Polar explorers

For people with an interest in polar expeditions, Amundsen and Nansen need no further introduction. They are far from the only prominent polar explorers from Norway, however. Several modern-day explorers are keeping the Norwegian adventurers’ legacy alive.

Amundsen: the first explorer to reach the South Pole

Roald Amundsen made history and became a national hero in Norway when he beat Captain Robert F. Scott to the South Pole. Accompanied by four men, he arrived at the pole on 14 December 1911. As if this wasn’t enough of an achievement, he was also the first man to navigate the Northwest Passage and the first to fly across the Arctic Ocean.

A number of places, ships, and people, including children's author Roald Dahl, were named after Amundsen.

Nansen: crossed Greenland on skis

Fridtjof Nansen first made a name for himself for crossing Greenland on skis, and subsequently for trying to reach the North Pole on an expedition involving the ship Fram. However, he is remembered as much more than a polar explorer. Nansen was an accomplished scientist, statesman, and humanitarian. Leveraging his fame for political activism, he sought to put an end to Norway’s union with Sweden in 1905. After World War I, he worked tirelessly to help improve the plight of refugees, an effort for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922.

Solås: reality and fiction

The glaciologist and meteorologist Monica Kristensen Solås has both led and participated in numerous polar expeditions, both in the Arctic and the Antarctic. On several expeditions, she aimed to locate and bring back the expedition tent once used by Roald Amundsen, but several of nature’s obstacles, including fatal crevasses, forced her to abandon the goal. In 1989, she became the first woman for nearly 50 years to receive the Royal Geographical Society in London’s Founder’s Medal for her achievements. In addition, she has published several crime novels set in Svalbard to international acclaim.

Arnesen’s unsupported crossings

When Liv Arnesen crossed the Greenland ice sheet in 1992, she became the first woman to do so without support. Two years later, she became the first of her gender to reach the South Pole alone and unsupported, on a skiing expedition that took 50 days and covered 1,200 kilometres. Over the course of three months in 2000 and 2001 she teamed up with American explorer Ann Bancroft to become the first women to cross the Antarctic. She has also written several books on exploration, including Snille piker går ikke til Sydpolen (Nice Girls Don't Go To the South Pole).

Ousland’s one-man expeditions

In 1994, some 85 years after Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole, Norwegian explorer Børge Ousland repeated the feat. Ousland made the journey solo, however, which made him the first man to cross the Antarctic unassisted – albeit under very different circumstances. While Amundsen had worn sealskins, Ousland wore Gore-Tex. Instead of determining his position with a watch, calendar, and sextant, Ousland used GPS technology. Ousland’s kevlar sledge, which weighed just six kilograms, was also much lighter than Amundsen’s. Still super impressive though!

Kagge and the Three Poles Challenge

Børge Ousland didn’t always venture out alone; he also had several travel partners. In 1990, for example, he travelled 800 kilometres on skis together with Erling Kagge, another prominent Norwegian explorer. After travelling to the North Pole in 1990 and the South Pole in 1992, Kagge climbed Mount Everest in 1994. This made him the first person to complete the so-called “Three Poles Challenge”.

Skog and the seven summits

She has become a national icon in Norway by climbing numerous mountains with a smile on her face. Cecilie Skog has reached the famous “sevens summits”, the peak of the highest mountains on each continent. She is also a polar explorer. In 2009, she and American explorer Ryan Waters spent 70 days on a 1,800 kilometre odyssey across the Antarctic from coast to coast. In 2006, she reached the North Pole after nearly 50 days despite several major unexpected challenges.