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The Lost PowerPoint Slides (Race to the South Pole Edition)

Superior beard technology -- Roald AmundsenRoald Amundsen presents “Don’t make me turn this ship around” (circa 1910) –> Slide 6

  • Knull meg hardt og fort!
  • Peary already got to the North Pole
  • Steer the Fram for South Pole
  • May the explorer with the best beard win!

Amundsen presents “Supplies for Polar Expedition” (circa 1911) –> Slide 3

Dogs, lots of dogs

  • 52 Samoyeds and Huskies
  • Good for dragging food
  • Can become food (for the other dogs!)
  • I mean, if you can’t soak it in lye first, it’s hardly worth eating …

Amundsen presents “The horseshoe is uncomfortable” (circa 1911) –> Slide 2

  • Our ship can handle the ice conditions at the Bay of Whales
  • Puts us closer to pole
  • Hey, there’s a glacier here too
  • Jævla nice.

Robert Falcon Scott presents “Scientific journey” (circa 1910) –> Slide 4

  • Not just a “dash for the pole”
  • Collecting scientific data
  • Also, about being properly English.

Scott presents “Bugger” (circa 1912) –> Slide 1

  • Looks like Amundsen got here first
  • Should have taken dogs
  • Okay, let’s get these rocks back to base.

Captain Lawrence Oates presents “Taking a leak” (circa 1912) –> Only slide

  • I’m slowing you down, right?
  • Just going outside
  • May be some time.

Scott presents “Final words” (circa 1912) –>last slide

  • Thin margin of error
  • More blizzards than normal
  • Still, we’ll die like Englishmen!
  • p.s. Rock samples are with the gear.

Amundsen reached the pole on 14 December 1911 and Scott arrived on 17-18 January 1912. News of Amundsen’s success reached the world in March of 1912, several weeks before Scott’s party perished on their return voyage. An alternate explanation of what happened to the gallant Oates can be found here. A map of their routes is available at the Fram museum website. Information on how to swear in Norwegian here, and information likely to make you swear is available at humor-blogs.com here.