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In the Southern Hemisphere spring of 1911, two parties set off just a few days from each other in a race to the South Pole, the last unexplored region on earth. No other human exploration came close to the difficulty of this journey, until man went to the Moon. Except for space, nowhere has a harsher and more forbidding environment.
One party led by Norwegian Roald Amundsen was successful. The other led by British naval captain Robert Scott ended in tragedy.
The reason for the difference in the two trips is a lesson in the importance of understanding and working with the environment, and in using the correct technology in order for exploration to be successful. From this saga, we can learn how to properly prepare for the mission to Mars.