Today, only 13 years ago in 1997,
Børge Ousland, a Norwegian Polar explorer became the first person ever to cross Antarctica "
alone and unaided"; he did this having already crossed the North Pole (solo and without resupply) so becoming the only person to have accomplished both feats. 2011 is 100 years since Roald Amundsen and his team became the first to reach the South Pole. It will also be 150 years since Fridjof Nansen was born. Nansen and Amundsen would be the Norwegian equivalent of Frederick Jackson (who literally
'bumped' into Nansen on one occasion) and Robert Scott. Anyway, Børge's
wonderful offer is to join one of two expeditions - one of which will pass all the same waypoints as in 1911 - that plan to be at the South Pole for 14th December, the 100th anniversary.
Amundsen and Scott along with Ernest Shackleton and the lesser known Douglas Mawson (who actually turned down an offer to join Scott's ill-fated expedition) would be the most famous of those involved in the
Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.
By coicidence yesterday (17th Jan) was the day, 99 years ago that Scott reached the South Pole, only to find that Amundsen had got there five weeks earlier! D'oh.
2 comments:
Shackleton's hidden case of whisky has been dug up and thawed and this week was returned to Scotland for opening.
Blimey! Great stuff (I'm sure it was!)
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