Amundsen still has much to do — and time is short.
In May 1902, Gjøa heads south from Tromsø to Kristiania (Oslo).
They break the journey at Trondheim, where Gjøa has a 13 horsepower petroleum engine installed at the Isidor Nielsen mechanical workshop.
Amundsen now goes back to Georg von Neumayer in Hamburg to take possession of the scientific instruments and check them over. For field-testing, he heads to Kristian Birkeland's northern lights observatory, on Halddetoppen near Alta on Norway’s north coast.
On his way to Alta, Amundsen sends several postcards home to his sister-in-law Malfred. He doesn't write much, but buys cards with place names on them and notes the date.
The postcards serve as brief updates on where he is and what he's up to.
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Trondheim. 24.7.1902 - 2/8
Steinkjer. 24.7.1902 - 3/8
Torghatten. 30.7.1902 - 4/8
Brønø. 1.8.1902 - 5/8
Bodø. 2.8.1902 - 6/8
Narvik. 7.8.1902 - 7/8
Tromsø. 12.8.1902 - 8/8
Hammerfest. 17.8.1902
Amundsen has brought his camera to Alta. Several photographs from the days at the northern lights observatory will be discovered over a century later in Roald Amundsen's home.
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Photo: Roald Amundsen, MiA - 2/4
Sem Sæland, lecturer in physics at the University of Oslo, outside the observatory. Photo: Roald Amundsen, MiA - 3/4
Inside the observatory. On the left sit Birkeland's assistants Sem Sæland and Richard Krekling. Roald Amundsen on the right. Photo: Olmar Egenæs, World Heritage Rock Art Centre – Alta Museum - 4/4
Sæland and the observatory. Photo: Roald Amundsen, MiA
In the summer of 1902, Amundsen renews his friendship with an old classmate.
At a table at Theatercafeen in the capital, he is meeting Fredrik Herman Gade, a man whom Amundsen will consider his best friend and who will shape the course of his life.
Gade is worldly, having moved to America at an early age, and now offers to promote Amundsen’s expedition over there.
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Gade and Amundsen. Photo: Follo museum, MiA
Several key people influence Amundsen's planning through the autumn.
In September 1902, the polar ship Fram returns to Norway from four years in Arctic Canada. Under the leadership of Otto Sverdrup and with the help of dog teams, the Second Fram Expedition has mapped almost 300,000 square kilometres of land.
For Roald Amundsen, Sverdrup arrives back just in time.
Amundsen has no experience of using dogs with sledges, but Sverdrup’s expedition has shown their potential. Knowledge, experience and dogs are thus passed from Fram to Gjøa.
Amundsen also needs one last qualification.
