The South Pole

Roald Amundsen's account of the expedition to the geographic South Pole is a fascinating read. Although Amundsen attributed the success of the expedition to "good luck", it seems obvious that the Norwegians were simply better prepared than Captain Scott and his crew. The equipment, the sledges with well-trained dogs, the supply depots with seal meat at regular intervals along the route, the sunglasses to avoid snow blindness; it was all thought of in advance. It is then perhaps not surprising that the expedition went so smoothly.