National Geographic, 1,000 Days in the Ice. 1893, Fridtjof Nansen sets out to to reach the north pole. The plan? Build a reinforced boat, intentionally get trapped in the ice, and then sit back and enjoy the three-year ride. Didn’t quite work out, but man, bold plan. If you liked the Shackleton craze of a few years ago, you’ll dig this.
Sounds like the guy was a total stud:
Nansen was a strapping blond man, fair complected, with a frosty stare and a truculent face that seemed slightly at odds with the refinements of his intellect. Nansen stood apart from the quixotic glory hounds who characterized much of polar exploration’s golden age. Call him a Renaissance Viking: He was a gifted writer, a sought-after lecturer, a first-rate zoologist, and a prominent statesman. Fluent in at least five languages, adroit with a camera, he made beautiful maps and illustrations, kept up a voluminous scientific correspondence, and brought an element of cerebral precision to all his explorations. A contemporary German scientist said of Nansen that he “knew how to handle the microscope as well as the ice axe and skis,” and his scientific achievements were notable, including a groundbreaking paper on the nature of the central nervous system.
Pursued humanitarian work after his exploring days were over, eventually winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922.
