Roald Amundsen left Norway aboard the polar ship Fram with a plan that was not fully shared with the crew or the public. The expedition had been publicly linked to an Arctic goal, but Amundsen was already preparing to pivot toward Antarctica. This secrecy was meant to protect funding and reduce interference before the voyage was underway.
While Fram was at Funchal, Madeira, Amundsen told the crew that the expedition would attempt the South Pole. The crew agreed to continue, and Amundsen’s shift made the expedition a direct rival to Robert Falcon Scott’s British effort. From this point, logistics focused on Antarctica: dogs, skis, and depot planning for a long over-ice journey.
After sailing south through the Ross Sea region, Fram reached the Bay of Whales on the Ross Ice Shelf. This site was strategically important because it was closer to the South Pole than Scott’s base area in McMurdo Sound. The landing marked the practical start of building an Antarctic base and preparing for travel inland.
Amundsen’s team built their main hut, later named Framheim, on the ice shelf near the Bay of Whales. They hauled large quantities of supplies over the snow and ice and stocked fresh meat from seals and penguins. Framheim became the expedition’s command center for depot-laying trips, equipment testing, and winter planning.
Amundsen led trips south to place food, fuel, and dog supplies in depots along the intended route. These caches reduced how much weight the final South Pole party would need to carry and lowered the risk of running out of essentials on the return. The depot system became a key part of Amundsen’s careful, step-by-step strategy.
After the base was functioning and depot work was underway, Fram left Antarctica to resupply and to conduct scientific work at sea. This move was intended to ensure the expedition had shipping support available again the following season. It also reduced the risk of the ship being trapped in ice near the base through the winter.
Amundsen tried to start for the pole early, but severe low temperatures and problems affecting the dogs forced the party to turn back. The episode highlighted that timing mattered as much as equipment and planning. After returning to Framheim, the expedition reworked its approach for a later, safer departure.
Amundsen set out from Framheim with four companions, sledges, and dog teams for the full attempt on the South Pole. The group relied on skis and dogs to move efficiently across the Ross Ice Shelf and onto higher ground. This departure began the decisive phase of the expedition’s “race” to 90° South.
In the Queen Maud Mountains, Amundsen’s party found and used a new route up from the ice shelf to the Antarctic Plateau: the Axel Heiberg Glacier. Choosing this glacier helped them avoid routes already known from earlier British expeditions and kept their travel plan independent. The climb onto the plateau was one of the hardest terrain transitions of the journey.
Amundsen and his four teammates arrived at the geographic South Pole and confirmed their position with observations. They raised the Norwegian flag and left a tent and messages intended for verification and for Scott, in case the Norwegians did not return. This success made them the first people known to reach 90° South.
After turning north from the pole, the team followed their route back, using depots for food and fuel and managing the remaining dogs for speed. They reached Framheim without losing any men, showing that the plan prioritized a safe return as much as a first arrival. The successful round trip also strengthened the credibility of Amundsen’s methods compared with rival approaches.
After leaving Antarctica, Amundsen arrived in Hobart, Tasmania, and sent news of the South Pole achievement to the outside world by telegram. This public announcement transformed a private accomplishment into a documented international event. It also marked the expedition’s close as a completed journey: out, to the pole, and back to global communication.
Roald Amundsen's South Pole Expedition (1910–1912)