Roald Amundsen - Through the Maze: The Northwest Passage

Early Life

Roald Amundsen was born in Borge, a small town near the city of Oslo in Norway. As a boy, he loved to read about the voyages of Sir John Franklin, who died while trying to find the Northwest Passage. He studied medicine for two years because his mother wanted him to become a doctor. When she died, though, he left school and went to sea.

Roald, Shut Those Windows!
At age 15, Amundsen decided to become an Arctic explorer and started his training. He climbed the hills and mountains of Norway, improving his skills at crossing ice and snow and toughening up his body. He exasperated his mother by keeping his windows open at night, no matter what the weather, so he could get used to living with the cold.

A Narrow Escape
Amundsen almost died when he was 22. He was attempting a long-distance trek with a friend when they were caught in a snowstorm. He dug a tiny cave in the snow and crawled in head-first. As the snow fell and covered the entrance to his cosy shelter, the temperature outside dropped. As he slept, the wet snow hardened and he awoke to find himself trapped in an almost solid block of ice. With only his hands and a ski pole, it took three hours for his friend to dig him out.

Great Body, Bad Eyes
Amundsen was worried that he wouldn't pass the necessary medical exam to join the Norwegian army because he was near-sighted. He needn't have. The doctor was so surprised by Amundsen's extremely well-developed muscles, that he forgot to test his eyes. All those years of hard exercise had paid off, and would continue to do so throughout his life.