The North Pole by Robert E. Peary, 1909 Peary Arctic Club

Last camp before the Pole

This is the last camp they made before reaching the Pole. See how they cut blocks of snow to make the igloos? There wasn't much snow and it was harder to make the igloos. The ice was smoother so they traveled faster because the ocean gets very deep which means it doesn't break up into ridges as often.

Matt Henson broke trail the last 133 miles by using his compass, the time of day/position of the sun and moon—exactly the way Paul Landry, Matty McNair and other experts do today. People wrongly think that a GPS in needed to find the Pole (Weber in Polar Attack) but that is silly. Landy and McNair only use a GPS to log daily progress, or to call in coordinates for an airplane to land.

[Peary's Diary] Monday, Apr. 5 "Over the 89th!! Started early last evening. ...Sledges appeared to haul a little easier, dog on trot much of the time. Last two hours on young ice of a north & south lead they were often galloping. 10 hours. 25 miles or more. ...this biting cold, the face burning for hours. ...natives complain ...of their noses, which I never knew them to do before. it is keen & bitter as frozen steel...another dog expended here."

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