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>> I guess it’s T minus
12 hours now just about.

So we’re going to preload the
plane and at 7 a.m. tomorrow

if the weather is good
we’ll take off to the ice.

I think we’re ready.

[ Music ]

>> It is difficult to pinpoint
the beginning of this journey.

Was it the childhood dream
to follow in the steps

of the superman, who
charted the maps of our world

with their bravery, instinct,

and natural connection
with the land.

[ Music ]

Was it the day the
thought entered my mind

that to make the poles could
in fact be within my reach.

Was it a year ago when I began
articulating the thought first

mentally, then vocally, that
I would undertake the Everest

of polar expeditions,
perhaps the toughest on earth.

Was it 6 months ago when I
stepped up both my training

and diet to increase
strength and mass

so that I could endure the
brutal cold and harsh conditions

of 6-8 weeks on the ice.

Was it when lo and behold amidst
the failing economy minimal

funding came through to green
light my 2-member centennial

expedition to the North Pole

to commemorate Perry’s first
successful reach in 1909.

Or was it just now as
I sit in the middle row

of a fully booked flight to
Minnesota to undergo a week

of shakedown training with polar
explorers to test the equipment,

the systems, and
our capabilities.

Conditions here can simulate
the artic environment,

and spending a week on a
frozen lake, sleeping in snow,

and dropping into
a hole in the ice

for survival tests can wake
you to the realities ahead.

>> Mother flucker.

>> We were leading by example

into a wilderness
that is endangered.

>> One which is suffering
greatly

at the hands of climate change.

>> We had a shortage
of food basically.

>> We faced really, really
tough traveling conditions.

>> Those decisions that we made
in the tent really hindered us

from peak performance.

>> We had very reduced
visibility.

>> I was, I was physically
exhausted.

>> Because I virtually could
hardly see a damn thing.

>> Rescue is uncertain.

>> The north pole is a very
very difficult experienced.

>> And traveling to there is
the hardest trip in the world.

>> The ice just simply opened up
from under me and swallowed me.

[ Music ]

>> I got the exploring
bug from my grandfather.

He conducted safaris in India
and Africa in the 1940s and 50s.

By midlife, he traded
his gun for a camera.

My earliest memories of
photographs date from childhood

and viewing black and whites
of his lions and elephants.

I shot my first pictures
of wildlife

in Africa when I was 12.

From that time on,
photography has been my weapon.

With images my mission would
be to help people fall in love

with their world, because I
feel we will not save what we do

not love.

[ Music ]

My first trips to
Antarctica were game changers

and such rich experiences.

It is also a system that is
challenged by climate change.

I first went there in 2006 with
my friend John Quigley to send

and SOS from the remote
iceberg in the Gerlache Strait.

That trip consolidated
my love for the ice.

And from it I brought
back impressions

that changed my life.

I had dreamt of reaching the
North Pole since I was a child.

Today, that environment,
ground zero for climate change,

is melting away at
confounding rates,

and mild childhood dream
will no longer be afforded

to the children of
future generations.

Part of my mission is to
commemorate the remarkable feat

of Admiral Peary, Henson
and his team of [inaudible],

who set off on foot and reached
the North Pole 100 years ago

on April 6, 1909.

But it is also to raise
awareness on the fact

that there will be no
bicentennial expedition

on foot to the North Pole.

The arctic sea cap is
melting as well as so rapidly

that it will be gone
in the summer months

within just a few years.

It is hard to imagine the
North Pole without ice,

but that is the impending
reality that we face.

This should send a
clarion to the world

and raise a significant
call onto our responsibility

to develop sustainably
[background noise].

I do not know what
Duluth, Minnesota,

looks like any other
time of the year,

but in early February it
probably does not figure

on many top ten destinations
short of dog sled training

and outward bound programs.

The approach by plane
spelled out the gray,

grim and frigid environment.

What kind of individual
volunteers to fly

from sunny California
to this outpost near the

Canadian border?

On the taxi drive from
the airport to the motel

where we’ll be spending
the rest of this night,

my driver assesses me
out by assessing the slew

of sponsor badges that
adorn my expedition jacket

and concludes accurately that
I’m not from these parts.

After I share with him
the purpose of my trip,

he tells me that 2 months ago
he saw the coldest temperatures

ever recorded here,
minus 50 degrees.

Minus 50.

[ Background Noise ]

Minnesota, it turns out,
can produce conditions

that approximate the
artic environment.

The land of ten thousand
lakes is ideally suited

within the continental
United States to train

for polar expeditions.

>> A balmy day in the arctic.

This will be a joke compared
to where we’re going.

>> After careful consideration,

I will lead my own team
Keith will be with me,

and I feel good about that.

>> [inaudible] camping.

Four inches of snow.

>> I met Keith in training,
and we share a passion

for polar exploration.

He is an expert outdoorsman,
and I am confident

that his skills will
complement mine.

>> For someone like myself,
who is enamored by polar travel

and polar history, the
opportunity to get out there

and experience the environment

that those explorers were
traveling in was a highlight

for my young adventuring career.

>> Keith and I are the
only ones here to plan

for the 5-6 weeks needed to
cover the 300 nautical miles

of the last 5 degrees north.

In the years since Peary, less
than 150 people have traveled

that distance on foot.

Within the next few years,
no one will likely be able

to travel that distance any
longer unless they’re willing

to travel partly by night
for the ice will get too thin

and fragmented during the
spring days [background noise].

Up early to feed the kennel

of sled dogs we find unusually
mild temperatures and rain.

>> Breakfast of champions here.

Five star accommodations.

Courtesy of Mr. Rick Schroeder.

>> Thank you very much.

>> Rick, the owner of Polar
Explorers, later tells me

that the shakedown is
designed to dissuade all

but the most committed
adventurers.

In a flat, matter of
fact tone, he announces

that the week has
been designed to shake

down the less than super fit.

>> It’s really beautiful
around here.

Conditions are a lot milder
than they will be in the arctic

as well as the effort.

Pulling the sled is probably
a little harder here.

The snow is sticking to the
sled, makes it a bit heavier.

It’s about 200 pounds as
it is, this big one here,

and that will be my
lifeline for about 6 weeks.

All these lakes in Minnesota
would be very difficult

to travel and hike around in the
summer because all those trails

that we’re walking would
be filled with marsh,

so you can cut trails
in the winter,

and that’s what we’re doing.

