Editing Roald Amundsen (section)

=== South Pole Expedition ===
{{main|Amundsen's South Pole expedition}}

[[File:Aan de Zuidpool - p1913-160.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Norwegian flag at the South Pole]]
[[File:The Three Polar Stars, 1913 (8889621500).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|alt=Photograph of Roald Amundsen, Ernest Shackleton and Peary |The Three Polar Stars: Amundsen, [[Ernest Shackleton]], and [[Robert Peary]], are pictured in [[Philadelphia]] in January 1913]]

Amundsen next planned to take an expedition to the North Pole and explore the [[Arctic Basin]]. Finding it difficult to raise funds, when he heard in 1909 that the Americans Frederick Cook and [[Robert Peary]] had claimed to reach the North Pole as a result of two different expeditions, he decided to reroute to Antarctica.<ref name="Simpson" /> He was not clear about his intentions, and [[Robert F. Scott]] and the Norwegian supporters felt misled.<ref name="Simpson" /> Scott was planning his own expedition to the South Pole that year. Using the ship {{ship||Fram|ship|2}}, earlier used by [[Fridtjof Nansen]], Amundsen left Oslo for the south on 3 June 1910.<ref name="Simpson" /><ref name="Amundsen" /> At [[Madeira]], Amundsen alerted his men that they would be heading to Antarctica, and sent a telegram to Scott: "Beg to inform you ''Fram'' proceeding Antarctic – Amundsen."<ref name="Simpson" />

Nearly six months later, the expedition arrived at the eastern edge of the [[Ross Ice Shelf]] (then known as "the Great Ice Barrier"), at a large inlet called the [[Bay of Whales]], on 14 January 1911. Amundsen established his base camp there, calling it {{ship||Framheim||2}}. Amundsen eschewed the heavy wool clothing worn on earlier Antarctic attempts in favour of adopting [[Inuit]]-style furred skins.<ref name="Thomas" />

Using skis and dog sleds for transportation, Amundsen and his men created supply depots at 80°, 81° and 82°&nbsp;South on the Barrier, along a line directly south to the Pole.<ref name="Thomas" /> Amundsen also planned to kill most of his dogs on the way and use them as a source for fresh meat. As he went he butchered some of the dogs and fed them to the remaining dogs, as well as eating some himself.<ref name="Antarctic Dogs 1903 j958">{{cite web | title=Canine Companions | website=Canterbury Museum | date= | url=https://antarcticdogs.canterburymuseum.com/themes/canine-companions | access-date=29 April 2024}}</ref> A small group, including [[Hjalmar Johansen]], [[Kristian Prestrud]] and [[Jørgen Stubberud]], set out on 8 September, but had to abandon their trek due to extreme temperatures. The painful retreat caused a quarrel within the group, and Amundsen sent Johansen and the other two men to explore [[Edward VII Peninsula|King Edward VII Land]].

A second attempt, with a team of five made up of [[Olav Bjaaland]], [[Helmer Hanssen]], [[Sverre Hassel]], [[Oscar Wisting]] and Amundsen, departed base camp on 19 October. They took four sledges and 52&nbsp;dogs. Using a route along the previously unknown [[Axel Heiberg Glacier]], they arrived at the edge of the Polar Plateau on 21 November after a four-day climb. The team and 16&nbsp;dogs arrived at the pole on 14 December, a month before Scott's group.{{efn | Some sources give the date as 15 December. ''Fram'' crossed the [[International Date Line]] shortly before arriving at the [[Bay of Whales]], and thereby "lost" a day. Since the western and eastern hemispheres are conjoined at the South Pole, either date can be considered as correct, though Amundsen gives 14 December, both in his first telegraphed report on arrival in Hobart, and in his fuller account ''The South Pole''.{{sfn|Amundsen | loc=Vol. I, p. xvii}} }} Amundsen named their South Pole camp [[Polheim]]. Amundsen renamed the [[Antarctic Plateau]] as King Haakon VII's Plateau. They left a small tent and letter stating their accomplishment, in case they did not return safely to Framheim.

The team arrived at Framheim on 25 January 1912, with 11&nbsp;surviving dogs. They made their way off the continent and to [[Hobart]], Australia, where Amundsen publicly announced his success on 7 March 1912. He telegraphed news to backers.

Amundsen's expedition benefited from his careful preparation, good equipment, appropriate clothing, a simple primary task, an understanding of dogs and their handling, and the effective use of skis. In contrast to the misfortunes of Scott's team, Amundsen's trek proved relatively smooth and uneventful.