--- title: "The Race to the South Pole" description: "Know how Amundsen's team reached the South Pole on 14 December 1911 and Scott's team arrived 34 days later. Compare their transport and preparation. Scott's five-person pole party died returning. Foll" canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-race-to-the-south-pole-mt_islVn_P28Z source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-race-to-the-south-pole-mt_islVn_P28Z.md retrieved: 2026-10-19 --- > **Agent view.** This is the Markdown twin of the page, for tools and assistants. > When to use this site, and the call that answers each job: https://lightmysky.com/agent-instructions.md > API description (OpenAPI 3.1): https://lightmysky.com/openapi.json · Authentication: https://lightmysky.com/auth.md > Pricing: https://lightmysky.com/pricing.md · Catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms.txt · Full catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms-full.txt > Every machine-readable file on this domain: https://lightmysky.com/.well-known/ai-catalog.json > Ask for Markdown with `Accept: text/markdown`, a `.md` address, or `?mode=agent`. # The Race to the South Pole Know how Amundsen's team reached the South Pole on 14 December 1911 and Scott's team arrived 34 days later. Compare their transport and preparation. Scott's five-person pole party died returning. Follow the 1914 to 1916 Endurance story from the lost ship to Elephant Island, the journey for help and the rescue of its 28 people. Subject: Science · Area: Polar Regions · Ages 7 to 9 Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-race-to-the-south-pole-mt_islVn_P28Z ## Ready when they can - Describe the Scott vs Amundsen race: Amundsen arrived 14 December 1911 using dog sleds; Scott arrived 34 days later and died on the return - Explain at least two parts of Amundsen's preparation, such as dog sleds, skiing skills, polar experience and food supplies placed along the route - Narrate the key events of the Endurance expedition: ship crushed, camps on ice, boat journey to South Georgia, all crew rescued ## Lesson: The Race to the South Pole You have met Scott, Amundsen and Shackleton. In 1911, Roald Amundsen from Norway and Robert Falcon Scott from Britain led teams toward the South Pole. Amundsen's team arrived first, on 14 December 1911. Scott's team reached it on 17 January 1912. *(drawing: Scott's team arrived 34 days after Amundsen's team.)* Amundsen's team used dog sleds and skis. Polar experience and food supplies placed along the route helped them. Scott used several transport methods, including dogs earlier in the journey. His final five-person pole party pulled its loaded sledges themselves. This took hard work. All five died returning. Severe cold, exhaustion and shortages of food and fuel made survival difficult. Shackleton's expedition began in 1914. The plan was to cross Antarctica on foot. In 1915, ice trapped and badly damaged Endurance. Its crew left the ship and camped on floating ice. The ship sank. Later, the crew used lifeboats to reach Elephant Island. *(drawing: The crew reached Elephant Island before a small group sailed to South Georgia for help.)* Shackleton and five others sailed a small boat to South Georgia to seek help. The other 22 people waited on Elephant Island. Shackleton later returned with a rescue ship. Those waiting were rescued in 1916. All 28 people who had sailed on Endurance survived. **Recap.** Amundsen arrived first. Scott's five-person pole party died returning. After Endurance was lost, six people sought help while 22 waited. All 28 survived. ## Practice 8 questions on this page, each with its working shown. ## Needs first - [Brave Polar Explorers](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/brave-polar-explorers-mt_22XbXTRq50) - [Comparing Arctic & Antarctic](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/comparing-arctic-and-antarctic-mt_z9jn9HogfE) ## Opens up - [Polar Exploration Then & Now](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/polar-exploration-then-and-now-mt_I_c57p0aGN) - [Antarctic Treaty & Research](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/antarctic-treaty-and-research-mt_itldWmVItr)