After enduring a two-month struggle, the South Pole expedition led by British explorer Robert Falcon Scott reached their destination, only to discover that the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen had already been there, arriving just over a month earlier. Feeling disappointed, the weary explorers readied themselves for a challenging journey back to their base camp.
Scott, who was a British naval officer, embarked on his initial Antarctic expedition in 1901 aboard the Discovery. Over the course of three years of exploration, he mapped the Edward VII Peninsula, surveyed the coast of Victoria Land—both regions of Antarctica situated on the Ross Sea—and conducted limited expeditions deeper into the continent. In 1911, Scott and Amundsen engaged in an unannounced competition to reach the South Pole first.
Amundsen established his base camp 60 miles nearer to the pole than Scott by sailing his ship into Antarctica’s Bay of Whales. In October, both explorers commenced their journeys; Amundsen employing sled dogs, whereas Scott utilized Siberian motor sledges, Siberian ponies, and dogs. The race was claimed by Amundsen’s expedition on December 14, 1911, as they reached the pole first. Benefiting from favorable weather conditions on their return trip, they successfully made it back to their base camp by late January.
In contrast, Scott’s expedition faced numerous challenges. The motor sleds quickly malfunctioned, the ponies needed to be euthanized, and the dog teams had to be turned back as Scott and four of his companions pressed on by foot.
Upon reaching the pole on January 18, they were disheartened to learn of Amundsen’s earlier arrival by more than a month. Their return journey was plagued by particularly harsh weather, resulting in the deaths of two members, while Scott and the remaining two survivors found themselves caught in a storm within their tent, a mere 11 miles from their base camp. Scott penned a final diary entry in late March.
Eight months later, the frozen remains of Scott and his two companions were recovered.