the Beardmore Glacier, the physical condition of Edgar Evans, which Scott had noted with concern as early as 23 January, declined sharply.[65] A fall on 4 February had left Evans "dull and incapable",[66] and on 17 February, after a further fall, he died near the glacier foot.[67]
With 400 miles (670 km) still to travel across the Ross Ice Shelf, the party's prospects steadily worsened as, with deteriorating weather, frostbite, snow blindness, hunger and exhaustion, they struggled northward.[68] On 16 March, Oates, whose condition was aggravated by an old war-wound to the extent that he was barely able to walk,[69] voluntarily left the tent and walked to his death.[70] Scott wrote that Oates' last words were, "I am just going outside and may be some time."[71]

Amundsen's team reaches South Pole, 1912

Images of Roald Amundsen's team as they were the first to reach the South Pole. The ship - The Fram

South Pole expedition (1910–12)
Main article: Amundsen's South Pole expedition
After crossing the Northwest Passage, Amundsen made plans to go to the North Pole and explore the North Polar Basin. Amundsen had problems and hesitation raising funds for the departure and upon hearing in 1909 that first Frederick Cook and then Robert Peary claimed the Pole, he decided to reroute to Antarctica.[6] However, he did not make these plans known and misled both the Englishman, Robert F. Scott and the Norwegians.[6] Using the ship Fram ("Forward"), earlier used by Fridtjof Nansen, he left Norway for the south, leaving Oslo on June 3, 1910.[6][7] At Madeira, Amundsen alerted his men that they would be heading to Antarctica in addition to sending a telegram to Scott notifying him simply: "BEG TO INFORM YOU FRAM PROCEEDING ANTARCTIC--AMUNDSEN."[6] The expedition arrived at the eastern edge of the Ross Ice Shelf (then known as "the Great Ice Barrier") at a large inlet called the Bay of Whales on January 14, 1911 where Amundsen located his base camp and named it Framheim. Further, Amundsen eschewed the heavy wool clothing worn on earlier Antarctic attempts in favour of Eskimo-style skins.[3]
Using skis and dog sleds for transportation Amundsen and his men created supply depots at 80°, 81° and 82° South on the Barrier, along a line directly south to the Pole.[3] Amundsen also planned to kill some of his dogs on the way and use them as a source for fresh meat. A premature attempt, which included Hjalmar Johansen, Kristian Prestrud and Jørgen Stubberud, set out on 8 September 1911, but had to be abandoned due to extreme temperatures. The painful retreat caused a tempering quarrel within the group, with the result that Johansen and others were sent to explore King Edward VII Land.
A second attempt with a team, consisting of Olav Bjaaland, Helmer Hanssen, Sverre Hassel, Oscar Wisting, and Amundsen himself, departed on October 19, 1911. They took four sledges and 52 dogs. Using a route along the previously unknown Axel Heiberg Glacier they arrived at the edge of the Polar Plateau on November 21 after a four-day climb. On December 14, 1911, the team of six, with 16 dogs, arrived at the Pole (90°00'S). They arrived 35 days before Scott’s group. Amundsen named their South Pole camp Polheim, “Home on the Pole.” Amundsen renamed the Antarctic Plateau as King Haakon VII’s Plateau. They left a small tent and letter stating their accomplishment, in case they did not return safely to Framheim. The team returned to Framheim on January 25, 1912, with 11 dogs. Amundsen’s success was publicly announced on March 7, 1912, when he arrived at Hobart, Australia.
Amundsen’s expedition benefited from careful preparation, good equipment, appropriate clothing, a simple primary task (Amundsen did no surveying on his route south and is known to have taken only two photographs), an understanding of dogs and their handling, and the effective use of skis. In contrast to the misfortunes of Scott’s team, Amundsen’s trek proved rather smooth and uneventful.
In Amundsen’s own words:
"I may say that this is the greatest factor -- the way in which the expedition is equipped -- the way in which every difficulty is foreseen, and precautions taken for meeting or avoiding it. Victory awaits him who has everything in order -- luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck."

Race to the Pole 1912

Race for the South Pole (1909-12) History Main » Timeline » Race for the Pole-2
Race for the Pole-1 | Roald Amundsen | Robert F. Scott


Roald Amundsen's Race to the Pole

In 1909, before he knew that he was going to the South Pole, Amundsen had procured the use of the ship Fram to bring him to the North Pole.
On August 9, 1910, Fram left Oslo for the beginning of the great expedition. At this time, the crew, with the exception of the captain, did not know that they were going to the South Pole.
On September 6, Fram docked at Madiera to send out the news that they were going to the South Pole. This was the last stop before reaching Antarctica.
January 14, 1911 Amundsen and crew reach Antarctica.
Robert F. Scott's Race to the Pole

On June 15, 1910 after Scott finished his rushed plans for his expedition to the South Pole, he departed from England. On board his ship were three motor sledges, nineteen ponies, thirty-three dogs, and twenty-four men.
On November 29, 1910 Terra Nova sailed from New Zealand, three days after weighing anchor they were hit by a screaming gale that lasted 36 hours and nearly sank the ship.
Arriving at Ross Island in January 1911, Scott found that ice blocked the way to his old Discovery hut on Hut Point, so he established winter quarters at Cape Evans, also on Ross Island.

