In Amundsen’s Tracks on the Axel Heiberg Glacier – Wally Herbert

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In Amundsen’s Tracks on the Axel Heiberg Glacier – Wally Herbert

Short Description

An extract from the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society – December 1963.

Pages 399-411 with large folding coloured map of the Queen Maud Range and the Axel Heiberg Glacier Region showing various exploratory tracks – Amundsen, Scott, Byrd Flight, Gould and Wally Herbert. Three nice images from photographs from the Herbert expedition.

Too much to say. First Walter [wally] Herbert possibly the greatest post heroic era polar explorer. Spent a whole 15 years of his life either North or South. First to make it truly by foot to the North Pole. Here he is part of the New Zealand GSAE expedition 1961-62.

At the time he wanted deeply to make the South pole but he was denied permission to push on the last 300km by “Head office”. While he was waiting for a verdict, he climbed Mt Fridjof Nansen from where he could further assess the route back down the Axel Heiberg Glacier – which he did with significant success and a full appreciation of Amundsen.

His report to the Society is most interesting. He starts by saying that he will not get into the long time debate as to whether Scoot hard a hard run and Amundsen got it easy on the way to the South Pole. He does point out that Amundsen did not select the obviously easier route i.e. Scott’s route was more direct and Amundsen’s route required 19,590 feet of climbing whilst Scott’s party only 11,470. Lots more of interest … Amundsen’s confusion re which mountain was which etc – same with Byrd.

The then President of the Society was non other than heroic era veteran Sir Raymond Priestley. Also present at the address was Philip Brocklehurst and John King Davies.

Priestly concludes the event with pointed comments that suggest he was, as you would expect, well and truly in the Scott camp and suggests that Wally may have had it easy on his glacial endeavour with a nice blanket of snow etc etc

Wally Herbert Polar Legend – In tracks of Amundsen – Reporting to Head Office

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