At this time of year, when young children track Santa’s progress from the North Pole, IgoUgo turns to the bottom of the world as we commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the first documented landing on the South Pole. Norway’s celebrated explorer Roald Amundsen and his team arrived at the South Pole on December 14, 1911. Amundsen’s other notable firsts include the crossing of the North Pole and leading the way through the Northwest Passage. (Coincidentally, last week, on December 9th, 16-year-old British schoolgirl Amelia Hempleman-Adams became the youngest person to ski to the South Pole, completing a trek of 97 miles in sub-zero weather!)
For the less hardy (and from the safety of the remaining six continents), there are a number of museums and exhibits highlighting Amundsen’s achievements during what is known as the “Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.”
TianjinPaul's recent review “Antarctica in the Mediterranean” recommends an exhibit in Genoa, Italy. “It was because of my newly-developed interest that I was immensely excited to find that the Palazzo Ducale in Genoa was hosting an exhibition on the attempts of Captain Scott and Roald Amundsen to be the first to reach the Pole… Personally, I found the exhibition fascinating. The subject matter was dealt with in great detail, with fantastic historical accuracy and with great insight.”
In Oslo, Norway, fizzytom suggests you visit The Fram Museum, where you can view Amundsen’s original ship. “The exhibition centres on the remarkable vessel, the Fram, built in 1892, which is actually on display in the middle of the building. The Fram Museum is about much more than one ship; it looks at man’s fascination with pushing boundaries and continually breaking new ground, and the lengths to which men will go to make these achievements.”
Photo by LenR
While in Oslo, fizzytom also visited the Holmenkollen Tower. “The museum charts the history of skiing in the region and, surprisingly to me, covers a period beginning roughly four thousand years ago when cave paintings found in the area depicted a human figure in what appeared to be a skiing posture. As well as the stuff on the prehistoric era, there are sections on polar exploration, most notably on the famous Norwegians such as Nanssen who famously crossed Greenland on skis, and the history of the Fram, the incredible vessel that was used for various polar expeditions by Nassen and Amundsen.”
Down under in Christchurch, New Zealand, Rufusni visited the Canterbury Museum and thought the Antarctic display was “fascinating with so much history about the exploration of this frozen land - from the basic huts of the earliest explorers, artifacts from the expeditions of Amundsen and Scott to displays of penguins. “ Dawn was struck by a sledge used by Amundsen which “was as long as a bus! How in the world did his dogs pull it and not tip it over?” Over at Christchurch’s International Antarctic Centre dawn observed that “this museum doesn’t delve too much into the history of the South Pole but rather the present and the future… Weather in Antarctica has been as cold as -89C and as "Warm" as 8.8C ! It's also interesting that temperatures at the bottom of Lake Varda are +25C due to the greenhouse effect of light passing through the ice above. Pretty Cool!!”
Photo by pietropecco
More Wintery Photos
Photos of Alaska
Photos of Russia
Photos of Norway
Posted by Nik'sMom (Terre Grilli)