>> Gorgeous around here.

[background noise]

>> The mild temperatures
and the rain make

for very slushy conditions,

and I have some trepidation
pulling my 200 pounds of weight.

As it turns out, the sled
starts gliding in the slush,

and before long, my
body temperature rises

to a steady sweat.

This will be the biggest
challenge in the great north.

Sweat can be deadly.

The game hinges on how
to regulate the systems

to maximize performance
while minimizing body heat.

Tomorrow will be the
first test of endurance

with 8 full hours of skiing.

My body aches, and as I lay
to rest, I am contemplative

of my limitations,
which silently scream

from the depth of my soul.

What type of man are you to
think you will succeed at this?

[ Music ]

The countdown has begun.

I will set off on March 23rd.

[ Music ]

March 17, 2009.

>> Tonight we’re going to be
honoring Sebastian Copeland,

who is travelling
to the North Pole

to raise awareness
about global warming.

Global Green’s resident
architect, trekker, author,

and board member, also an
Angelino, Sebastian will depart

on a 2-month artic
trip to the North Pole

to document icecap melts
to bring further attention

to the loss of artic
to global warming.

>> Today, the city of West
Hollywood made a proclamation

of my departure and gifted
me with a certificate

and a proper send
off at City Hall.

>> It’s a great honor to
have you recognize this trip.

As you’ve mentioned, the
North Pole is a rapidly

changing environment.

It has had the greatest
consecutive ice loss culminating

in the last 2 year with about
a half million square miles

of ice loss in the summer.

That’s an area the size of
California and Texas combined.

>> Welcome back to
Larry King Live.

It’s now a great pleasure to
welcome Sebastian Copeland,

the acclaimed photographer
and environmental advocate,

who serves on the board of
directors of Global Green USA.

His photographs are
see in the book,

Antarctica, The Global Warning.

The forward by the way of this
book is by Mikhail Gorbachev

and the preface by
Leonardo DiCaprio.

>> Larry King had me on the
show discussing the importance

of creating an international
treaty for the protection

of the artic and how
different the arctic is today

than it was 100 years ago.

[background noise] Training for
the pole is a daunting task.

With 70% failure
rate, it presents life

and death challenges for
even the fittest of athletes.

>> Early morning workout.

It starts with a
1-hour workout at 7.

Then a hearty breakfast
Then [inaudible] session

for an hour and a half.

Then do some work and emails
and then in the afternoon

with an hour and a half climb
with a 100-pound vest and in

between just eat
a lot of calories.

I think I want to take
him to the arctic,

feed him to the polar bears.

[ Background Noise ]

>> The meditation practice
here will provide me

with the strength needed to
combat the isolation one feels

from traveling the
frozen wilderness.

[background noise] My
daily routine then led me

to my afternoon hike
at Runyon Canyon.

I take my 100-pound
vest and climb

to the grand vistas
of Los Angeles.

[ Music ]

>> One day all of this will
produce power sustainably

and it won’t be [inaudible].

Here we go.

[ Music ]

>> March 18, 2009.

Departure is finally upon us.

After months of training
and preparation.

A seamstress works
late into the night

to affix the sponsor
patches onto the outerwear.

Meanwhile, back at the fort and
with the company of the handful

of loyal friends, I stay

up all night finalizing
the remaining items on my

to do list and complete packing.

I guess one never feels ready.

They drive me to the airport,
and after a powerful sendoff,

the plane takes off for Ottawa
where overnight I meet Keith.

>> Hey Keith.

>> How are you?

>> Good buddy.

How are you?

>> We’re at the airport.

>> Yep.

>> Ready to head north.

>> A quick dinner and
[inaudible] and then lights out.

>> What is this?

>> Neither of us have
slept last night.

>> The morning ritual
of excess luggage.

>> March 19, 2009.

Early flight out
to Iqaluit today.

It takes another 3-1/2
hours to reach Iqaluit,

just at the edge of
the arctic circle.

A layover there gives us time

to make some last
minute food shopping

and check the local museum,
which I visited last summer.

[ Background Noise ]

>> How do you feel, buddy?

>> I feel ready to go.

We’re still on our travel day.

We have a few more hours.

Our longest flight so far,
at least my longest flight

so far is going to be heading
up north to Resolute Bay,

and we’ll meet Ozzy
[phonetic] at the South Camp Inn

and spend the next couple days
preparing to get out on the ice.

>> [inaudible]

>> It’s like T minus 4 days
I think, or 3 days now.

We’re in Iqaluit, a stopover
on our way to Res, Resolute,

and I think we’re both ready
to go, just raring to go.

And it’s mild here temperature
wise, which is both reassuring

and surprising at the same time.

It’s been very cold
up north on the ice.

We’ve had reports from
a couple of teams there

that have been just struggling
with the temperatures.

But it feels to me like
it’s warming up a bit,

so we might get lucky yet.

[ Background Noise ]

>> The plane finally takes off
for another 3 hours up north

with a short stop in Nanisivik.

[ Music ]

>> These are familiar steps,
retracing the itinerary

of my summer but for one detail,
when I landed in Resolute

in early July, temperatures
had hit a historical high

of 67 degrees [music].

Today it’s minus 36
degrees Fahrenheit.

[ Background Noise ]

>> Resolute.

[ Background Noise ]

>> Lovely resolute.

It’s minus 36 right now.

[background noise]

>> The landscape is covered
with a sheet of white,

and upon walking out of
the plane, the air explodes

in my lungs like a
shot of adrenaline.

Resolute is a town
of 200 people,

but it is the logistic center

for all activities
in the high arctic.

It has taken 5 planes and 2
days to reach this outpost

in the middle of
the freezing arctic,

some 3500 miles north
of Los Angeles.

The hotel brings back all kinds
of memories and some nostalgia.

I’ve spent over a month in and
out of this hotel last summer,

dreaming of coming
back to try the pole.

March 20, 2009.

Woke up today to find
Keith already downstairs.

We spent a few hours
organizing our food allotment

for the first 20 days, which is

when we’ll get our
first re-supply.

>> This is a ration for 5 days.

You got your cereal.

You got your rice and beans.

Your stews.

Your breakfast, your
lunch, your dinner.

Your company.

