South

The false start of September 1911 is a reminder that there is no such thing as an inevitable outcome in the risky enterprise of polar exploration. Methodical and careful, Amundsen was also a man of towering ambition, prey to the same dangerous dreams and impulses that drive all explorers to risk their lives in wild places. Amundsen's greatness is not that he lacked such driving forces but that he mastered them—as his diary entries go on to show. Four days after his premature start Amundsen assessed his party's situation dispassionately and made the decision to "hurry back to wait for the spring. To risk men and animals by continuing stubbornly once we have set off, is something I couldn't consider. If we are to win the game, the pieces must be moved properly; a false move and everything could be lost." The ability to regain and maintain perspective in the pursuit of something as heady as a personal dream is a rare asset. Like other great explorers, Amundsen knew when to turn back.

~ Amundsen