1
00:00:15,137 --> 00:00:17,866
l guess its T minus twelve hours
now, just about.
2
00:00:19,936 --> 00:00:24,224
We're going to preload the plane
and at 7:00 am tomorrow,..
3
00:00:24,615 --> 00:00:28,903
...if weather is good,
we'll take off for the ice.
4
00:00:31,253 --> 00:00:32,902
l think we're ready.
5
00:00:59,648 --> 00:01:01,888
lt is difficult to pin point
the beginning of this journey.
6
00:01:04,087 --> 00:01:05,849
Was it the childhood dream
to follow in the steps of...
7
00:01:06,326 --> 00:01:08,566
...the supermen who chartered
the maps of our world...
8
00:01:09,685 --> 00:01:13,576
...with their bravery, instinct and
natural connection with the land?
9
00:01:19,483 --> 00:01:21,246
Was it the day the thought
entered my mind...
10
00:01:21,763 --> 00:01:24,765
...that to make the poles could
in fact be within my reach?
11
00:01:27,082 --> 00:01:30,164
Was it a year ago when l began
articulating the thought,..
12
00:01:30,601 --> 00:01:33,808
...first mentally, then vocally,
that l would undertake...
13
00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:38,249
...the Everest of polar expeditions,
perhaps the toughest on Earth?
14
00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:43,802
Was it six months ago when l stepped
up both my training and diet...
15
00:01:44,318 --> 00:01:46,684
...to increase strength and mass
so that l could endure...
16
00:01:47,078 --> 00:01:48,920
...the brutal cold
and harsh conditions...
17
00:01:49,317 --> 00:01:51,763
...of six to eighth weeks
on the ice?
18
00:01:52,756 --> 00:01:56,078
Was it when, lo and behold,
amidst a failing economy...
19
00:01:56,676 --> 00:01:58,597
...minimal funding came
through to green light...
20
00:01:59,115 --> 00:02:01,561
...to my two-member Centennial
expedition to the North Pole...
21
00:02:01,994 --> 00:02:05,998
...to commemorate Peary"s first
successful reach 1909?
22
00:02:07,153 --> 00:02:10,042
Or is it just now, as l sit in the
middle row of a fully booked...
23
00:02:10,553 --> 00:02:14,602
...flight to Minnesota to undergo
a week of "shakedown" training...
24
00:02:14,952 --> 00:02:20,321
...to test the equipment,
the systems and our capabilities?
25
00:02:21,710 --> 00:02:24,235
Conditions here can simulate
the arctic environment.
26
00:02:24,750 --> 00:02:27,593
And spending a week on a
frozen lake, sleeping in snow,..
27
00:02:27,909 --> 00:02:30,877
...and dropping into a hole
in the ice for survival tests...
28
00:02:31,388 --> 00:02:33,754
...can wake you to
the realities ahead.
29
00:02:36,627 --> 00:02:40,995
We were leading by example into
a wilderness that is endangered.
30
00:02:41,386 --> 00:02:44,912
One which is suffering greatly,
at the hands of climate change.
31
00:02:45,345 --> 00:02:47,108
We had a shortage of food,
basically.
32
00:02:47,385 --> 00:02:50,433
We face really, really tough
traveling conditions.
33
00:02:50,784 --> 00:02:55,072
Those decisions we made in a tent
hindered us from peak performance.
34
00:02:55,423 --> 00:03:00,303
-We had very reduced visibility...
-l was physically exhausted.
35
00:03:00,822 --> 00:03:03,427
...because l virtually could
hardly see a damn thing.
36
00:03:03,861 --> 00:03:06,227
Rescue is uncertain.
37
00:03:06,581 --> 00:03:09,185
North Pole is a very,
very difficult experience.
38
00:03:09,580 --> 00:03:13,061
And travelling to there is
the hardest trip in the world.
39
00:03:13,379 --> 00:03:17,224
The ice just simply opened up from
under me and swallowed me.
40
00:03:23,217 --> 00:03:27,301
l got the exploring bug from my
Grandfather who conducted safaris...
41
00:03:27,736 --> 00:03:31,581
...in lndia and Africa
in the 1940s and 50s.
