Amundsen’s journey
Amundsen started his journey on 19 October 1911, setting off with five men, four sledges and 52 dogs. Being experienced polar travelers and dog drivers, his group travelled quickly across the frozen landscape and both men and dogs had lengthy periods of rest.
As the journey progressed, dogs were killed to provide fresh meat for the other dogs as well as the men. But Amundsen faced a risk. He was pioneering a new route and did not know if he would find a way through the Transantarctic Mountains to the Polar Plateau and on to the Pole itself. Luckily, he found a steep glacier that opened the way. The dogs struggled, clawing their way up, but after four days they were through.
They reached their final destination on 14 December – Amundsen and his men were the first humans at the South Pole.
Route
Amundsen’s base was at the Bay of Whales, on the Great Ice Barrier. If he was unlucky, the edge of the ice shelf could collapse into the sea, but here he was closer to the South Pole. His route had not been tried before. He had to look for an opening in the mountains to take him to the Polar Plateau.
Transport
Amundsen used only one method of transport: dogs. He set off with 52 dogs pulling four sledges. He and his men were experienced in managing and driving the animals, and in their hands it was a fast and efficient way to travel. They were also expert skiers. Because of their speed, men and dogs were allowed longer periods of rest.
Teams
Amundsen’s team consisted of five men. The dogs pulled the heavy weights, so the men didn’t need to. The dogs transported the supplies and equipment, and along the route were further supplies dropped off earlier in the year. They didn’t need a large team.
Food rations
Amundsen’s team had a similar diet to Scott’s, also designed to be high in calories: pemmican, chocolate, powdered milk and biscuits. As their journey progressed, they also killed their animals. The fresh dog meat was fed to both men and the other dogs.
(Source:http://www.scottslastexpedition.org/expedition/journey-to-the-south-pole/)
Scott’s journey
Scott left 13 days after Amundsen, on 1 November 1911. His southern effort included 16 men in three teams, each transporting supplies for the journey. Men would gradually turn back, leaving one party to complete the last push to the Pole.
Scott was following Shackleton’s route up the Beardmore Glacier and on to the Polar Plateau. He relied on a combination of methods for travel, including man-hauling, two dog teams and 10 ponies, which would be killed along the journey to provide fresh meat.
Scott pioneered a new transport method, motorized sledges, but despite high hopes they broke down soon after leaving. Once the ponies were killed and the dog teams sent back, it was just the men and their sledges.
Although a tested way to travel in the Antarctic, progress was physically strenuous and slow. When Amundsen reached the South Pole, Scott was still on the Beardmore Glacier, about one month behind.
Route
Scott’s base was at Cape Evans on Ross Island. Here, he was further from the South Pole than Amundsen, but on firmer ground. He chose a route established by Ernest Shackleton during his 1907–1909 expedition, accessing the Polar Plateau via the Beardmore Glacier.
Transport
Scott used a combination of transport methods. Two dog teams and 10 ponies would pull supplies and equipment. He also relied on manually pulling the sledges, man-hauling. Shackleton had used ponies and man-hauling before, but Scott’s motorized sledges were a new addition. Unfortunately, they broke down early on in the journey.
Teams
Scott set off with 16 men which allowed for more food and fuel supplies to be taken. At the start of the journey, two men drove the dog teams, a team of 10 men travelled with the horses, and four men with the motor sledges. As they progressed, men gradually turned back, leaving just one smaller party of five, including Scott, to complete the last stretch. They were man-hauling.
Food rations
Scott’s team used a high-calorie diet of pemmican – fat mixed with ground meat – biscuits, sugar and butter, with hot tea or cocoa to drink. This was a common polar survival diet at the time. Ponies were killed along the journey, providing fresh meat for the men, important for avoiding scurvy. Although their diet was similar to Amundsen’s, Scott’s men carried out harder physical work when man-hauling.