Roald Amundsen - Through the Maze: The Northwest Passage

Third Voyage
June 1910 - 1912

An Inuk repairing his sledge Copyright/Source

In 1908, Amundsen bought the ship Fram. He wanted to be the first man to reach the North Pole. Before he could leave, an American, Robert Peary, got there first. Amundsen decided to go to the South Pole instead.

He reached Antarctica in January 1911, and set up a base camp called Framheim. In October, he left with 4 men, 4 dog sleds and 52 dogs. On December 14, 1911, he became the first man to reach the South Pole.

	"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." Amundsen, Roald. The South Pole: An Account of the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition in the "Fram," 1910-1912. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, ©1976, 1912, p.370.