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Dog Sleds
After living in the Arctic, Amundsen was convinced that dog sleds were the key to winning the Pole. Over 50 dogs pulled their sleds, while five men rode or skied alongside. “We are going like greyhounds over the endless, flat snow plain,” said one.
Motorized Sleds
Motor sleds were still new in 1910. Scott experimented with these machines and hoped they could haul some of the team’s heavy gear. He took three, but one fell through the ice when the ship landed. The other two broke down early in the trip.
Man-Hauling
For most of the journey, Scott’s men dragged the sleds themselves. Strapped into harnesses, they hauled heavy loads over rough ice and up slopes. It was backbreaking work!
“I have never so nearly crushed my inside into my backbone by the everlasting jerking with all my strength.” – Henry “Birdie” Bowers
Ponies
The British team brought only a few dogs. Instead, they relied on ponies to pull the sleds at the start of the trek. Polar explorers had used ponies in the past, but the animals were not well suited for the cold or the terrain of Antarctica.
Image Credits:
dog sleds, The Fram Museum / JFO; ponies, motorized sleds, and man-hauling, © Scott Polar Research Institute.