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Roald Amundsen citations

Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen , né le 16 juillet 1872 à Borge en Norvège et mort le 18 juin 1928 vers l'île aux Ours, est un marin et explorateur polaire norvégien.

En 1898, il participe à l'expédition polaire belge d'Adrien de Gerlache de Gomery qui réalise le premier hivernage en Antarctique. Il s'y lie avec le médecin du bord, le docteur Frederick Cook qui lui révèle le parti que l'on peut tirer des chiens huskys dans les expéditions polaires. En 1905, il est le premier à franchir le passage du Nord-Ouest qui relie l'océan Atlantique au Pacifique dans le Grand Nord canadien. Il commande plus tard l'expédition qui, la première, atteint le pôle Sud, le 14 décembre 1911, après être arrivé dans la baie des Baleines le 14 janvier de la même année.

Préparée avec méticulosité, cette entreprise hardie est aussi le fruit du hasard. Deux ans auparavant, Amundsen a échafaudé des plans pour étendre son exploration de l'océan Arctique et se laisser dériver jusqu'au pôle Nord. Mais il a reçu la nouvelle que Robert Peary a annoncé l'avoir déjà atteint en 1909 . « À cet instant, racontera plus tard Amundsen, je décidai de modifier mon objectif, de changer du tout au tout, et d'aller vers le Sud ». Amundsen escompte que la conquête du pôle Sud lui assure la gloire aussi bien que le financement des explorations suivantes. Faisant semblant de se préparer pour le Nord, il organise secrètement son départ pour le Sud. Mais parvenir le premier au pôle Sud ne va pas de soi. Commandée par le capitaine Robert Falcon Scott et entourée d'une abondante publicité, une expédition britannique s'y destine également.

Amundsen n'ignore rien des ambitions de son rival. La note du 12 décembre 1911 dans son journal de bord en témoigne : tenaillé par l'idée que Scott peut le prendre de vitesse, il se met en route avant l'arrivée du printemps polaire, et, malgré une météo défavorable, il devient le premier à atteindre le pôle Sud le 14 décembre 1911. En 1926, après avoir survolé le pôle Nord en ballon dirigeable, Amundsen devient le premier à avoir atteint les deux pôles.

Il disparaît en juin 1928 en participant à une mission de recherche et sauvetage de l'ingénieur aéronautique et explorateur italien Umberto Nobile. Il est, avec Douglas Mawson, Robert Falcon Scott et Ernest Shackleton, l'un des chefs de file de l'exploration polaire et de l'âge héroïque de l'exploration en Antarctique entre 1900 et 1912. Wikipedia  

✵ 16. juillet 1872 – 18. juin 1928
Roald Amundsen photo
Roald Amundsen: 19   citations 0   J'aime

Roald Amundsen: Citations en anglais

“Everything went like a dance.”

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Roald Amundsen

citation needed

“We must always remember with gratitude and admiration the first sailors who steered their vessels through storms and mists, and increased our knowledge of the lands of ice in the South.”

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Roald Amundsen

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“… the brilliant aurora australis. … flush of daylight has moved to the north, … but it shows nevertheless that we have daylight here at the darkest time of the year, so there is not the absolute darkness that people think.”

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Roald Amundsen

Explaining why the Antarctic winter is not all dark
Sydpolen (The South Pole) (1912)

“Adventure is just bad planning.”

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Roald Amundsen

citation needed

“The numerous people who imagine that a long stay in the Polar regions makes a man less susceptible of cold than other mortals are completely mistaken.”

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Roald Amundsen

Sydpolen (The South Pole) (1912)

“The English have loudly and openly told the world that skis and dogs are unusable in these regions and that fur clothes are rubbish. We shall see — we shall see.”

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Roald Amundsen

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“Glad as we were to leave it behind, I cannot deny that it was with a certain feeling of melancholy that we saw it vanish. We had grown so fond of our beacons, and whenever we met them we greeted them as old friends. Many and great were the services these silent watchers did us on our long and lonely way.”