An essential factor in Amundsen's success was the location of his base camp. After extensive study he figured out that the Bay of Whales (Ross Ice Shelf) was the best place to have his base camp and to dock his ship, since it was blocked from the wind and its shoreline had not moved for about 80 years.
This location would also give Amundsen the advantage of starting 60 miles (100km) closer to the Pole, however, it would require pioneering a route up to the polar plateau.
The team built a small wooden prefab hut where nine men spent the winter, the hut was named 'Framheim' (home of Fram) after their ship.
During the time before Amundsen and his team set off for the South Pole, they had days and months to prepare for the main trip. One important thing they did was to lay three different depots before their long journey to the Pole started. They did this so that they would not have to carry supplies for the entire journey with them.
In Antarctica, winter lasts from around April to September, so after the depot laying trips, they had about five months to wait before they could start off to the South Pole.
On October 20, 1910, the journey began for five men and 52 dogs to be the first to reach the South Pole.
Amundsen made sure that they traveled the most direct route to the Pole. They were willing to go over anything that got in their way. After the party passed the 82 degree 17' latitude, they were in unknown territory.
On November 5 they reached 82 degrees south, which was their last supply depot before the last leg of their journey. At this point they were only 480 miles from the Pole.
November 9, they reached the 83rd parallel and dropped some supplies creating a new depot for their way back. At this time they had 42 dogs left to pull the 4 sleds.
On November 18, Amundsen started the mountain crossing.
On December 8, 1911, the team hit a landmark point in their expedition. They finally passed the 88 degrees 23' , which was the world record for the furthest anyone had gotten to the Pole.
Then came the day to remember. On Friday December 14, 1911, the team had finally reached their destination, the South Pole. It was a glorious moment for the men and all of Norway. It was a moment the world would never forget. Amundsen had finally achieved the goal that he had worked so hard to win. They arrived with 17 dogs and three sleds. They set up camp and for three days they made calculation to make sure that they were really at the South Pole. They then skied in a 10 miles radius so to be sure to have actually been to the Pole, in case their calculations were off. They planted the Norwegian flag to show that they had first reached the Pole.
They had returned to the Bay of Whales on January 26th, 1912, victorious and healthy. Soon afterwards they departed from their base camp to sail home. On March 7, 1912 they arrived in Hobart, Tasmania to spread the great news of their victorious exploration. As soon as the hut was built, Scott commenced an ambitious program of depot-laying. He established a telephone line between Cape Evans and Hut Point.
Scott rushed through the organization for the depot laying in less than a week. Amundsen felt that one year was hardly enough time to organize depots. The depot laying was an act of improvisation and done in a state of hurry.
When the time came for the main expedition to the South Pole, Scott had decided that the ponies were the only reliable form of transportation. He figured that they would not be able to survive the whole way, which meant that the party would man haul the remaining distance that the ponies would not manage to make.
In November 1911 Scott and his Polar team left on the race to the South Pole. Their going was miserable. The ponies kept breaking through the ice cover and the men sank in the snow. The ponies soon proved to be useless. They were shot on Dec. 9, tired, starved and frozen.
For the final push to the Pole, Scott had chosen his companion on his previous furthest South, Edward Wilson, along with Lawrence Oates, Edgar Evans and Henry Bowers. Adding Bowers was quite a tactical error, since the food, tent and skis had been planned for a four-man team.
On January 17, 1912 the five men arrived at the South Pole, only to find that Amundsen had beaten them by 33 days.
The only thing left for Scott's party was to survive the journey back to base camp, which would prove to be an impossible feat to achieve for the starving and exhausted group.
A delirious Evans died on February 17; a month later, Oates was in such bad shape that he prayed not to wake up upon retiring. The next morning, deeply disappointed to find himself still among the living, Oates walked out of the tent during a raging blizzard, telling his companions simply, "I'm just going outside and may be some time."
This blizzard, which lasted 8 days, would take the lives of the remaining expedition members, just 11 miles (18km) from their next supply depot. Their courageous struggle lasted until March 29, 1912, when Scott wrote his last diary entry:
"Since the 21st we have had a continuous gale WSW and SW. We had fuel to make two cups of tea apiece and bare food for two days on the 20th. Every day we have been ready to start for our depot 11 miles away, but outside the door of the tent it remains a scene of whirling drift. I do not think we can hope for any better things now. We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot be far.
It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more.
R. Scott
Last entry.
For God's sake look after our people.
Their fate was not discovered until the next summer when the search-party dug out their almost completely buried camp. It was a tragic sight. Among their possessions were 35 pounds (16 kg) of rock samples - a testimony, either to their dedication to science, or complete fool-hardiness.