42
00:03:32,375 --> 00:03:35,060
By mid life he traded
his gun for a camera.
43
00:03:36,335 --> 00:03:39,815
My earliest memories of photographs
date from childhood...
44
00:03:40,214 --> 00:03:43,979
...and viewing black and whites
of his lions and elephants.
45
00:03:44,973 --> 00:03:48,976
l shot my first pictures of wildlife
in Africa when l was 12.
46
00:03:51,931 --> 00:03:55,059
From that time on, photography
has been my weapon.
47
00:03:56,090 --> 00:03:59,890
With images my mission"d be to help
people fall in love with their world.
48
00:04:00,530 --> 00:04:03,214
Because l feel that we will not
save what we do not love.
49
00:04:09,648 --> 00:04:12,172
My first trips to Antarctica
were game changers...
50
00:04:12,647 --> 00:04:14,888
...and such rich experiences.
51
00:04:15,686 --> 00:04:19,087
lt is also a system that is
challenged by climate change.
52
00:04:19,805 --> 00:04:23,013
l first went there in 2006 with
my friend John Quigley...
53
00:04:23,365 --> 00:04:27,209
...to send an SOS from a remote
iceberg in the Gerlach Strait.
54
00:04:28,244 --> 00:04:31,087
That trip consolidated
my love for the ice,..
55
00:04:31,723 --> 00:04:35,931
...and from it l brought back
impressions that changed my life.
56
00:04:38,722 --> 00:04:42,088
l had dreamt of reaching the
North Pole since l was a child.
57
00:04:42,561 --> 00:04:46,087
Today that environment,
ground zero for climate change,..
58
00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:49,004
...is melting away
at confounding rates.
59
00:04:49,879 --> 00:04:51,403
And my childhood dream
will no longer...
60
00:04:51,919 --> 00:04:55,319
...be afforded to the children
of future generations.
61
00:04:56,078 --> 00:04:58,921
Part of my mission is to commemorate
the remarkable feat of...
62
00:04:59,317 --> 00:05:03,116
...Admiral Peary, Henson, and his
team of lnuit who set off on foot...
63
00:05:03,636 --> 00:05:09,676
...and reached the North Pole,
100 years ago, on April 6th, 1909.
64
00:05:10,555 --> 00:05:12,636
But it is also to raise
awareness on the fact...
65
00:05:12,994 --> 00:05:16,919
...that there"ll be no bicentennial
expedition on foot to the North Pole.
66
00:05:17,553 --> 00:05:21,444
The Arctic Sea cap is melting away
so rapidly that it will be gone...
67
00:05:21,912 --> 00:05:25,040
...in the summer months--
within just a few years.
68
00:05:25,992 --> 00:05:28,232
lt is hard to imagine the
North Pole without ice,..
69
00:05:28,751 --> 00:05:32,117
...but that is the impending
reality that we will face.
70
00:05:32,630 --> 00:05:35,474
This should send a clarion to the
world and raise a significant...
71
00:05:35,910 --> 00:05:39,197
...call onto our responsibility
to develop sustainably.
72
00:05:42,828 --> 00:05:46,672
l do not know what Duluth, Ml looks
like any other time of the year.
73
00:05:47,067 --> 00:05:51,469
But in early February it does not
figure on many top 10 destinations.
74
00:05:52,066 --> 00:05:55,626
Short of dogsled training and
Outward Bound programs.
75
00:05:56,865 --> 00:06:01,346
The approach by plane spelled out
the grim and frigid environment.
76
00:06:02,024 --> 00:06:04,072
What kind of individual
volunteers to fly...
77
00:06:04,504 --> 00:06:08,189
...from sunny California to this
outpost near the Canadian border?
78
00:06:09,542 --> 00:06:12,022
On the taxi drive from the
airport to the motel...
79
00:06:12,462 --> 00:06:18,149
...my driver susses me out by
assessing the slew of...
80
00:06:18,461 --> 00:06:20,985
...sponsor badges that
adorn my expedition jacket...
81
00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:25,005
...and concludes accurately that
l am not from these parts.
