The Polar regions are two of the most inhospitable places on Earth. It is perhaps this, or the long-standing intrigue of the North and South Poles, that have drawn adventurers to explore them for hundreds of years. Many of their feats of endurance and heroic leadership still resonate today.
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Polar Expedition Cruising
Scott and his men at the South Pole, © Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
The history of human exploration of the Polar Regions is one of achievement, failure, endurance, courage, stoicism and ultimately, self-sacrifice.
It has given us household names such as Scott, Shackelton, Amundsen and latterly, Ranulph Fiennes. These and other pioneers led the way in opening up not just physical routes but also our scientific understanding of these inhospitable regions.
Today thanks in part to their endeavours you can visit these places in the comfort of specially designed cruise vessels to get some understanding of what they saw and felt.
View some of the most famous polar explorers.
Browse the key dates in the exploration of the Polar Regions.
See images showing the beauty and history of these regions.
