Roald Amundsen

When it comes to Antarctic exploration, testosterone really has a lot to answer for. The famous Race to the South Pole of 1911, a competition to be the first to reach the elusive spot, saw two well known Explorers of Antarctica: Norwegian Roald Amundsen, and British Robert Falcon Scott.

Amundsen beat Scott to the finish line by about a month (in December 1911) and was the much-celebrated winner of the Race. His advantages over the British explorer were not trivial.

Being Norwegian, he (and his team) were adapted to harsh conditions, were experienced skiers and knew the intricacies of using dog-led sleds. True to his competitive nature, Amundsen’s fervent attention to the South Pole was a rather impromptu affair.

He had actually intended to be the first man to reach the North Pole, yet once he heard Americans had beaten him to it in 1909, he promptly made a U-turn and headed to the South Pole instead, much to Scott’s eventual anguish.