82
00:06:25,999 --> 00:06:29,968
l share the purpose of my trip, and
he tells me that two months ago...
83
00:06:30,398 --> 00:06:33,480
...he saw the coldest temperatures
ever recorded here:
84
00:06:33,957 --> 00:06:37,757
45�C.
45�C?
85
00:06:44,155 --> 00:06:47,681
Minnesota, it turns out, can produce
conditions that approximate...
86
00:06:48,154 --> 00:06:51,043
...the Arctic environment.
The "Land of 10,000 Lakes" is...
87
00:06:51,354 --> 00:06:56,484
...ideally suited to train in
continental US for polar expeditions.
88
00:06:57,112 --> 00:06:59,592
Balmy day in the Arctic.
89
00:07:00,072 --> 00:07:02,642
This will be a joke
compared to where we're going.
90
00:07:02,951 --> 00:07:05,636
After careful consideration,
l will lead my own team.
91
00:07:06,271 --> 00:07:09,239
Keith will be with me
and l feel good about that.
92
00:07:09,590 --> 00:07:12,513
We're out camping.
Four inches of snow.
93
00:07:12,869 --> 00:07:14,029
l met Keith in training...
94
00:07:14,389 --> 00:07:16,913
...and we share a passion
for Polar exploration.
95
00:07:17,228 --> 00:07:18,718
He is an expert outdoorsman,..
96
00:07:18,988 --> 00:07:22,036
...and l"m confident that
his skills will complement mine.
97
00:07:23,147 --> 00:07:26,707
For someone like myself, who is
enamored by polar travel and...
98
00:07:27,146 --> 00:07:30,229
...polar history, the opportunity
to get out there and experience...
99
00:07:30,665 --> 00:07:33,190
...the environment that those
explorer are travelling in...
100
00:07:33,545 --> 00:07:36,308
...was the highlight for
my young adventuring career.
101
00:07:36,704 --> 00:07:39,673
Keith and l are the only ones here
to plan for the five to six weeks...
102
00:07:40,023 --> 00:07:42,423
...needed to cover over
the 300 nautical miles,..
103
00:07:42,823 --> 00:07:45,063
...or the last five degrees North.
104
00:07:45,462 --> 00:07:47,987
ln the years since Peary,
less than 150 people...
105
00:07:48,382 --> 00:07:50,702
...have traveled that
distance on foot.
106
00:07:51,101 --> 00:07:54,388
Within the next few years, no one
will likely be able to travel...
107
00:07:54,660 --> 00:07:56,343
...that distance any longer...
108
00:07:56,700 --> 00:07:59,179
...unless they"re willing to
travel partly by night.
109
00:07:59,499 --> 00:08:03,105
For the ice will get too thin and
fragmented during the spring days.
110
00:08:06,258 --> 00:08:08,306
Up early to feed the kennel
of sled dogs...
111
00:08:08,657 --> 00:08:11,626
...we find unusually mild
temperatures and rain.
112
00:08:12,377 --> 00:08:15,140
Breakfast of champions, yes.
Five class accommodations.
113
00:08:16,096 --> 00:08:18,063
Courtesy of Mr Rick Sweitzer.
114
00:08:18,415 --> 00:08:22,579
Rick, the owner of Polar Explorers
later tells me that the shakedown...
115
00:08:22,974 --> 00:08:26,740
...is designed to dissuade all but
the most committed adventurers.
116
00:08:27,214 --> 00:08:29,818
ln a flat, matter of fact tone,
he announces that...
117
00:08:30,133 --> 00:08:33,772
...the week had been designed to
"shakedown" the less than super fit.
118
00:08:34,132 --> 00:08:35,736
lt's really beautiful around here.
119
00:08:36,092 --> 00:08:38,537
Conditions are a lot milder than
they will be in the Arctic.
120
00:08:38,931 --> 00:08:42,058
As far as the effort of pulling the
sled, it's a little harder here.
121
00:08:42,450 --> 00:08:45,931
The snow is sticking to the sled;
it makes it a bit heavier.
122
00:08:46,489 --> 00:08:49,458
lt's about 300 pounds
as it is, this one here.
