Much of the polar regions remain uncharted. For around 200 years, humans have been trying to explore them. But the regions are dangerous. The weather leads to many complications. Let's look at some people who made it to the North and South Pole.
Robert Falcon Scott was a famous explorer. He tried to be the first man to reach the South Pole. He put together a team of 5 people. He received funding from the government.
Scott and his team worked hard. In 1910, they embarked on a trip called the Terra Nova Expedition. Their objective was to walk from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole. They had to walk back too. It was an ambitious goal.
On January 17, 1912, Scott and his team reached the South Pole. But they were shocked by what they found. They were not the first ones there. Roald Amundsen and his team had arrived five weeks earlier.
Roald Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer. He was the first human to reach the South Pole. He reached the South Pole safely with his team of 5. In 1926, he was also the first confirmed human to reach the North Pole. There were others before him, but it was not proven.
Scott and his team left the South Pole. But there were many mishaps. There were many weather problems on the way back. It was frigid. They could not walk because of blizzards. They were low on rations. They did not have enough food or oil.
The cold weather gave them many illnesses. At least two of the group suffered from frostbite. Their hands and feet became useless.
On March 29, 1912, their doomed trek came to an end. Scott and his team perished on the journey back. They never completed the Terra Nova Expedition. Their bodies were found 8 months later. They found photographs and journals from their trip.
In 2013, Ben Saunders decided to finish the Expedition. He and his team went to the South Pole on foot. He is only the third person to have reached the South Pole by walking.
That is not Ben's only achievement. In 2004, he skied to the North Pole. He was dropped off in Russia in March. He skied solo to the North Pole. He was picked up from the Canadian side of the Arctic in May. Ben also holds two world records for polar exploration. Now he does talks and writes articles about exploration. He inspires young people to explore.
Technology has changed exploration. We have gear to stay warmer. We have more safety gear. But it is still not easy today. It is still unpredictable. You must be prepared for the worst in these dangerous places.