>> Hey.

>> Got your butter.

>> And your bacon.

>> That’s right.

Then you’ll get a salami, bacon.

>> Bread.

>> Lots of fat, saturated stuff.

[background noise] Here’s
[inaudible] not for vegetarians.

>> This right here is a blend
of bacon and cranberries.

So the bacon was fried
up just to the point

of producing all
that fat grease.

Cranberries were thrown in.

Poured in a blender and
blended to this consistency.

Now when we get up to the
arctic, this will freeze solid

and we’ll be able to chunk
that off with our knife and eat

that almost as a snack
on the trail or throw it

into our dinner at night.

>> This process is
a fine balance

between calculating each meal’s
caloric intake and exacting it

against the precise
weight will be pulling.

It’s a virtual science, and the
magic number should not exceed

2.4 pounds of food each per day

for caloric value
of around 7000.

>> This is 1 pound every
5 days for up to 2 people.

>> Um yeah.

>> That’s not much.

>> Let’s stick this
stuff back in here.

>> [inaudible].

>> Oh yeah.

Very important stuff.

Toilet paper.

>> One sheet per day.

>> One sheet per day, yeah.

>> And we wash it.

[laughter]

>> Balanced protein drinks.

>> This is the powder.

>> Yeah.

>> Herbal Life protein shakes,
power bars, electrolytes, candy,

and cereal are carefully
examined

to meet the exacting criteria
of the unforgiving scale.

>> Got 4 bars.

>> This is 5 days’
worth of food.

>> Yep.

>> Two people, one mission,
30 kilos, 30 pounds.

>> Keith is a strict
numbers cruncher.

>> It’s heavy.

A little heavy.

>> I am so used to
carrying extra camera weight

that I’m somewhat
looser in the approach,

but I know that out there
on the ice, after a few days

of intense effort, I’ll be
cursing the extra butter.

>> This is 4, 8, 12, 16, days.

>> Right.

>> Rick has arranged for us to
invite the elders to dinner.

This turned out to be a
great, thoughtful gesture.

[foreign language speaking]
The elders bless our dinner

and share with us the manner

in which climate change
is affecting their lives.

>> [foreign language]

>> Over the years it just
became smaller, smaller,

and smaller and [inaudible].

>> It takes 500 square miles
to feed 1 person in the arctic,

excessive carbon emissions

in our cities are leading
[inaudible] to poverty.

Their culture endangered,

they truly put a face
to global warming.

>> [foreign language].

>> After dinner, the
elders sign the polar flag

that will be flying on top
of our tent every night,

and they blessed our trip.

Outside, the sun is
hanging low on the horizon,

casting a pink glow on
the frigid landscape.

Keith and I decide that
tomorrow we will ski

and test our gear one last
time before departure,

including our blogging
technology,

an iridium satellite
phone, and an HP iPAQ.

We will sleep on the ice,
preferably near a pack of dogs

to provide dearly
warning for the bears.

One was sighted outside
the hotel just 3 days ago.

March 21, 2009, another day
going over the pack list

and shedding a few more
pounds off the loads.

>> How much is your
weight, Keith?

>> I’m not too sure yet.

It was a balmy 35
degrees below last night.

It’s still quite icy out there.

>> I’ve got a good friend here.

>> We’re going to be
friends, you and I, aren’t we?

That’s my personal
kit right here.

Keith has got about the same.

Camera equipment and GPS, iron
batteries, easy [inaudible],

which is a killer item.

>> In the tent, it
goes like this,

and this is more
comfortable than most sofas.

>>The cold kit here.

For the colder days
and then this one here

for the warmer days.

>> Sauce.

>> Underwear.

Not many of them,
as you can tell,

for a month and a half or so.

Face gear, head gear,
glasses, the iPod of course,

and then the base layers.

The boots.

Those are important.

Quite a few pairs of gloves.

One starter vest.

Over mitts.

Inner layer for the boots.

Water and thermos and then
finally of course the sledge.

>> We’re waiting for Keith’s
sledge to arrive in Resolute

as it did not make it on time

for the scheduled
flight on the way in.

Fingers cross that it
arrives today by cargo,

otherwise we’ll lose a day.

[music] There are always
rich encounters in Resolute.

People, who like us, wait
for the go ahead on their way

to make their dream come true.

Take Tuck [phonetic]and
Catlin for instance,

who have crossed the
Chinese Gobi Desert on foot,

over 4000 kilometers
in 6 months.

Or Miguel [phonetic], who
is [inaudible] departure

for a solo trip from
the South Camp Inn

to the magnetic 1996 North Pole.

[ Foreign Language ]

>> Gobi refers to the type of
desert that it is as opposed

to its geographic location.

So there’s a lot of Gobi
Deserts around the world.

[inaudible] happens to be the
largest of the Gobi Deserts,

so people will tend to
call it the Gobi Desert.

>> We started in the
middle of the Gobi Desert

at plus 40 degrees Celsius,
and as we moved east

through the winter, it got
colder and colder throughout,

averaging about minus
35 for a 2-month period.

>> How does this compare
to this weather here?

>> This feels considerably
colder,

I think minus 35 is quite
different to minus 40.

I mean minus 40 and below
is quite a big jump.

For some reason it feels
considerably [inaudible]

and much stronger winds and
the windshield is a lot worse

than what we have in China.

>> And we walked from the
[inaudible] to the great wall

and we walked right
out across it and then

up over the Qinling
mountain range,

which again is just a
massive mountain range

in northern China, and
then headed out all the way

across to Northern Korea.

>> How long did it
take you to do this?

>> That took about us about 6
months give or take a few days.

>> 167 days it took us
with only 3 days off.

A long time.

>> 1, 2, 3.

>> Final packing of the sledges.

They weigh in at 190 pounds,
including fuel, which is better

than I had anticipated.

[ Background Noise ]

>> About 160.

>> We have confirmation,
weather pending,

that we’ll be wheels off
at 7 a.m. T minus 10 hours.

>> Oh, I know why.

>> What’s that?

Because you got your
extra food in there.

>> Yeah, right.

Toilet paper.

>> Toilet paper, yeah.

>> All right, we’re T minus 11
hours now, so after 8 months

of waiting and planning
and suspense and, you know,

whether sponsors will
come through or not

and all the training
and everything else,

and if weather permits and
everything goes according

to plan, of course, which in
these parts, often doesn’t,

but right now anyhow, we’re
leaving tomorrow morning at 7.

