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Roald Amundsen, known as “The Last Viking,” made history by becoming the first person to indisputably reach both the North and South Poles. While that feat grabs the headline, his story incredibly features multiple years trapped in barren ice lands, learning survival skills from the Inuit people, plane crashes, bankruptcies, and a polar bear mauling!
He also fraternized with married women of rich, powerful aristocrats and sailed away from incensed creditors to the furthest corners of the earth. Even his death came mysteriously during a courageous rescue attempt for a former colleague who wronged him. In short, they just don’t make ‘em like this anymore.
His South Pole expedition brought financial prosperity which he parleyed into a successful shipping business.
“Adventure Is Just Bad Planning.”
Amundsen’s mother wanted him to become a doctor. After losing both of his parents before the age of 21, he let fate take over. Destiny then thrust a book about Sir John Franklin’s doomed expedition of the famed Northwest Passage, lighting Amundsen’s passion. He signed up as the first mate for the Belgian Antarctic Expedition.
That jinxed expedition spent a year locked in ice, surviving only by eating penguins. Despite the hardship, Amundsen gained critical experience which laid the foundation for his future successes. According to him, everyone would have died if not for the lessons passed on by American Frederick Cook, including how to avoid scurvy and insanity.
He received the Hubbard Medal from the National Geographic Society for his expedition through the Northwest Passage. Wikipedia
“Victory Awaits Him Who Has Everything In Order - Luck, People Call It”
As you can tell Amundsen was something of a boy scout. To prepare for his unprecedented journey, the explorer spent two years training for the journey. When his impatient creditors finally attempted to recoup their investment, he finally set sail on his 45-ton fishing boat named Gjøa.
“Defeat Is Certain For Him Who Has Neglected To Take The Necessary Precautions, This Is Called Bad Luck.”
On this pioneering journey, he found himself again entrapped in ice, this time for two years! During this time he and his men lived with local Netsilik Inuits. They traded western metals for the locals' furs while also gaining vital skills that would later save Amundsen’s life. Reportedly, the crew, including their leader, also engaged in relationships with a number of the natives.
"The Last Viking" moniker obviously fits.
South Pole Immortality
After Amundsen checked off one box, another immediately presented itself. Once word came that fellow explorers had reached the North Pole, he shifted his attention to the bottom of the earth. Unfortunately, English explorer Robert Falcon Scott had the same thought. Of course, that only inspired the Nordic explorer to set off in hot pursuit. Weirdly, many people of the time felt turning this historic achievement into a race was “ungentlemanly,” which seems pretty rich coming from the British.
Captain Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen 1872 to 1928 At the South pole under the Norwegian flag Norwegian explorer of the polar regions From the book The Year 1912 illustrated published London 1913
Lessons Learned
Luckily for Amundsen, his time with the Netsilik Inuits gave him a trump card. As he told the press before he left, “The English have loudly and openly told the world that skis and dogs are unusable in these regions and that fur clothes are rubbish. We shall see — we shall see.” His four-man crew armed with as many sleds and 52 dogs took two painfully uncomfortable months to reach the South Pole but managed to beat his British competition by an entire month.
Most importantly, they also survived the return journey, unlike their counterparts. Tragically, Scott died due to his unreliable motorized sleds and ponies which weren’t meant for such harsh conditions. Critically, the British also relied on woolen parkas which led to fatal consequences when wet.
In June of 1928, Amundsen disappeared while on a rescue mission in the Artic. It’s assumed the plane crashed, but no bodies or wreckage were ever found.
An Adventurer’s End
In a cruel twist of irony, the deceased Scott was heralded as the true explorer; Amundsen was painted as a sly scallywag. Nevertheless, he forged on pushing the boundaries of exploration by leading the first North Pole expedition by air. Most unbelievably, he managed the unlikely feat of retirement.
It wasn’t until his former colleague Umberto Nobile’s expedition crashed that Amundsen made a comeback for the sake of his friend. He launched the rescue attempt despite the fact that Nobile had attempted to take credit for one of Amundsen’s groundbreaking early flights. Tragically, the Nordic’s rescue plane flew into heavy fog and was never seen again.
