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The Critical Role of Skis in 130 Years of Arctic Exploration and Adventure

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The Critical Role of Skis in 130 Years of Arctic Exploration and Adventure Skiing to the Poles CHRISTOPHER MICHEL / FLICKR.COM The critical role of skis in 130 years of Arctic exploration and adventure. BY JEFF BLUMENFELD In Part I of this two-part article, author Jeff Blumenfeld Associates PR and ExpeditionNews.com in Boulder, explains how skis played a critical role in the early Arctic Colorado. He is the recipient of the 2017 Bob Gillen and polar expeditions of Fridtjof Nansen (Greenland, Memorial Award from the North American Snowsports 1888), Robert E. Peary and Frederick Cook (North Pole, Journalists Association, was nominated a Fellow of the 1909), Roald Amundsen and Robert F. Scott (South Pole, Royal Geographic Society, and is chair of the Rocky 1911 and 1912). In Part II, to be published in the January- Mountain chapter of The Explorers Club. No stranger to February 2018 issue of Skiing History, Blumenfeld will the polar regions, he’s been to Iceland more than 15 times, examine the use of skis in modern-day polar expeditions traveled on business 184 miles north of the Arctic Circle by Paul Schurke, Will Steger and Richard Weber. in Greenland, and chaperoned a high-school student trip Blumenfeld, an ISHA director, runs Blumenfeld and to the Antarctic Peninsula. 20 | November-December 2017 SKIING HISTORY hroughout the modern era of polar exploration, skis have played an in- valuable role in propel- ling explorers forward— Tsometimes with dogsled teams, sometimes without, and more re- cently, with kites to glide across the polar regions at speeds averaging 7 mph. Modern-day polar explorers including Eric Larsen, Paul Schurke, Will Steger and Richard Weber all continue to use skis today, taking a page right out of history. Were it not for skis, reaching the North and South poles in the early 1900s might have been delayed until years later. (BLDSA–F3B030) LIBRARY NATIONAL OWNER: SIEMS & CO. PHOTOGRAPHER: Norwegian explorer Fridtjof “STARS AND STRIPES NAILED Nansen (left) achieved the TO THE NORTH POLE” first crossing of the Green- This long-awaited message from land ice cap in 1888. He and American explorer Robert E. Peary his team (above) traversed (1856–1920) flashed around the globe the island on skis, using by cable and telegraph on the after- special poles that doubled as noon of September 6, 1909. Reaching ice axes, tent poles and kayak the North Pole, nicknamed the “Big frames. They were all expert Nail” in those days, was a three- skiers and had experience century struggle that had taken living outdoors. many lives, and was the Edwardian era’s equivalent of the first manned JEFF BLUMENFELD COURTESY landing on the moon. But was Peary first to achieve this manner, regardless of whether Peary and ski jumper, carved his name in expeditionary Holy Grail? To this or Cook arrived first. polar exploration by achieving the day, historians aren’t absolutely sure Dogs are the long-haul truck- first crossing of the Greenland ice whether Peary was first to the North ers of polar exploration. For Steger’s cap in 1888, traversing the island Pole in 1909, although they are con- 1986 journey, he relied upon three on skis. Nansen was something of vinced both he and Frederick Cook self-sufficient teams of 12 dogs each— a Norwegian George Washington, (1865–1940) came close. Of course, specially bred polar huskies weighing revered as a statesman and humanitar- Cook’s credibility wasn’t enhanced by about 90 pounds per dog. The teams ian as well as an explorer. He rejected his 1923 conviction for mail fraud, fol- faced temperatures as low as minus 68 the complex organization and heavy lowed by seven years in the U.S. fed- degrees F, raging storms and surging manpower of other Arctic ventures, eral prison in Leavenworth, Kansas. 60-to-100-feet pressure ridges of ice. and instead planned his expedition Surprisingly, it wasn’t until 1986 To keep up with dogs pulling for a small party of six on skis, with that the possibility of reaching the 1,100-pound supply sleds traveling at supplies man-hauled on lightweight pole without mechanical assistance speeds of up to four miles per hour, sledges. His team included two Sami or resupply was finally confirmed, team members used Epoke 900 skis, people, who were known to be expert thanks in part to the use of specially Berwin Bindings, Swix Alulight ski snow travelers. All of the men had designed skis. That was the year a poles and Swix ski wax, according experience living outdoors and were wiry Minnesotan named Will Steger, to North to the Pole by Will Steger experienced skiers. a former science teacher then aged with Paul Schurke (Times Books/ Despite challenges such as 41, launched his 56-day Steger North Random House, 1987). In its basic treacherous surfaces with many hid- Pole Expedition, financed by cash equipment, this mode of travel was den crevasses, violent storms and and gear from more than 60 compa- not far removed from the early days rain, ascents to 8,900 feet and tem- nies. The expedition would become of polar exploration. peratures dropping to minus 49 de- the first confirmed, non-mechanized grees F, the 78-day expedition suc- and unsupported dogsled and ski NORWAY’S BEST SKIER ceeded thanks to the team’s sheer journey to the North Pole, proving it CROSSES GREENLAND determination and their use of skis. was indeed possible back in the early Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen (1861– In spring 1889, they returned to a 1900s to have reached the pole in this 1930), an accomplished skier, skater hero’s welcome in Christiania (now www.skiinghistory.org November-December 2017 | 21 praise for the use of skis on the expedition. Their simple Norwegian touring skis with hardwood edges performed without difficulty. Says Staib, “Skiing in the Arctic is not like skiing at home. There’s no real variety, there isn’t even any waxing. There is no wax for snow so cold and, anyway, there is no need for it. There are no hills to climb or descend.” SCOTT OF THE ANTARCTIC Nansen’s techniques of polar travel and his innovations in equipment and clothing influenced a future generation of Arctic and Antarctic explorers, including one whose fail- American explorer Robert E. Peary Peary returned to America only to learn ure in January 1912 was considered a claimed to have reached the North Pole that Frederick Cook (above), an Ameri- blow to British national pride on par on April 6, 1909. Historians now think he can surgeon, claimed to have reached the with the wreck of the Titanic three may have fallen short due to navigational Pole in April 1908, a full year earlier. Cook months later. and record-keeping errors. was later discredited. British Capt. Robert F. Scott (1868–1912) became a national hero Peary used long wooden skis when he set the new “farthest south” (left) and dogsleds in his Arctic record with his expedition to Antarc- expeditions, relying on Inuit tica aboard the 172-foot RRS Discovery drivers and survival techniques. in 1901–1904. Nansen introduced The men dressed in furs and built Scott to Norwegian Tryggve Gran, a igloos for shelter; they also used wealthy expert skier who had been support teams and established trying to mount his own Antarctic supply caches. expedition. Scott asked Gran to train his men for a new expedition, an attempt to be first to reach the geo- graphic South Pole, while conducting scientific experiments and collecting data along the way. After all, who better to teach his men? Most Nor- wegians learned to ski as soon as Oslo), attracting crowds of between the west, but we never knew where they could walk. Arriving in Antarc- 30,000 to 40,000—one-third of the the crevasses would be. So we tica in early January 1911, Gran was city’s population. zipped across as fast as possible— one of the 13 expedition members Nansen later won international sometimes I wished we had slalom involved in positioning supply depots fame after reaching a record “far- skis—and hoped that we were safe needed for the attempt to reach the thest north” latitude of 86°14’ during and wouldn’t break through.” South Pole later that year. his North Pole expedition in 1895, Writes Auran, “Skis, always Scott found skiing “a most pleasur- sadly falling short of the Big Nail by essential for Arctic travel, now be- able and delightful exercise” but was a mere 200 miles. came indispensable. Crossing ice not convinced at first that it would Nansen’s Greenland expedition that sometimes was only the thick- be useful when dragging sledges. He would be repeated and completed, ness of plate glass, the skis provided would later find that however inex- again on skis, 67 years later by the the essential distribution of weight pert their use of skis was, they greatly 27-year-old Norwegian Bjorn Staib in which kept the men from breaking increased safety over crevassed areas. 1962. It took Staib and his teammate through. And they made speed, the “With today’s hindsight, when 31 days to cross the almost 500-mile- other margin of safety, possible.” thousands of far better-equipped wide ice cap. “The skis served them In 1964, Staib would attempt amateurs know how difficult it is to well,” according to a story by John to ski to the North Pole but was master skiing as an adult, Scott’s be- Henry Auran in the November 1965 turned back 14 days from his goal lief that his novices could do so as issue of SKI Magazine. He quotes by poor ice and extreme cold.
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