It’s 8 o’clock now,

so the evening [inaudible]
7 a.m. tomorrow.

>> And could I just
ask [inaudible].

For me, [inaudible] camera, but
why have you chosen to do this?

>> Well, other than
the, you know,

the obvious answers are it’s
the centennial of Peary’s reach

of the North Pole in 1909.

It’s clear that there
won’t be a bicentennial

because the ice is just
changing so rapidly.

It’s melting so quickly,
and it still gets very cold

in the winter, but it just warms
up very rapidly and then all

of a sudden it’s gone,

and anytime soon it will be
gone in the summer months.

But I think the underlying story
of any those arctic stories,

and I think anyone who travels
in these parts would know is

that you, part of those
trips is also just trying

to find yourself in the process.

So, it’s a, a kind of adventure,
and it’s of a climate message,

and at the end of the day,
it’s a personal journey.

>> What are you expecting to get
out of it as a personal journey?

>> Um, well, hopefully
not frostbite anywhere,

but piece I think,
what I like especially

about those long solitary days
walking is the meditation,

just to be in a mental
space that’s just your own

in communion with nature
and feeding your soul

in that process where you are
seeking to soak up everything

that surrounds you and the
beauty and the uniqueness

of that situation,
and by virtue of that,

I think one feels pretty
unique in that moment

as well, so that’s the idea.

[music]

>> You’re off tomorrow?

>> We go tomorrow, yeah.

>> How many?

How many hour?

>> Ah, 7.

>> Seven o’clock?

>> Seven o’clock.

Yeah, we leave tomorrow
morning at 7 and uh.

[ Music ]

>> Our 6 a.m. weather
report comes in negative.

Our team on the ice reports
low vis, and we’re back to bed

until an 8 a.m. update.

>> All right.

Beautiful downtown Resolute.

This is the South Camp Inn.

They’re giving us a sendoff.

Huh, you’re giving us a sendoff.

Oh yeah.

>> At 9:30, Steve
[inaudible] calls asking us

if we’re ready to go.

Like 2 bats out of purgatory,
Keith and I are on the go.

>> Here we are in the van,
first step of process,

getting out to the airport.

>> Reality sets in on the way,

and we both contemplate
our impending experience.

Our friends at the South Camp
Inn give us a solemn blessing,

and we ride in silence
to the airport.

>> This is a good place for
doing a bit of thinking,

personal thinking, and I love,
I love this space up here

and then go back to
UKA with new ideals

and [inaudible] for
the next year.

>> [inaudible].

>> Thank you mate.

[ Background Noise ]

>> March 24, 2009.

Troy and Kevin, our pilots,
great us by the hangar.

>> Hello.

>> Hey.

>> I just had a little
conversation with Troy.

The weather has been steadily
improving throughout the day.

The wind has shifted around the
southwest and blowing out front.

That kept us from
flying away yesterday

up north over the pole.

>> So we’re going?

>> So, it’s good news.

Yeah we’re going.

It’s all loaded up.

There’s nothing in there.

I just did a double check
of all of our equipment

in the corner there, and
if it’s not on the plane,

I don’t know where it is.

[ Background Noise ]

>> I’m all ready [inaudible].

>> You ready?

>> All ready?

>> Yeah. All ready.

>> All right, mate.

I’ll see you on the other side.

>> [inaudible]

>> There’s a safety
card in the back.

It’ll tell you about
no smoking as well.

>> [inaudible]

>> In here with us.

And about 2-1/2 hours to Eureka.

>> Excited?

>> Always a little bit of
nervous energy on this,

on the start of something
like this,

but [inaudible] moving
out there.

[ Background Noise and Music ]

>> Two and a half hours and we
land in Eureka for refueling.

[ Background Noise ]

>> Is this it?

Eureka.

>> Here we come.

One more stop.

Stepping out of the plane,

the minus 43 Celsius
temperature is a stern reminder

of what lies ahead.

A slight breeze, and that air
stings like a fist of needle.

[background noise] A seam of
the fuel pump malfunctions,

and Keith and I,
both giddy and cold,

run around the runway
to keep warm.

>> How many missions have you
flown to the North Pole, Troy?

>> Ah, you know, I would say
probably about a half a dozen.

>> What do you like
about this region?

>> Actually, this is probably
the best part of the planet.

Yeah. It’s unspoiled,
picturesque,

and yeah, totally remote.

>> We’re not going today,
so got to run out a little,

got to run out a
little steam, stay warm.

Possibly a little
frustration in there, but hey,

we’ll have plenty
of time on the ice.

>> Well, the weather closed in
on the ice, so we’re in Eureka.

We’re about to take off,
and now we’re going to have

to wait a couple of hours
and see what happens

and perhaps stay overnight
here, which could spell trouble.

Sometimes you’re overnight, and
then it becomes over 2 nights,

and over 3 nights,
and over 4 nights.

>> Well, the weather went
out at the resupply point,

and basically fogged in, so we
can hold for a couple hours,

and then we’ll be out
a duty day by then,

and we’ll have to
wait for tomorrow.

So possibly, we’ll end
up overnighting here.

Or else having to
go back to Resolute.

>> The last bastion of civility
before heading to the ice,

Eureka, is a station battered

by the merciless lashings
of the great north.

The vehicles that make it there
know they’ve reached the end

of the line and are resolved to
finish here without ceremony.

The men who drive them
have stern faces shaped

by their pioneering spirit as
with frontier towns of the past,

people here are lured
by opportunity.

But as the lines on their
faces deepen, they all seem

to soften internally, moved by
the power of this harsh desert

and surprised by the
answers that come to them

from questions they
had not sought to ask.

Eventually it would
seem everyone is forced

to ponder the same question,
who am I and why am I here.

In the white, stark
vastness of the great north,

answers come easier
because there aren’t

as many places to hide.

[background noise] Out of
the cold, dinner is served.

At our table, much
of the talk is

about how multi-year
ice has become fleeting,

systematically being
replaced by new ice.

This confirms the scientific
data I know all too well,

but it is interesting
and refreshing to hear it

from their point of view.

In fact, arctic multi-year
ice, ice that is 10 years old

or more, went from 80%
twenty years ago to 3% today.

