Part 1: The Expedition That Almost Ended Amundsen’s Journey to the South Pole
— A Tale from Hardangervidda
Typical landscape of the west side of Hardangervidda National park
Imagine standing on the edge of Europe’s largest mountain plateau, where endless white plains stretch as far as the eye can see, and the wind whispers stories of adventure and survival. This is Hardangervidda – Norway’s largest national park and one of the most breathtakingly remote places in Europe. Covering over 8,000 square kilometers (about the size of the US state of Delaware), this vast wilderness is home to Europe’s last remaining population of wild reindeer and offers a landscape so rugged and untouched that you can hike for ten days without seeing another soul.
For those heading to Trolltunga, one of the world’s most iconic cliff formations, you’re also stepping into the gateway of Hardangervidda. The same dramatic terrain and extreme conditions that shape this unforgettable hike once served as a training ground for one of history’s greatest explorers: Roald Amundsen. Before his legendary journey to become the first person to reach the South Pole, Amundsen tested his endurance and survival skills right here on Hardangervidda – a journey that nearly cost him his life.
As we build up to the start of our guided winter tours to Trolltunga on March 1st, we’re sharing Amundsen’s own harrowing account of his expedition across Hardangervidda – translated into English for the very first time. It’s a story of grit, danger, and the incredible spirit of adventure that still defines this landscape today.
Stay tuned as we unveil this incredible tale, piece by piece, and prepare yourself for a deeper connection to the wild beauty and history of Hardangervidda. And when you set foot on your own journey to Trolltunga, remember – you’re walking in the footsteps of legends.
Did you know that legendary polar explorer Roald Amundsen tested his endurance in Norway’s remote wilderness before conquering the South Pole? One of his toughest training expeditions took place in Hardangervidda, Norway’s largest national park — a vast, windswept plateau known for its Arctic like conditions.
Today, Hardangervidda remains a paradise for adventurers. One of its most famous entry points is Trolltunga, an iconic rock formation and a bucketlist hike for visitors to Norway. While modern explorers follow well-marked trails with expert guides, Amundsen’s journey was a battle against the elements, with minimal supplies and no clear path ahead.
This is the amazing story of his winter crossing — a journey that nearly cost him his life.
Roald Amundsen’s Winter Journey Across Hardangervidda
Here is Roald Amundsen’s own account, as it was written in Fredrikstad Blad in February 1896:
Roald Amundsen conquered the poles on cross country skis. On Trolltunga Adventures' Winter Hike, we conquer the mountains with snowshoes.
“At the time, my military service only occupied me for a few weeks at a time, which allowed me to continue my specialized training. One event during this period nearly put an end to my life. It was filled with hardships and dangers as great as any I would later face in the polar regions.
This event took place when I was twenty-two years old. It was an attempt to undertake a journey similar to what I might experience in the Arctic. I chose a companion and suggested a midwinter ski expedition across the Hardangervidda plateau, from the small mountain farm of Mogen in the east to the farm of Garen in the west. He was eager to join, and we left Oslo during the Christmas holidays. It didn’t take us long to reach Mogen on skis. There, we decided to rest, as it was the last farm we expected to see for the entirety of our journey.
Mogen was a small house with only two rooms. An elderly man lived there with his wife and their two married sons — six people in total. In those days, there were no tourists in the area, neither in summer nor winter, so our arrival was a surprise, regardless of when we came. But since we arrived in the middle of winter, their surprise was even greater. They immediately allowed us to stay overnight. They were hospitable people and made space for us on the floor by the fireplace, where we slept comfortably in our reindeer-skin sleeping bags.
The next morning, it began to snow, and by midday, a raging snowstorm had set in. It lasted for eight days, and during that time, we remained at the small farm.
Typical gear for Trolltunga Adventures' Winter Hike to Trolltunga: snowshoes and poles.
Our hosts were naturally curious about our purpose. When we explained our plan to cross the plateau to Hardanger, they refused to believe us at first. Later, they became deeply concerned. The three men, all of whom knew the plateau inside and out, strongly warned us against attempting the crossing in winter. No one had ever done it before, and they insisted that it could not be done. Despite their warnings, we had already made up our minds, and nothing would change them. On the ninth day, they followed us up the valley to the edge of the plateau and pointed out the easiest ascent. Sadly, they bid us farewell, clearly believing they would never see us again.
We, of course, saw the whole endeavor in a much more optimistic light. The plateau here was about ten Norwegian miles wide, and as skilled skiers, with the weather seemingly in our favor, we expected to complete the journey in no more than two days. Our equipment was therefore minimal, suited only for a short expedition. Besides skis and poles, we carried a reindeer skin sleeping bag on our backs — no tent. Each of us also had a small pack with provisions and a tiny spirit burner. The pack was rolled inside the sleeping bag. Our food consisted of a few biscuits, some chocolate, and a little butter — barely enough for perhaps eight days at best. We also carried a pocket compass and a map.
Reaching the plateau itself presented no difficulties. What we found was not entirely flat terrain, but for our purposes, it might as well have been. The landscape offered no landmarks to navigate by. We saw only an endless expanse of small ridges, indistinguishable from one another.”
Roald Amundsen
We therefore had to rely on our compass. Our first goal was a shepherd’s hut in the middle of the plateau. It got dark early, but with the help of the compass, we easily found our way to the hut, which we reached early in the afternoon.
However, our pride in this achievement was short lived. We discovered that the window and door had been nailed shut, and that large planks had been placed on top of the chimney. We were quite exhausted from the day’s march, the wind had started to pick up again, and the thermometer showed around minus twelve degrees. It was hard and strenuous work to get into the hut and later climb onto the roof to clear the chimney so we could make a fire. We both suffered severe frostbite on our fingers, and in the following weeks, my companion was seriously worried that he might lose one of his fingers.
Inside the hut, we were fortunate to find a supply of firewood, but it took us quite some time before we could enjoy its warmth. If you have ever tried to start a fire in a fireplace when the chimney is cold and the temperature is well below freezing, you will understand the difficulties we faced in getting it to draw. The cold air settles over the fire like a blanket, so you need a strong blaze before the heat can create the necessary circulation in the chimney. As we struggled with this, the hut naturally filled with thick smoke that stung our eyes and throats.
Once we had a good fire going and had eaten our supper, we felt considerably better. In the end, we crawled into our sleeping bags, and in the bunks by the wall opposite the fireplace, we slept very well.
The next morning, however …
To be continued in part 2 …
Listen to the first two episodes on the podcast-series here:
Sources:
The original text is taken from Polarlitteratur.no
Photo Amundsen 1899: Daniel Georg Nyblin - Nasjonalbiblioteket / National Library of Norway
Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) in furchttp://sunde.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/roald_amundsen_wearing_furskins.jpg
We used ChatGPT to translate Amundsen Norwegian text.
To make the audio version we used Elevenlabs.io