Roald Amundsen (1872-1928)
Biographical note
Norwegian explorer of polar regions.
In 1903, Amundsen led the first expedition to successfully traverse the Northwest Passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (something explorers had been attempting since the days of Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, Jacques Cartier, and Henry Hudson), with six others in a 47 ton steel seal hunting vessel, Gjøa. During this time Amundsen learned from the local Netsilik people about Arctic survival skills that would later prove useful. For example, he learned to use sled dogs and to wear animal skins in lieu of heavy, woolen parkas.
He led the first successful Antarctic expedition to the South Pole between 1910 and 1912.
More ...
- from Wikipedia
Works
- The South Pole; an account of the Norwegian antarctic expedition in the 'Fram', 1910 to 1912 [ read | download ]
