Into the Extreme: Vintage Arctic Expeditions (PHOTOS)

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

New Zealand Sir Edmund Hillary drives a "Muskeg" automobile sled, at the Shackleton base in January 1958.(-/AFP/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly.

The men who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century were motivated by nationalism, fame, and scientific enterprise. Many reveled in the adventure of traveling to unknown lands that few had seen before, places that had no reliable maps and were almost impossible to access.

In the Arctic, explorers searched for the Northwest Passage, a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, for decades. According to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen was the first to navigate the Northwest Passage, and no one would replicate the journey fro another 34 years. 

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

January 1958: An automobile sled, conducted by members of the Hillary team, passes by a group of Adelie penguin, near the Shackleton base. (-/AFP/Getty Images)

According to Joan Boothe, the author of The Storied Ice: Exploration, Discovery, and Adventure in Antarctica's Peninsula Region, the explorers attempting to traverse Antarctica during the Heroic Age (1897 to 1916) faced everything from scurvy to frostbite to psychological problems. 

"You were most likely to survive if you were prepared and knew what you were doing," Boothe said in an interview with Weather.com. "But even then you might fail. And if you were not careful and took risks, you still might make it."

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

A dog team near the ice-bound British National Antarctic Expedition ship RRS Discovery, circa 1903. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Oftentimes, Boothe said, it came down to luck. In 1911, for example, the British Captain Robert Falcon Scott and the Norwegian Captain Roald Amundsen both set off to try and reach the South Pole first. Not only did Amundsen reach the Pole before Scott, but Scott's entire team also died on the return journey, according to BBC History.

During the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration, 17 men died, and many others dealt with injuries and illness.

Apart from not always knowing where they were going and struggling to find nutritious food, the men had to deal with the incredibly harsh climate. Antarctica is the largest desert and the windiest continent in the world.

"A particular feature of the Antarctic is what are called katabatic winds, which are gravity driven winds, coming roaring off the polar plateau toward the coast at speeds that at their peak reach up to 200 mph," Boothe said.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

British explorer Vivian Fuchs and New Zealand explorer Edmund Hillary give a press conference in 1957 about their expeditions to the South Pole. (-/AFP/Getty Images)

According to the University of Wisconsin - Madison, a wind gust of 199 mph was clocked in July 1972. These winds pick up the snow and turn it into a swirling blizzard, even without any precipitation falling.

Antarctica is also home to the coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth. The temperature dipped to -128.6 degrees at Vostok on July 21, 1983.

Modern expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic benefit greatly from new technology, and also from the work of the men who went before them, braving the elements to map out the unknown.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

English explorer Vivian Fuchs with a barrel of BP oil and a Tucker Sno-Cat during the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, March 1958. (Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

U.S. Navy icebreakers pushing an iceberg out to sea to clear a channel leading to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, 29th December 1965. (Arthur W. Thomas/Three Lions/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1964: The U.S. Navy icebreaker U.S.S. Atka pushing an iceberg out to sea, Antarctica. (Kopp/Three Lions/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1909: The Southern party of Shackleton's Antarctic expedition, which came within a record-breaking 156 km of the south pole. (Spencer Arnold/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Dec. 1909: Men in arctic suits advertising the Shackleton Lantern Lecture, which tells the story of Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton, who came within a record-breaking 97 miles of reaching the South Pole. (Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

March 1958: English Antarctic explorer Vivian Fuchs standing next to his Sno-Cat vehicle in which he is trekking across Antarctica. (Central Press/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1935: Workmen dissecting a whale carcass in Antarctica. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1935: Whalers standing on the back of a huge blue whale, caught in the Antarctic. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Sept. 1921: Ernest Shackleton waving goodbye as he embarks on the Shackleton-Rault Expedition to the Antarctic. (Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

May 1970:  Marine Eddy Taylor and able seaman Bob Keefe return home after seven months in the Antarctic on board the Royal Navy's ice patrol ship. (Keystone/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Jan. 1912: In the final journey of Scott to discover the South Pole, Captain Scott leads a sleigh party over the ice. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1902: Antarctic research ship 'Discovery' frozen in for the winter near Observation Hill. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

