Helmer Hanssen
Encyclopedia
Helmer Julius Hanssen was a Norwegian
polar explorer, and one of the first five to reach the South Pole
on the expedition of Roald Amundsen
.
, on the island of Andøya
in the northern part of Norway. He was an experienced ice pilot, a skill he had learned while hunting seals around Spitsbergen
.
From 1903 to 1905 Helmer Hanssen participated in Roald Amundsen
's successful search for the Northwest Passage
, as second mate on board the ship Gjøa
. On the expedition he learned from the Inuit
how to drive sled dog
s. In 1910 he headed south with Amundsen to conquer the South Pole
. This time as an expert dog driver. He was also in charge of navigation
, carrying the master compass
on his sledge.
He was one of the first five people to reach the South Pole on 14 December 1911, along with Roald Amundsen, Olav Bjaaland
, Oscar Wisting
, and Sverre Hassel
. During their stay at the South Pole, it is believed that Hanssen passed within 200 yards (180 meters) of the mathematical South Pole point. This was during one of his ski runs which Amundsen had ordered be performed to completely encircle or "box" the pole to ensure that there was no doubt that the expedition had attained the pole. For his participation in the expedition, he was awarded the Medal of the South Pole (Sydpolsmedaljen), the Royal Norwegian award instituted by King Haakon V in 1912 to reward participants in Roald Amundsen's South Pole expedition.
In 1919 he once again went north this time as captain on Maud in Roald Amundsen's Northeast Passage expedition.
In 1936 Hanssen published his autobiography The Voyages of a Modern Viking, London: Rutledge, 1936.
Helmer Julius Hanssen was awarded the Knight of St. Olav for exceptional seamanship on Roald Amundsen's expeditions in the northern and southern parts of the world.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
polar explorer, and one of the first five to reach the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
on the expedition of Roald Amundsen
Roald Amundsen
Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole between 1910 and 1912 and he was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. He is also known as the first to traverse the Northwest Passage....
.
His life
Helmer Hanssen was born in BjørnskinnBjørnskinn
Bjørnskinn is a former municipality in the Andøy municipality of Nordland county, Norway.-History:Bjørnskinn is located on Andøya, a few km northwest of the village of Risøyhamn. Andenes and Bjørnskinn were separated from Dverberg on January 1, 1924. At that point Bjørnskinn had a population of...
, on the island of Andøya
Andøya
Andøya is the northernmost island in the archipelago of Vesterålen. Andøya is located in the Andøy municipality in Nordland county, Norway.The island has an area of 489 km², making it the tenth largest island in Norway. The island is connected to the neighboring island of Hinnøya using the...
in the northern part of Norway. He was an experienced ice pilot, a skill he had learned while hunting seals around Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
.
From 1903 to 1905 Helmer Hanssen participated in Roald Amundsen
Roald Amundsen
Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole between 1910 and 1912 and he was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. He is also known as the first to traverse the Northwest Passage....
's successful search for the Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage
The Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
, as second mate on board the ship Gjøa
Gjøa
Gjøa was the first vessel to transit the Northwest Passage. With a crew of six, Roald Amundsen traversed the passage in a three year journey, finishing in 1906.- History :- Construction :...
. On the expedition he learned from the Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
how to drive sled dog
Sled dog
Sled dogs, known also as sleigh man dogs, sledge dogs, or sleddogs, are highly trained types of dogs that are used to pull a dog sled, a wheel-less vehicle on runners also called a sled or sleigh, over snow or ice, by means of harnesses and lines.Sled dogs have become a popular winter recreation...
s. In 1910 he headed south with Amundsen to conquer the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
. This time as an expert dog driver. He was also in charge of navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
, carrying the master compass
Compass
A compass is a navigational instrument that shows directions in a frame of reference that is stationary relative to the surface of the earth. The frame of reference defines the four cardinal directions – north, south, east, and west. Intermediate directions are also defined...
on his sledge.
He was one of the first five people to reach the South Pole on 14 December 1911, along with Roald Amundsen, Olav Bjaaland
Olav Bjaaland
Olav Bjaaland was a Norwegian ski champion from Telemark. In 1911, he was one of the first five men to reach the South Pole as part of an expedition led by Roald Amundsen.- His life :...
, Oscar Wisting
Oscar Wisting
Oscar Adolf Wisting was a Norwegian polar explorer. Together with Roald Amundsen he was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles.- Biography :...
, and Sverre Hassel
Sverre Hassel
Sverre Helge Hassel was a Norwegian polar explorer and one of the first five people to reach the South Pole.- Biography :...
. During their stay at the South Pole, it is believed that Hanssen passed within 200 yards (180 meters) of the mathematical South Pole point. This was during one of his ski runs which Amundsen had ordered be performed to completely encircle or "box" the pole to ensure that there was no doubt that the expedition had attained the pole. For his participation in the expedition, he was awarded the Medal of the South Pole (Sydpolsmedaljen), the Royal Norwegian award instituted by King Haakon V in 1912 to reward participants in Roald Amundsen's South Pole expedition.
In 1919 he once again went north this time as captain on Maud in Roald Amundsen's Northeast Passage expedition.
In 1936 Hanssen published his autobiography The Voyages of a Modern Viking, London: Rutledge, 1936.
Helmer Julius Hanssen was awarded the Knight of St. Olav for exceptional seamanship on Roald Amundsen's expeditions in the northern and southern parts of the world.