New ice accounts for the fragile
conditions of the sea ice

and how rapidly the arctic
summer ice can simply

break entirely.

It also factors why
in a short matter

of time explorers will likely
no longer have a window

to reach the pole as
we are attempting to.

We will spend the night
here tonight and pray

for our marching
orders in the morning.

Next update is at 7
a.m. Hopefully, Sedna,

the inward goddess of the
ice will be on our side.

>> [background noise] I
think that’s finally it.

>> [inaudible]

>> You mean Eureka?

>> I’m dropping to the ice.

In about 2 hours we
should be on the back ice

on our way to the North Pole.

[ Music]

>> [inaudible] on the ice.

Troy is trying to get us a
nice pattern [inaudible].

It’s not easy around
here because it’s filled

with rubble [inaudible].

[ Background Noise ]

>> That’s what I call a
rock and roll landing.

>> [inaudible]

>> There’s no getting your
seat in the upright position

and making sure your seatbelt
is fastened on these planes.

This thing landed on
this really rough ice,

and Troy is an ace pilot.

He got us down here on the ice.

We are officially on
the arctic sea ice

about to begin our journey.

>> It’s pretty exciting.

[ Background Noise ]

>> Like I said to another
group, welcome to nowhere.

[ Music and Background Noise ]

>> This is it.

>> It’s like stepping on
the moon [background noise].

>> We’re here, 86
degrees, about 300

and some nautical miles
from the north pole.

We’ve got about 34 days ahead
of us, and the journey begins.

[ Music and Background Noise ]

>> That was an awesome flight,
Troy, thank you so much.

>> Well, best of luck, you know.

Best of luck getting
to the pole.

[ Music and Background Noise]

>> These are the luxury
accommodations here

at the Polar Inn.

A little short on
amenities though.

We called in for a shoe shine
but nobody picked up, so,

there’s no late night snack.

>> Yeah there is.

>> Yeah? What is it?

>> Leftover dinner [laughter].

>> Yeah, frozen.

>> Frozen.

>> Yeah.

>> No microwave.

>> No microwave [background
noise].

After a day on the trail, when
virtually every single stitch

of item is wet, this is
what we use to dry it.

This line right here.

And this goes for long johns,
base layer, the second layer.

>> Do you dry all that?

>> Third layer [laughter],
fourth layer,

fifth layer [laughter].

So that’s going to be my
complaint to management,

is I’m going to tell them

to build a more,
more cabinet space.

[ Background Noise ]

>> What happened to the snow?

[ Background Noise ]

>> As you can see, the ice
frost inside the tent overnight.

Um, we get the heat up with the
heaters in the evenings and then

in the morning again,
but during the night,

we’ve got to obviously turn
them down to save on fuel

and the temperature drops
pretty considerably in the tent.

And everything gets pretty
frosty, as you can see

from all the stuff over here.

This is what we get our water
from, the water reserve here.

And this is our local chef here.

>> Hey.

>> Hey. I got some
breakfast brewing

and getting it all figured
out here in the morning.

>> That’s it, life in the tent.

It’s a little tight,
not glorious,

but the company is fine.

[ Background Noise ]

>> Second day, and
we are bushed.

The ice is clumpy as we
negotiated a field of rubble

that was pretty discouraging.

[ Background Noise ]

After 2 hours of
pulling our heavy sledges

across these pressure
ridges the size of trucks,

I looked up to see
the same landscape

for miles in all directions.

>> Well, this is day 3.

It has been pretty cold so far.

It’s sunny every day at least.

That’s pretty good.

But we’ve have between
minus 34 and minus 40.

Both Keith and I have little
frost nips on our fingers.

Like I said, it’s
been pretty chilly.

On our third day, we
were trudging along

and hopefully this will be,

this will be a good
omen for the future.

[ Music and Background Noise ]

>> Like [inaudible] rock,
we pull our heavy sledges

across this uneven
icy landscape,

one step after the next,

occasionally cursing
our decision

to be here in the first place.

>> Thirty-five north [laughter].

>> Oh what the [beep].

[laughter]

>> [inaudible].

>> It’s common for the first
few days of any expedition

to be the hardest as you get
acclimated and enter a rhythm.

We’re up for the
challenge and hoping

that the temperatures
warm up a bit.

Like nomads, trekking across the
white desert of another planet,

we advance one laborious
step after the next.

[ Music ]

A gale grew from the west.

Even 5 knots of wind lashes the
face like frozen razorblades.

If indeed the human body has
100 million trillion cells

in constant communication
with one another,

then mine were all
screaming, I am cold.

[ Music ]

The cold temperatures
crystalize the water deposits,

preventing them from
bonding with the ice.

The result is like pulling the
200-pound sledge through sand.

The terrain is never flat,

even when hitting nice
pans, which has been rare.

Mostly it has been rubble
fields which slow us down

and can be quite discouraging
when they sprawl on for miles.

[music] The mood varies
between euphoric and upbeat

and frustrated and doubtful.

[ Music ]

Still, the arctic desert
reveals itself to us

and all its majestic and
endless subtleties in the way

that it only does to those
committing to traveling

in its unforgiving realm.

The luna vistas are
simply breathtaking.

No life here and no sounds
but for the [inaudible] break

of our feet on the ice and our
constant marching companion,

the steady and heavy
rhythm of our breath.

[music] The sun does not
rise above 15 degrees

from the horizon at its apex
but no longer sets either.

[ Music ]

All this in the silent
and lonely universe

of the intense effort
punctuated only by the sound

of heavy breathing
and the endless sunset

of the midnight son.

[ Music and Background Noise ]

>> Time to get up.

[background noise]

>> We started late
today as the wind

from the south was
shaking the tent all night.

Also, I think today is Sunday,

and on that day we felt we
too could get some rest.

>> Every morning [inaudible]
just grabbing stuff

out of your sleeping bag and
hanging it on the line to dry

so we can repeat that
process again the next day.

>> We felt no rush in getting
beat up by the elements

and we’re slow out of the tent.

>> Um. Porridge.

[background noise]

>> Sesame seeds, oats.

[background noise] We render
it with some Pemmican,

which is basically just
bacon fat, bacon bits,

and we’ve thrown in
cranberries just to spice it up.

>> Lots of calories here.

