Polar explorer Robert Peary is best known for being the first to visit the North Pole. To this achievement he went all his life, with obsessive dedication, completing one task after another.
Young years
Robert Peary was born on May 6, 1856. His hometown was Cresson, which is located near Pittsburgh. He also studied on the East Coast, in Maine, from where he went to serve in the US Navy. Army duty sent him to Latin America, including Panama and Nicaragua, where at that time the Americans were trying to build the Nicaraguan Canal to simplify navigation between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
But the real hobby and passion of the young man was the North. At that time, the topic of the Arctic excited the scientific community and just adventurers who wanted to be on the edge of the world. Almost all the years of the life of Robert Peary (1856 - 1920) were devoted to polar exploration. Only 15 years were spent among the Eskimos. Even the discoverer's daughter Mary was born on the expedition.
First expeditions
In 1886, he traveled north for the first time, ending up in Greenland. Travel around this island was organized on the basis ofuse of dog sleds. Piri was such an adventurer that he wanted to cross the island alone. However, his Danish friend convinced the young researcher. Instead, they set off together, leaving behind about a hundred miles, or 160 kilometers. At that time, it was the second longest voyage on the "green island". Robert Peary wanted to improve his result, but already in 1888 Greenland was conquered by Fridtjof Nansen.
After that, the polar explorer became obsessed with the idea of reaching the North Pole, which had never been conquered by anyone. In order not to die on the very first expedition, Piri consistently studied survival skills in the harsh climatic conditions of the Far North for several years. To do this, he studied the life of the Eskimos. Later, the natives of this people will help the researcher in his difficult journeys.
The exotic experience was not in vain. Robert completely abandoned the usual equipment for Europeans and Americans. Even before that, many expeditions died due to unpreparedness for critical temperatures during their stay in the parking lots. Tents and bags were used there, which were defenseless against arctic winds and cataclysms. The Eskimos instead built snow shelters, or igloos. Their experience was adopted by Robert Peary. The biography of the discoverer says that this man borrowed a lot from the indigenous people of the North.
Innovations
The first attempt to reach the North Pole was made in 1895. Before that, there were several more trips to Greenland, where Piri gained experience andknowledge about survival in the harsh conditions of the North. He created a system of transshipment points to simplify the communication of the expedition. As far as transportation was concerned, dogs were preferred, and their numbers were consistently larger than required.
Robert chose his equipment very carefully, guided by the rule that you only need to take on a hike what has a minimum weight and can bring maximum benefit. Extra things could turn out to be a burden, slowing down the researcher, and in the North every hour is expensive, as the weather changed regularly with enviable surprise, and life support resources were calculated every minute.
Psychological work within the team of polar explorers was also important. Peary took over the experience of army discipline. In his expeditions, the authority of the chief was unshakable. The orders given to them were carried out immediately, thanks to which it was possible to avoid deviations from the solution of the assigned tasks.
Target - North Pole
All this baggage of knowledge and skills was applied in 1895, but that attempt was unsuccessful. In addition, many suffered from frostbite, including Robert Peary himself. The North Pole robbed him of eight toes, which had to be amputated.
The second attempt took place only five years later - in 1900, when Peary was able to improve his he alth and solve organizational issues. This time he managed to move further, but he never reached the goal.
Conquest of the North Pole
BIn 1908, the sixth Arctic expedition of Piri was organized. This was his third attempt to conquer the North Pole. A team of Americans and native Greenlanders participated in the campaign. The many-month journey to the goal included a long wintering on the ice. Through certain sections of the route, some participants returned to the mainland to report on the results. Slowly but surely, Robert Peary made his way to his goal. What he discovered became clear on April 6, 1909, when his men planted a star-striped flag in the snow, where the pole was supposed to be. Here the team stayed for 30 hours, after which it turned towards the house. The return took place on September 21, 1909.
The traveler died in 1920, covered in glory. Shortly before this, the US government made him a Rear Admiral.
