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WINTER HOME

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head of Ross MacPhee

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Setting Up Camp
scrapbook page with map of Antarctica pointing out the Ross Ice Shelf and the location of Amundsen's base camp and Scott's base camp
shape of Antarctica with the South Pole labeled as well as the Ross Ice Shelf and location of Amundsen's and Scott's camps on it

Land vs. Ice

Scott built his base camp on land. But Amundsen set up camp on a vast, floating ice shelf. It was a dangerous move—the ice could break! But he took the risk because the site was closer to the Pole. In fact, it was 110 kilometers (70 miles) closer than Scott’s camp. 

Why Wait?

The teams arrived in January, during the summer in Antarctica. That didn’t give them enough time to make the long trip to the Pole and back before the darkness of winter set in. As soon as winter ended, they would head to the Pole. 

penguins on the shoreline during Summer in Antarctica

The “midnight Sun” shines during the summer months.

One Long Day & One Long Night

Did you know that in much of Antarctica, the Sun never sets during the summer? There is plenty of daylight! But during the long winter, it’s dark all the time. Would you be able to survive without sunlight month after month?

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Image Credits:

Antarctica map, © AMNH; Scott's base camp, courtesy of the Library of Congress; Amundsen's base camp, courtesy of Project Gutenberg; penguins and midnight Sun, @ Scott Polar Research Institute.