123
00:08:49,849 --> 00:08:54,888
And that'll be my lifeline
for about six weeks.
124
00:08:55,248 --> 00:08:59,536
All these lakes in Minnesota'd be
very difficult to travel and hike...
125
00:08:59,807 --> 00:09:02,809
...around in the summer because all
those trails that we're walking...
126
00:09:03,206 --> 00:09:06,811
...would be filled with marsh
so you can cut trails...
127
00:09:07,125 --> 00:09:10,094
...in the winter and that's
what we're doing.
128
00:09:11,244 --> 00:09:13,371
lt's gorgeous around here.
129
00:09:17,083 --> 00:09:20,404
The mild temps and the rain make
for very slushy conditions...
130
00:09:20,842 --> 00:09:24,845
...and l have some trepidation
pulling my 200 pounds of weight.
131
00:09:25,241 --> 00:09:28,005
As it turns out, the sledge
starts gliding in the slush and...
132
00:09:28,361 --> 00:09:32,410
...before long my body temperature
rises to a steady sweat.
133
00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:35,884
This will be the biggest
challenge in the great North.
134
00:09:36,159 --> 00:09:39,400
Sweat can be deadly. The game
hinges on how to regulate the...
135
00:09:39,678 --> 00:09:43,886
...systems to maximize performance,
while minimizing body heat.
136
00:09:45,317 --> 00:09:47,319
Tomorrow will be the
first test of endurance...
137
00:09:47,677 --> 00:09:49,564
...with eight full hours
of skiing.
138
00:09:49,876 --> 00:09:53,242
My body aches, and as l lay to
rest l am contemplative...
139
00:09:53,515 --> 00:09:58,360
...of my limitations which silently
scream from the depths of my soul:
140
00:09:58,674 --> 00:10:02,075
"What type of man are you to think
you will succeed at this?"
141
00:10:10,152 --> 00:10:14,235
The countdown has begun;
l will set off on March 23rd.
142
00:10:18,630 --> 00:10:20,757
March 1 7th, 2009.
143
00:10:21,190 --> 00:10:24,716
Tonight we'll be honoring Sebastian
Copeland who is travelling...
144
00:10:25,109 --> 00:10:28,430
...to the North Pole to raise
awareness about global warming.
145
00:10:28,788 --> 00:10:31,517
Global Green's resident architect
trekker, author, and Board Member,..
146
00:10:31,827 --> 00:10:34,591
...also an Angeleno. Sebastian
will depart on a two-month...
147
00:10:34,987 --> 00:10:37,386
...Arctic trip to the North Pole to
document ice cap melts,..
148
00:10:37,746 --> 00:10:40,828
...to bring further attention to the
loss of the Arctic to global warming.
149
00:10:41,145 --> 00:10:43,591
Today, the city of West Hollywood
made a proclamation of...
150
00:10:43,905 --> 00:10:46,555
...my departure and gifted me
with a certificate and...
151
00:10:46,864 --> 00:10:48,832
...a proper send off
at City Hall.
152
00:10:49,184 --> 00:10:51,583
lt's a great honor to have you
recognize this trip.
153
00:10:52,023 --> 00:10:55,822
As you've mentioned the North Pole
is a rapidly changing environment.
154
00:10:56,182 --> 00:10:58,912
lt has had the greatest
consecutive ice loss...
155
00:10:59,182 --> 00:11:01,706
...culminating in the last two years
with about a half million...
156
00:11:02,021 --> 00:11:04,750
...square miles of ice loss
in the summer periods.
157
00:11:05,020 --> 00:11:07,386
That's an area the size of
California and Texas combined.
158
00:11:08,260 --> 00:11:10,022
Welcome back to Larry King Live.
159
00:11:10,299 --> 00:11:12,620
lt's now a great pleasure to
welcome Sebastian Copeland.
160
00:11:12,899 --> 00:11:15,264
The acclaimed photographer
and environmental advocate...
161
00:11:15,578 --> 00:11:19,024
...who serves on the board of
Directors of Global Green USA.
162
00:11:19,377 --> 00:11:23,507
His photographs are in the book
Antarctica: The Global Warning.