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Roald Amundsen

On January 21, 1912, upon leaving behind the last navigation beacon at 80° 23' S
Sydpolen (The South Pole) (1912)

“BEG TO INFORM YOU FRAM PROCEEDING ANTARCTIC — AMUNDSEN”

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Roald Amundsen

Telegram to Scott, ca September 9, 1910
The vessel Fram departs from Madeira for the Antarctic

“"Is this really a Polar ship?" people asked;… our paper-supply which was in all respects as fine and elegant as it could be:… From one of the largest houses in Christiania we had a complete set of kitchen utensils and breakfast and dinner services, all of the best kind…. We carried an extraordinarily copious library; presents of books were showered upon us in great quantities. I suppose the Fram's library at the present moment contains at least 3,000 volumes.”

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Roald Amundsen

Sydpolen (The South Pole) (1912)

“We reckoned now that we were at the Pole. Of course, every one of us knew that we were not standing on the absolute spot; it would be an impossibility with the time and the instruments at our disposal to ascertain the exact spot. But we were so near it that the few miles which possibly separated us from it could not be of the slightest importance. It was our intention to make a circle around this camp, with a radius of twelve and a half miles (20 kilometers), and to be satisfied with that. After we had halted we collected and congratulated each other. … we proceeded to the greatest and most solemn act of the whole journey - the planting of our flag.”

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Roald Amundsen

Upon reaching the vicinity of 89° 58' 30" S, 60° E, named camp Polheim, about 1½ mile from the geographical Pole. Several forays were made from here, one southwards and beyond the pole.
Sydpolen (The South Pole) (1912)

“So we arrived, and planted our flag at the geographical South Pole. Thanks be to God!”

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Roald Amundsen

A quote also displayed at the geographical South Pole.

“We see many fine sunsets here, unique in the splendour of their colour. No doubt the surroundings in this fairyland of blue and white do much to increase their beauty.”

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Roald Amundsen

Impressions around March 1911
Sydpolen (The South Pole) (1912)

“Amundsen's name for a dangerous stretch where the ice could give way unexpectedly”

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Roald Amundsen

Devil’s Ballroom
Sydpolen (The South Pole) (1912)

“Everything is on a reduced scale here in the Polar regions; we can't afford to be extravagant.”

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Roald Amundsen

Concerning the Polar accommodations
Sydpolen (The South Pole) (1912)

“Personally, I regard alcohol, used in moderation, as a medicine in the Polar regions. … It is another matter on sledge journeys: there … alcohol must be banished … on account of the weight and space. … Two men who have fallen out a little in the course of the week are reconciled at once by the scent of rum; the past is forgotten, and they start afresh in friendly co-operation.”

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Roald Amundsen

Sydpolen (The South Pole) (1912)

“The effect of the great and sudden change of altitude made itself felt at once; when I wanted to turn round in my bag, I had to do it a bit at a time, so as not to get out of breath.”

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Roald Amundsen

Upon reaching the polar plateau
Sydpolen (The South Pole) (1912)

“"Oh, as usual," they shouted back; "no bottom." I mention this little incident just to show how one can grow accustomed to anything in this world.”

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Roald Amundsen

Upon finding yet another obscured and deadly abyss
Sydpolen (The South Pole) (1912)

“The holiday humour that ought to have prevailed in the tent that evening — our first on the plateau — did not make its appearance; there was depression and sadness in the air - we had grown so fond of our dogs.”

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Roald Amundsen

Upon slaughtering some dogs to feed other dogs and themselves
Sydpolen (The South Pole) (1912)

“I may say that this is the greatest factor — the way in which the expedition is equipped — the way in which every difficulty is foreseen, and precautions taken for meeting or avoiding it. Victory awaits him who has everything in order — luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck.”

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Roald Amundsen

Sydpolen (The South Pole) (1912)

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