[ Background Noise ]

To make up for what we’re
going to burn today.

[ Background Noise ]

>> Hey, hey, hey.

Lovely day on the arctic
ocean here, 87 degrees north,

3 more to go, 2 weeks in.

>> That’s our loud
commentator for you.

b

>> Three hours in, we came
across our first lodge,

open lead, and with it came the
black color of the arctic ocean,

which of course is
constantly below our feet.

[background noise]

>> It’s all open water.

That’s why we’re
seeing steam in there.

It’s open from all the
way there and back here.

About here, it looks
like it closes,

so that’s what we’re
going to try

and do is cross it over there.

>> It was a complex system of
cracks in the ice generated

by the awesome power
of currents and winds,

and after following
its banks for a while,

we finally found
a crossing point.

>> Where a lead freshly forms,
it can actually undulate,

rubberize, so it had some
flex, and we were okay

with how much flex it had.

[ Background Noise ]

>> Looks good.

[ Background Noise and Music ]

>> Open leads and pressure
ridges are the biggest

challenges to North
Pole travelers.

[ Music and Background Noise ]

We hurried as the environment
was rapidly changing

and the lead widening.

[ Music and Background Noise ]

>> Cool.

>> Yeah.

>> Sounds good.

>> Not so bad.

>> Huh?

>> Not so bad.

I stopped there because I wanted

to unclip my harness
just in case.

You know, if you
go in the drink,

you might not want all
this stuff attached to you.

[background noise]

>> By now, both Keith and I
have a number of frost bites.

>> Getting better hopefully.

>> One here and one there.

>> This is certainly not
uncommon when travelling regions

where men have no business
spending any amount of time in,

but those nips have to
be carefully monitored

or the risk could be loss.

>> On day 16, got
arctic 2, Sebastian 8.

>> This was another tough day.

>> Brrrr.

>> But it will change.

We keep heading north.

[ Background Noise ]

We skied hard and for
the first time began

to grow into our rhythm.

We might have done
better mileage

but for the many rubble areas
we’re still dealing with.

This quantity of rubble and
pressure ridges is consistent

with newly formed and
therefore weak ice.

Multi-year ice, which is almost
all gone in the arctic sea,

tends to be thicker
and smoother.

It has more structural
integrity.

It is amazing to consider
the awesome power of currents

and winds crushing multi tons
chunk of solid ice like twigs

and piling them on
top of one another

like an auto salvage yard.

[ Background Noise ]

>> That is just unbelievable.

This pressure ridge.

Look at this right here.

Look. [background noise] This
pressure ridge is being formed

just as we speak.

The forces are major
[inaudible] massive pieces

of ice weighing just, I mean
the total [inaudible] billions

and billions of tonsils of
ice being moved and crumbled.

It’s really unbelievable,
extraordinary sight.

>> Such is the power of nature.

Our focus as a people
must be on harnessing

that into renewable energy.

[ Music ]

>> [inaudible]

>> I got the rope.

>> Good. Excellent.

Well done.

[ Background Noise ]

>> That’s not going to cross
the lead in the Arctic Ocean.

>> Yeah, that’s a [inaudible]
creation [laughter].

>> Not Cancun but
God [inaudible].

>> Today was a grind.

There were no gimmees, no
freebies, no mulligans.

No this one’s on the
house or first ball in.

Nothing but hard-earned
slow miles.

>> We had essentially
a blizzard.

>> The stress of the
cold was challenging.

>> I had the good
fortune of fogging both

of my goggles that day.

>> We had temperatures
of minus 46 Fahrenheit.

>> I was forced to relinquish
my position in the lead.

>> You never know
what to expect.

>> Once we got resupplied,
there was sort

of a break in our rhythm.

>> And our second ration of
15 days was a little short.

>> Which gave us food shortages.

>> Something out
there with someone

when you’re both food stressed.

>> We were hungry a lot.

>> It’s what you
focus on so much.

>> Keith was just
[inaudible] that day.

>> It really pushed me mentally.

>> What are you doing
here [inaudible].

>> Just getting ready to send
a dispatch with our PDA unit

and our iridium satellite phone.

[background noise]

>> This uplinks with the
satellites and we’re able

to send images and text
messages and our position

so that folks back at home can
virtually join our adventure.

>> Hi, this is Sebastian
reporting

from the Peary Centennial
North Pole expedition.

I’m here with Keith.

>> Happy Easter to those
that are celebrating.

>> [inaudible] all
the well-wishers

for my birthday, which is today.

>> I’ll like to especially say
hello to my lovely wife, Stacy.

>> It means a lot to
hear that from you.

>> My son, Teagan, and all
of my family and friends.

>> We’re beginning to
feel a little fatigued,

and we’ve also cut
down on our weight

by abandoning some of our food.

We needed to cut down on weight,
otherwise we’re not going

to make the pole in time.

And Keith and I are both very
grateful for your attention

and for keeping up
with the adventure.

>> Over and out.

[ Background Noise ]

>> This is pretty remarkable.

We’re witnessing one of nature’s
most extraordinary display

of power here.

This lead that’s been blocking
our way is actually closing,

so the 2 plates are
coming together,

and it’s in fact what is
creating these pressure ridges

around here, but it looks

like if we’re lucky this whole
lead is going to close up

and we’re going to be
able to cross it over.

[ Music ]

>> [inaudible].

>> The arctic terrain can be
unrelenting and unflinching.

Yard by yard, we negotiated
the broken ice boulders.

A mix of cruddy, powdery snow
swallowed up the sledge’s rails

as it dragged [inaudible].

Each section let another chaotic

and random display
of nature’s forces.

>> Yah.

>> In this grand theater it is
hard not to feel insignificant.

The purpose of our mission

and its simplicity felt
all the more absurd.

>> Nice job.

>> [inaudible].

[ Background Noise ]

>> Try and imagine a
giant crumble cake.

Throw it in the deep freeze
and now reduce your size

to about an inch, strap on some
skis, and decide to cross it.

Sometimes the best thing to do
is just to put one foot in front

of the other and move
forward without thinking.

[ Music ]

>> This is us after 14 hours
of travel, pretty exhausted.

We’re going into the
negative drift at this point,

so it feels like walking
on a conveyor belt.

Every mile we do we lose
about a tenth of that mile

to the drift pulling
us backwards.