163
00:11:23,736 --> 00:11:26,261
The foreword, by the way, to this
book is by Mikhail Gorbachev,..
164
00:11:26,576 --> 00:11:29,180
...and the preface by
Leonardo DiCaprio.
165
00:11:29,455 --> 00:11:32,344
Larry King had me on the show
discussing the importance of...
166
00:11:32,655 --> 00:11:35,737
...creating an international treaty
for the protection of the Arctic,..
167
00:11:36,014 --> 00:11:38,379
...and how different the Arctic
is today than it was...
168
00:11:38,693 --> 00:11:40,342
...a hundred years ago.
169
00:11:43,692 --> 00:11:45,899
Training for the Pole
is a daunting task.
170
00:11:46,292 --> 00:11:50,216
With a 70% failure rate it presents
life and death challenges...
171
00:11:50,571 --> 00:11:52,811
...for even the fittest
of athletes.
172
00:11:53,490 --> 00:12:01,419
Early morning workout starts with a
one-hour workout at 7:00, then...
173
00:12:01,728 --> 00:12:07,290
...a hearty breakfast and a yoga
session for an hour and a half,..
174
00:12:09,167 --> 00:12:12,055
...then do some work
and emails.
175
00:12:12,446 --> 00:12:15,972
Then in the afternoon with
an hour and a half hike...
176
00:12:16,325 --> 00:12:18,896
...with a hundred pound vest.
177
00:12:19,365 --> 00:12:23,846
And in between, just
eat a lot of calories.
178
00:12:25,084 --> 00:12:28,803
l'll take this guy to the Arctic;
feed him to the polar bears.
179
00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:43,168
The meditation practiced here will
provide me with the strength...
180
00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:46,203
...needed to combat the isolation
one feels from traveling...
181
00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:48,561
...the frozen wilderness.
182
00:12:51,558 --> 00:12:55,323
My daily routine then led me to my
afternoon hike at Runyon Canyon.
183
00:12:56,077 --> 00:13:00,126
l take my 100-pound vest and climb
to the grand vistas of Los Angeles.
184
00:13:00,676 --> 00:13:02,359
Come on, let's go.
185
00:13:18,512 --> 00:13:21,197
One day all of this will produce
power sustainably.
186
00:13:21,632 --> 00:13:26,159
And it won't be a day too soon.
Come on, girl.
187
00:14:03,983 --> 00:14:08,146
March 18th 2009.
Departure is finally upon us,..
188
00:14:08,542 --> 00:14:11,066
...after months of
training and preparation!
189
00:14:11,381 --> 00:14:13,667
A seamstress works late
into the night to affix...
190
00:14:13,981 --> 00:14:16,187
...the sponsor patches
onto the outerwear.
191
00:14:16,620 --> 00:14:19,623
Meanwhile, back at the fort and
with the company of a handful...
192
00:14:19,939 --> 00:14:24,308
...loyal friends, l stay up all night
finalizing the remaining items...
193
00:14:24,618 --> 00:14:28,019
...on my to-do list, and
complete packing.
194
00:14:28,458 --> 00:14:30,857
l guess one never feels ready.
195
00:14:31,337 --> 00:14:34,624
They drive me to the airport,
and after a powerful send-off,..
196
00:14:34,936 --> 00:14:38,736
...the plane takes off for Ottawa
where l overnight and meet Keith.
197
00:14:39,255 --> 00:14:40,859
Hey Keith.
-How are you?
198
00:14:41,175 --> 00:14:44,018
-Good buddy, how are you?
-Ready to head North.
199
00:14:44,454 --> 00:14:47,105
A quick dinner and catch up
and then lights out.
200
00:14:47,494 --> 00:14:49,541
Neither of us have
slept last night.
201
00:14:51,333 --> 00:14:53,539
The morning ritual of
excess luggage.
202
00:14:54,612 --> 00:14:56,773
March 19th, 2009.
203
00:14:58,171 --> 00:15:00,617
Early flight out to lqualuit today.
204
00:15:01,091 --> 00:15:03,854
lt takes another three and
a half hours to reach lqaluit,..
