20 Mar 2015, 08:10 am

During this expedition, visitors will discover the men who surpassed themselves and whose trek paved the way for scientific research in Antarctica.
Between 1911 and 1912, two explorers, the Norwegian Roald Amundsen and the British Captain Robert Scott, embarked on a gruelling race of almost 3,000 km to reach the South Pole and return to base camp on the Ross Ice Shelf.
Who would reach the South Pole first?
The exhibition allows visitors to follow the two teams, to discover their motivations and to witness their meticulous stages of preparation, which reveal their very different strategies and equipment. We learn about their life in camp, the waiting periods they endured and their parallel scientific missions.
The Norwegian team preferred dogs to pull the sledges and focused on one single objective: reaching the pole.
The English team chose ponies and carried out scientific explorations in parallel, such as the collection of unknown species.
Discover a gruelling race against the clock over several months, when each hour of the brief polar summer counted, as this was the sole meteorological window in which the elements could be braved and the limits of man’s endurance tested.
By way of example, visitors are invited to experience the resistance of snow: depending on the temperature, it either helped or hindered the teams’ progress.
Finally, the arrival at the hut displaying the victors’ flag plunges you into an atmosphere that invites both admiration and contemplation.
On the one hand, the photographs taken with stereoscopes by the victorious Norwegian team, returning to base camp 10 days in advance.
On the other hand, the English team who encountered increasingly severe hardships. Conscious of the impossibility of return, in his letters Scott paid tribute to the lucidity of his men trapped in this immense desert of ice.
The contemporary press and people from around the world would salute the Norwegian victors as well as the English, heroes in death.
The South Pole today
This race paved the way for teams of researchers and students, the only souls who have thus far set foot on this land that conceals treasures and a remarkable biodiversity. Their scientific bases have modern equipment.
- India's first Seri-Eco Tourism project launched in Kashmir's Manasbal
- Anand Mahindra says heights keep Vizag’s new glass skywalk off his bucket list
- Skål International Kolkata twins with Skål International J&K to boost tourism
- US tightens visa rules: Indians must now book interviews only in country of nationality
- Navi Mumbai Airport to support safe landings in adverse weather and low visibility
- Mumbai's newest attraction is its 5-km sea promenade along Coastal Road
- Newly launched booking site QuietHotelRooms.com helps travellers sleep better
- Air Canada to begin operations after flight attendants decide to end strike
- Kolkata gets its first direct Metro to airport; PM Modi set to open 3 game changing routes on Aug 22
- Air Canada flights remain grounded as striking union defies order to resume work
Air India Express has rolled out a new “Book Direct” campaign, encouraging passengers to book tickets directly through its website or mobile app.
Air India has launched a promotional sale, 'One India', offering flat fares for flights from India to anywhere in Europe.
Emirates will be serving authentic Onam dishes across all cabin classes on its flights to and from Dubai to Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram until Sept 6, the airline has announced.