>> We’re traveling on the Arctic
Ocean, so we spent 35 days

without touching land.

>> Plus there is no
point on the sea ice

where there’s an actual
geographic North Pole.

That night we realized that
we’d started drifting south.

>> That point is at the bottom
of the ocean and everything

above it is essentially
floating.

>> So the miles that we
were making, you know,

they were being taken away

from the sort of,
the arctic treadmill.

>> So we’re pretty exhausted.

The wind’s been whipping us
like [inaudible] all day.

It’s blowing about
25 knots right now.

And although the
temperature’s not that cold,

the wind is dropping
it by 20 or 30%,

so it’s about 25
degrees minus right now,

but it feels like
about 35 minus.

Although we’re happy to
be here, we’re pretty beat

up right now, right Keith?

>> I agree with that.

>> The drift was so strong
that day that we woke

up the next morning
behind the spot

that we had woken up
the morning prior.

>> From morning until evening,
hardly a word is exchanged.

The terrain was friendly

and relatively flat
and the scenery epic.

As each day rolls into the
next, there are no signs of life

to break the quiet
sanctity of our journey.

Not a bird.

Not a bug.

Not a plane high
above in the sky.

The feeling of solitude in this
white stillness [inaudible] some

screaming louder than despair,
but mostly I immerse myself

in complete communion with the
ice and feel at one with it.

One in 30 million species
inhabiting the earth, no more,

no less, and I get lost
in the unique privilege

of finding myself here,
nourishing my soul with the pure

and raw power of nature.

[ Music ]

We came upon an enormous
system of meltways frozen over,

remaining most likely
from the summer.

Huge waterways looking
like rivers stretching

for miles east and west.

It spells the ominous demise
of the artic summer ice.

Indeed, while it is
predicted to break entirely

in the summer period
by as early as 2013,

privately scientists fear it
might have happened last summer

and could any time hereafter.

[ Music ]

The broken ice in the summer
means the end of multi-year ice

and a rapid breakdown of
the structural integrity

of the sea ice regardless
of seasons,

but for us today it
was eerily beautiful.

[ Music ]

All cold environments are
challenging to shoot in,

but out here each opportunity
to shoot has to be measured

against one, the time to
stop, open the sledge,

and set the gear up, and two,

the cold that sets
in from stopping.

Consequently, shooting
is extremely challenging

and made all the more
frustrating for the fact

that there are quite literally
hundreds of shots daily

that cannot be captured
but to memory.

[ Music ]

Eerie and ominous
with a profound beauty

of the simplicity of void,
this lead spells the future

of the Arctic Ocean
as it breaks up,

its ice thickness
further threatened

by the exponential factors
of warm air and warmer water.

This lead was enormous.

Two miles across and its length
unclear as it stretched east

and west, well beyond
what the eyes could see.

The ice is rapidly changing,
and I wonder if generations

to come will have the chance
to do what we’re doing.

My one great privilege,
which will undoubtedly live

to be a great frustration
is that whilst witnessing

such unique signs, I know
that it is impossible

to capture its scale
and breadth on film.

[ Music ]

When the sky is overcast out
here, all manners of depth,

perspective, and
height disappear.

The pale shade that normally
gives the icy terrain its detail

is completely gone.

What remains is the seemingly
posturized ice blue color

of most pressure
ridges and pure white.

[ Background Noise ]

The morale was low as yet
another reality sunk in.

At the rate we’ve been going,
we’ll not make the pole on time

to exit through Barneo, so the
additional challenge is set,

the race against
the clock is on.

We need to average 12
nautical miles a day,

which we’ve not done so far
and not for lack of trying.

There are signs we’re
drifting south.

We lost a mile last night,
and by the time we wake up,

we’ll have lost another mile.

The drift is taking us
backwards, which is not unusual.

We’ll restrategize, but
for now, we’re dead tired

and we’ll seek sleep
for counsel.

[ Background Noise ]

>> I look forward to
frosty sleeping bag

out of its compressive bag.

[ Background Noise ]

>> I’m actually shivering right
now, so [background noise]

and I’m not fully cocooned.

>> All right.

Good night.

[ Music ]

>> I cannot help but think of
Peary, Henson, and the 4 Inuits

on their team and how after
reaching the pole on April 6,

1909, they then had to face
the unassisted return to land

for many more months
of journeying.

There were no satellite
phones, no blogs, no power bars,

no technology developed
fabrics, no nylon tents.

Just 6 brave men
facing the unknown

with no safety net
and no backup.

[ Music ]

The race for the
pole is still on.

We hope for good luck
in the terrain again

so we can maintain our speed.

We’ve been told categorically

that our flight off the ice
will be no later than the 26th

in the a.m. as Barneo closes.

Barneo used to close
later in May,

but the rising temperatures
have made this too precarious

for this floating station
servicing expeditions

and scientific research
on the ice for 4 weeks.

[background noise]
Yesterday I said that the ice

on the lead generally
doesn’t break at once.

Well, sometimes it does.

And today it did.

>> So we were investigating
something

that looked potentially
passable.

>> I took a chance on it because
I was trying to make time.

>> The only way to find
out is if you, you know,

take the initiative to
walk out there and see

if it’s going to
hold your weight.

>> We were trying to make
time and had a good start

until a small east-west
lead blocked our way.

A narrow sectioned looked
questionable but doable

as it was only about
10 feet wide.

Unhooked from the
sledge, stepped carefully

on the flexing ice, took
one large step forward,

and [inaudible].

The ice gave in from
under me and I slowly

but inescapably sunk to
my neck in arctic water.

It was fortunate that he
had loosened his skis.

>> I kicked them off and they
floated up to the surface.

>> It took about 2
paddle strokes to get

to the edge where I was.

>> I got to pull myself up
with Keith’s assistance.

>> Keith quickly threw me
a line and pulled me out,

which left me drifting in
negative 35 degrees Celsius.

It goes without saying that
getting down to your skivvies

under those conditions isn’t
anyone’s idea of a good time.

>> And I rolled into the snow,
at least the ice to absorb

as much of the moisture
as possible.

>> The powder snow is so dry

that when it hits the water
it acts like a sponge.

>> You know, it was unpleasant,

but it was a quick
moment in time.

>> There is no other
better remedy

for hypothermia than activity.