205
00:15:04,170 --> 00:15:06,616
...just at the edge
of the Arctic Circle.
206
00:15:06,970 --> 00:15:08,254
A layover there gives us time...
207
00:15:08,649 --> 00:15:10,492
...to make some last minute
food shopping and check...
208
00:15:10,809 --> 00:15:13,459
...the local museum which l
visited last summer.
209
00:15:17,967 --> 00:15:19,810
How do you feel buddy?
-l feel ready to go.
210
00:15:20,167 --> 00:15:23,567
We're still on our travel day.
We have a few more hours;..
211
00:15:23,886 --> 00:15:26,774
our longest flight, so far.
This is my longest flight so far.
212
00:15:27,085 --> 00:15:28,814
We're going to be heading up
North to Resolute Bay.
213
00:15:29,205 --> 00:15:32,014
We're going to go meet Ozzy
at the South Camp lnn...
214
00:15:32,324 --> 00:15:35,293
...and spend the next couple of days
preparing to get out on the ice.
215
00:15:37,843 --> 00:15:42,324
We're like T-minus four days,
l think, three days now.
216
00:15:42,722 --> 00:15:47,329
We're in lqaluit, a stop over on
our way to Resolute.
217
00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:54,567
l think we're both ready to go,
just rearing to go.
218
00:15:55,999 --> 00:16:00,560
lt's mild here temperature wise,
which is both reassuring...
219
00:16:00,918 --> 00:16:02,966
...and surprising at the same time.
220
00:16:03,278 --> 00:16:06,758
lt's been very cold up
North, on the ice.
221
00:16:07,077 --> 00:16:09,522
We've had reports from
a couple of teams there.
222
00:16:09,916 --> 00:16:12,282
They've been just struggling
with the temperatures.
223
00:16:13,196 --> 00:16:17,245
But it feels to me that's its warming
up a bit, so we might get lucky.
224
00:16:26,313 --> 00:16:29,042
The plane finally takes off for
another three hours up north,..
225
00:16:29,472 --> 00:16:31,918
...with a short stop
in Naninsivik.
226
00:16:46,789 --> 00:16:50,189
These are familiar steps, retracing
the itinerary of my summer,..
227
00:16:50,828 --> 00:16:54,593
...but for one detail: when l landed
in Resolute in early July,..
228
00:16:55,027 --> 00:16:59,076
...temperatures had hit a
historical high of 67�F degrees.
229
00:17:01,506 --> 00:17:05,111
Today it"s minus 36 degrees
Fahrenheit!
230
00:17:05,825 --> 00:17:07,587
We just touched down
on Resolute Bay.
231
00:17:10,224 --> 00:17:12,987
That's the last stop after
two days of travelling.
232
00:17:13,463 --> 00:17:17,023
-Resolute!
-This is it.
233
00:17:21,101 --> 00:17:26,424
Lovely Resolute.
lt's minus 36 right now.
234
00:17:27,970 --> 00:17:30,255
The landscape is covered
with a sheet of white--
235
00:17:30,689 --> 00:17:34,295
And upon walking out of the plane,
the air explodes in my lungs...
236
00:17:34,649 --> 00:17:36,457
...like a shot of adrenaline.
237
00:17:37,688 --> 00:17:40,133
Resolute is a town of 200 people,..
238
00:17:40,447 --> 00:17:44,417
...but it is the logistics center for
all activities in the high Arctic.
239
00:17:44,966 --> 00:17:48,333
lt has taken five planes and
two days to reach this outpost...
240
00:17:48,646 --> 00:17:52,934
...in the middle of the freezing
Arctic, some 3500 miles north of LA.
241
00:17:55,804 --> 00:17:59,523
The hotel brings back all kinds of
memories and some nostalgia.
242
00:18:00,163 --> 00:18:03,087
l had spent over a month in and out
of this hotel last summer,..
243
00:18:03,483 --> 00:18:06,246
...dreaming of coming back
to try the Pole.
244
00:18:08,242 --> 00:18:13,803
March 20th, 2009. Woke up today
to find Keith already downstairs.
245
00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:17,284
We spend a few hours organizing
our food allotment for the first...