June 1901: Members of Scott's team finding water in the Antarctic. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1908: Explorer Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton with his team and equipment in the Antarctic. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1960: The Antarctic whaler the 'Balaena' towing whales which have been inflated with air to make them easier to tow. (Central Press/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Dec. 1959: Members of the Russian traverse party on their visit to the US South Pole station. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Oct. 1935: Dr. J.R. Strong examining X-ray equipment in the sick bay of the Royal Research Ship 'Discovery II' which is about to leave St. Katherine's Dock on its fourth voyage to the Antarctic. (Central Press/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1952: A snowcat balanced precariously over a crevice, during a Trans-Antarctic Expedition. (Fox Photos/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

April 1957: A US Navy helicopter hovers near the coastguard ice breaker, 'Northwind', as it clears a path through ice at Moubray Bay. (Keystone/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

May 1958: 'Our Lady Of The Snow', a shrine erected near the McMurdo Naval Air facility in the Antarctic. It was erected in memory of Richard Williams, a navy man killed during Operation Freeze. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1960: Warren A. Jackman of the United States Navy's Operation Deepfreeze, filming at the naval Air Facility at McMurdo Sound in Antarctica. (Keystone/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1902: A member of the German South Pole Expedition killing a seal. (Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1909: Irish explorer Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton and two members of his expedition team beside a Union Jack within 111 miles of the South Pole, a record feat. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1908:  An icy coastline, off which the ship 'Nimrod'  is traveling, during one of Irish explorer Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton's expeditions. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Aug.1914: Lieutenant Dobbs, in charge of the teams of sled dogs in the Shackleton-led expedition, on board SS Endurance at Millwall Docks before departure for the Antarctic. (Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Aug. 1, 1914: Irish explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship SS Endurance after leaving Millwall Docks, bound for the Antarctic. (Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Jan. 1914: Rene Le Grain on a motor sleigh driven by airplane propellers, the form of sleigh that Irish explorer Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton plans to use on his next expedition. (Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

July 1914:  The steering gear of SS Endurance during preparations for Sir Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic expedition at Millwall Docks in London, England. (Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Aug. 1, 1914:  Crew members on board Shackleton's expedition ship SS Endurance after leaving Millwall Docks, London, England bound for the Antarctic. (Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1911: Norwegian explorer Captain Roald Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole, inspecting ice fields near a glacier in the Atlantic Ocean. (Keystone/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1914: Members of an expedition team led by Irish explorer Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton at work at a camp site in Antarctica. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Feb. 1913: The ice-bound SS 'Terra Nova' used by Captain Robert Falcon Scott on his ill-fated Antarctic expedition to the South Pole. (Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1930: A whaling ship plunges through the waves during an Antarctic trip, dragging the carcasses of several whales behind it. (General Photographic Agency/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

May 1946: Two members of the US Coastguard standing in front of an iceberg. (Keystone Features/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

May 1946: The crew of a US Coastguard cutter looking at an iceberg. (Keystone Features/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1876: During the British Nares Expedition to the Antarctic, one of the crew spears a large walrus. Behind him, clothing hangs from the rigging of the ship and a rope ladder dangles from the prow. (London Stereoscopic Company/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1908: Irish explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship SS Nimrod in the Antarctic pack ice. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1902: A balloon being deflated near the Discovery after an attempted ascent during Scott's expedition to the Antarctic.   (Ernest Shackleton/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1911: Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen in front of his Dornier-Wal seaplane prior to his failed attempt to reach the North Pole by air. (General Photographic Agency/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1947: English explorer and geologist, Vivian Ernest Fuchs with Dr Slessor on board the 'John Biscoe' leaving today for the Antarctic. (Keystone/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1928: The cutter 'Bear', used by US admiral Richard Byrd on an expedition to the South Polar regions. (General Photographic Agency/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1958: A member of the US Navy blazes a trail across the Antarctic as part of Operation Deep Freeze. (Keystone/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1912: Members of Captain Scott's party discover the tent of Roald Amundsen. (Central Press/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1903: Scott's sledge party, which reached the furthest southern latitude on his national Antarctic expedition, celebrating Christmas. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1909: Irish explorer Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, in the southern party on board the vessel 'Nimrod', on their return voyage from the British Antarctic Expedition 1907 after reaching a point 97 miles from the South Pole, a record at the time. (Spencer Arnold/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Click on to see more.

Vintage Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions

Circa 1914: Members of an expedition team led by Irish explorer Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton pull a vessel across the snow in the Antarctic. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Arctic and Antarctic present some of the most challenging and dangerous environments of any location on Earth - and before modern technology like airplanes and GPS, voyages to the two poles could easily turn deadly. The photos in this article feature brave explorers who traveled to the northernmost and southernmost tips of the world at the turn of the twentieth century.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Most Dangerous Borders in the World