>> There are funner things to
do to be sure in the arctic

than to change and get naked
in those frigid temperatures.

>> One of the great lessons
of this environment is

that there are no timeouts,
no quitting, and no savior.

The mess you’re in
is your to clean,

and this responsibility
works anywhere.

[ Background Noise ]

With nothing but open space
in front of me, a motive

and skied hard, my legs
got sucked into the rhythm

and never complained nor
did Keith though I knew

that his hip bothered him, but
the day was set to put a mark

on our vanishing legacy.

Each hour that passed was
punctuated by the pleasing speed

that would define our last
traveling day and the looming

and steady creep of a
countdown that brought a mix

of relief and sadness.

The last few days have been
the toughest, but today,

in spite of the wind’s chill,

we’re eating miles
and feel unstoppable.

[background noise] As if

to teach us one more time the
meaning of the word respect,

the pack ice through a field
of junky, powdery blocks at us

and the clouds overtook the
sun to flatten out the detail

in the terrain one more time.

I was anxious pushing forward,

intent in reaching
our farthest north.

[ Background Noise ]

Then it all cleared.

The sky, the wind, the rubble,
and the end came abruptly,

systematic, and unapologetic.

Ahead of us and within
reach on a flat pan framed

by pressure ridges stood
my childhood dream.

The point that makes explorers
through the ages squint

with wonder does not
surrender easily.

I was determined, GPS in hand,
to see those numbers line up

and on Peary and his men and
where they stood 100 years ago.

>> 598. 599.

Zeros. This is it.

Right here.

This is it.

This is right, the
north pole, right here.

From this point forth,
no matter where you go,

no matter what direction
I go, I’m going south.

And here’s the other thing.

If I do this, let’s see,
uh [background noise].

All right.

And in doing this right now.

[ Background Noise ]

I [inaudible] through every
single time now on the planet.

This is it.

That’s the North
Pole right here.

The top of the world.

I made it.

It’s pretty exciting.

>> And then seconds, just
like that, it was gone.

That point from which
any step heads south,

the top of the world, where
all longitudinal lines blend

and all time zones meet,

where the world rotates
below your feet.

That point was mine for
one brief ethereal instant,

and then no more.

Beneath the crusty face mask,

and under my icy
rough [inaudible],

the breath I took filled
my heart with the essence

of purpose and a
mission accomplished.

For a while I stared in silence
at the field in front of me,

taking in the open,
unrestricted ice kingdom,

committing to memory its
vastness and the contours

of the mounds and
riches framing it.

Noting the way that the
sun defined the terrain,

feeling the wind
biting my left side.

I heard my heart pounding fresh
from the effort, tugging at me

with undecided trepidation,
not sure whether to weep

in relief or beg for more.

[music] Any moment
now the solemn

and suspended reality would be
broken by the distant flapping

of the helicopter’s rotors,
and the dream would end.

As Keith and I stood there
in the silence that had come

to characterize our
solitary travel,

I knew that this image
would define my experience

up here, and I relished it.

The north pole is so ephemeral,

so fleeting that it can
feel like an illusion.

While the pole itself is a
static geographical point

at the bottom of the ocean,

up here on the sea ice
constantly drifting, nothing is.

In fact, sometimes as
it happened to me then,

the dream feels more real,
and as the ice shifts,

unmoved by the human
desire to pierce its crust

with a marking post, what is
left is the image that we choose

to retain, and to me it will
be that open field staring me

in the eyes as if to say,
I’m leaving too, soon.

[ Music ]

In the distance the wind carries
the unmistakable flapping

of the MI8’s rotors.

Invisible at first, the heavy
craft appeared south of us.

[ Background Noise ]

I stared out of the porthole of
the helicopter as we lifted off

to Barneo, feeling real fondness
and nostalgia for this tough

and unforgiving environment.

We were leaving the pack ice,
its ridges, rubble fields,

and open leads, its frigid
humidity and freezing winds,

its cloud cover and zero
visibility, and its canvas

that challenges the human
spirit and pushes the limit

of its physical potential,
and a thought troubled me

as it slowly sunk in that I
would likely not be back here,

at least not like that.

[background noise]
Intense and epic,

the North Pole is one
tough, tough mission.

The legendary Reinhold Messner
said, Everest is very dangerous,

but crossing the North Pole,
which I attempted to do,

is 10 times more dangerous.

I knew flying away that
what I brought back

with me was an experience
that has marked me

and perhaps changed me for life.

[ Background Noise and Music ]

After 5 weeks of
this epic adventure,

I know that reentry
will be a challenge,

but all things do
come to an end,

and I could really
use a sandwich.

[music] I reflect on humans’
amazing ability to survive

in one of the harshest
environments on earth.

As the world celebrates
Earth Day,

I think of how important it is
to get out of this false sense

of security that we’ve
developed as city dwellers,

lulled away by the
convenience of technology,

for the responsibility
and the connection we have

to the land that hosts us.

Where does our garbage go?

We don’t know.

What is the true impact of
our electrical power source

and what is our consumption?

Indigenous cultures have an
innate sense of renewable

and sustainable living
because it is logical.

Western cultures
have mostly lost that

>> And I hope that
this experience

in the arctic raises
people’s awareness

of how fragile this is,

and while the arctic is
melting away, our societies,

our governments, and our
economies are all vying

to exploit its resources made
more available and accessible

because of the melting
and in such way

of perpetuating a cycle, which
was the genesis for the undoing

of this environment
to begin with.

It’s a profound link.

It’s one of the multiple
links that tie us

to this natural order, and
every weakening of any link

in that chain puts everything
in jeopardy, everything except

of course for nature or for
the world, which carries

on in the way that it will.

Ultimately, this is not
about protecting the planet.

Ultimately, this is really

about protecting
ourselves from ourselves.

[ Music ]

With each steps into the white
vastness of the Artic Sea,

I am reminded of how small
and vulnerable we really are,

and confronted with the mirror

of my own footprint while the
snow drifts govern my tracks,

I know that I too would soon
drown in the tears of the earth

as its ice melts and
floods our cities,

forcing on us the reckoning
of an order that we lost.

I am left to ponder in amazement
at the power of the nature

that surrounds us

and to appreciate the
freedom we are afforded

to journey unrestricted
through it.

What an adventure.