Editing Fridtjof Nansen (section)

=== Dash for the pole ===
[[File:Nansen Johansen depart 14 March 1895.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|alt=A group of men pose on the ice with dogs and sledges, with a ship's outline visible in the background|Preparations for Nansen and [[Hjalmar Johansen|Johansen]]'s polar trek, 14 March 1895]]
With the ship's latitude at 84°4′N and after two false starts,<ref>Nansen 1897, vol.&nbsp;II, p.&nbsp;86.</ref> Nansen and Johansen began their journey on 14 March 1895.<ref>Nansen 1897, vol.&nbsp;II, p.&nbsp;112.</ref> Nansen allowed 50&nbsp;days to cover the {{convert|356|nmi|km mi|sigfig=2}} to the pole, an average daily journey of {{convert|7|nmi|km mi|sigfig=2|spell=in|0}}. After a week of travel, a [[sextant]] observation indicated they averaged {{convert|9|nmi|km mi|sigfig=2|spell=in|0}} per day, which put them ahead of schedule.<ref>Huntford, pp. 308–313.</ref> However, uneven surfaces made skiing more difficult, and their speeds slowed. They also realised they were marching against a southerly drift, and that distances travelled did not necessarily equate to distance progressed.<ref name="Fleming248">Fleming, p. 248.</ref>

On 3 April, Nansen began to doubt whether the pole was attainable. Unless their speed improved, their food would not last them to the pole and back to [[Franz Josef Land]].<ref name="Fleming248" /> He confided in his diary: "I have become more and more convinced we ought to turn before time."<ref>Nansen 1897, vol.&nbsp;II, p.&nbsp;127.</ref> Four days later, after making camp, he observed the way ahead was "...&nbsp;a veritable chaos of iceblocks stretching as far as the horizon." Nansen recorded their latitude as 86°13′6″N—almost three degrees beyond the previous record—and decided to turn around and head back south.<ref>Nansen 1897, vol.&nbsp;II, p.&nbsp;142.</ref>