Wolves made their appearance during the winter, and two were caught in a trap, and ultimately grew quite tame.
On the 8th April 1901 the long spring journeys started. Sverdrup and Schei were to investigate whether the new land discovered during the previous year was separate from Ellesmere Land. Isachsen and Hassel were to explore the land in the west. The latter party had formed a dépôt at Cape South-West earlier in the spring, and Sverdrup had also formed a dépôt. Baumann and Stolz were to carry out a surveying expedition.
Sverdrup first explored several of the fiords which run northward from Baumann Fiord. From Troldfiord they passed over the land, and reached a large fiord running east and west. A course was made for the north-west point, from which a waterway was seen extending northward as far as the eye could reach. To this was given the name of “Heureka Sound.” In the north was seen a high, bluish-black, precipitous promontory, which was called “Blaamander,” or “The Blue Man,” and the course was set on this. Farther north it was decided that Fosheim and the mate, who were still with Sverdrup, should follow the east side of the sound, while Sverdrup and Schei should follow the west side. From this point, far to the north, rose a mountain crag which appeared like an island. It was later found that it was not an island, but that large fiords penetrated the land towards the north and east. From there, Greely Fiord runs north-east.
Sverdrup and Schei now made for the west coast, which they followed northward over rough ice and in bad weather. They finally reached a point which was termed “Smorgrautberget.” From here they received the impression that a large sea opened out to the north-west, and that Axel Heiberg Land was separated from Grant Land by a sound which was named “Fridtjof Nansen Sound.”
On 13th May the return journey was begun. Not far south of the most northern point reached they found Eskimo ruins. Near Blaamander they crossed to the east coast. On the journey north, and also on the way south, they encountered wolves. A pack of twelve attacked a dog-team, and one of the dogs was severely bitten before the wolves were driven off. On the return journey several fiords were explored and examined geologically by Schei, who was always on the look-out for fossils. The Fram was reached on 18th June.
Baumann and Stolz had returned on 28th May, Isachsen and Hassel on 6th June, and Fosheim and the mate on 13th June.
The first two had seen a herd of three deer, and had shot a good many polar oxen, a bear with two cubs, and two wolves. They surveyed a large tract in the neighbourhood of Baumann Fiord.
After leaving Sverdrup, Fosheim and the mate made for Greely Fiord, which they followed eastwards in order to ascertain whether a fiord or sound cut into the land in a southerly direction. It was thought possible that such a fiord might communicate with Bay Fiord.
One running to the south was found, and followed to its head. Instead of going back the long way they had come, an attempt was made to cross the land to Heureka Sound, but after driving nearly 12 miles they found the way impassable, and had to return. Part of the Bay Fiord was explored on the way south, and then they shaped their course for the Fram.
Isachsen and Hassel reached Cape South-West on their outward journey on 13th April. They found the cache scattered about in all directions, but little of the food was missing. It was supposed that this had been the work of polar oxen.