246
00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:21,040
...twenty days, which is when
we will get our first re-supply.
247
00:18:21,359 --> 00:18:27,478
This is a ration for five days.
Got your cereal,..
248
00:18:28,317 --> 00:18:37,838
...you got your rice and beans,
your stews, your breakfasts,..
249
00:18:38,275 --> 00:18:41,835
...your lunch, and your
dinner. Your company.
250
00:18:42,674 --> 00:18:45,040
And your butter, and your bacon.
251
00:18:45,554 --> 00:18:51,275
That's right, salami, bacon, bread;
lots of fat and saturated stuff.
252
00:18:54,192 --> 00:18:57,240
Not for vegetarians.
253
00:18:58,951 --> 00:19:02,841
This right here, is a blend
of bacon and cranberries.
254
00:19:03,430 --> 00:19:07,593
So the bacon was fried up
just to the point of producing...
255
00:19:07,989 --> 00:19:11,469
...all that fat and grease, then the
cranberries were thrown in...
256
00:19:11,948 --> 00:19:15,235
...and poured in a blender and
blended to this consistency.
257
00:19:15,587 --> 00:19:19,955
Now when we get up to the Arctic
this will freeze solid and...
258
00:19:20,266 --> 00:19:22,871
...we'll be able to chunk this off
with a knife and eat that...
259
00:19:23,186 --> 00:19:27,633
...almost as a snack on the trail
or thrown into our dinner at night.
260
00:19:27,985 --> 00:19:30,828
This process is a fine balance
between calculating each meal"s...
261
00:19:31,144 --> 00:19:34,704
...caloric intake and exacting it
against the precise weight...
262
00:19:35,063 --> 00:19:38,624
...we will be pulling. lt is a virtual
science, and the magic number...
263
00:19:38,982 --> 00:19:42,748
...should not exceed 2.4 pounds
of food each per day--
264
00:19:43,062 --> 00:19:45,746
For a caloric value of around 7000!
265
00:19:46,061 --> 00:19:51,020
This is one pound every 5 days,
for two people? That's not much.
266
00:19:51,940 --> 00:19:53,861
Let's stick this stuff back in here.
-Yeah.
267
00:19:56,179 --> 00:19:58,419
Very important stuff.
268
00:20:00,978 --> 00:20:04,105
-One sheet per day.
-One sheet per day, yeah.
269
00:20:04,617 --> 00:20:06,221
We watch it.
270
00:20:07,376 --> 00:20:09,901
Our protein drinks.
-This is the powder?
271
00:20:10,216 --> 00:20:11,296
Yeah.
272
00:20:11,656 --> 00:20:14,658
Herbalife protein shake and power
bars, electrolytes, candy and...
273
00:20:14,975 --> 00:20:18,057
...cereal are each carefully
examined to meet...
274
00:20:18,174 --> 00:20:21,337
...the exacting criteria of
the unforgiving scale.
275
00:20:21,693 --> 00:20:30,942
5 days worth of food for two people,
one mission. 30 kilos. 30 pounds.
276
00:20:31,691 --> 00:20:33,659
Keith is a strict numbers cruncher.
277
00:20:34,811 --> 00:20:37,699
l am so used to carrying
extra camera weight that...
278
00:20:38,010 --> 00:20:41,012
...l am somewhat looser in the
approach. But l know that...
279
00:20:41,409 --> 00:20:44,412
...out on the ice, after a few
days of intense effort,..
280
00:20:44,809 --> 00:20:47,049
...l will be cursing
the extra butter!
281
00:20:47,488 --> 00:20:50,729
-This is 4, 8, 12, 16 days.
-Right.
282
00:20:52,487 --> 00:20:56,126
Rick has arranged for us to
invite the elders to dinner.
283
00:20:56,406 --> 00:20:58,886
This turns out to be a great
thoughtful gesture.
284
00:21:00,565 --> 00:21:03,170
The elders bless our dinner and
share with us the manner...
285
00:21:03,565 --> 00:21:06,567
...in which climate change
is affecting their lives.
286
00:21:09,084 --> 00:21:12,371
Over the years, it just became
smaller and smaller and...
287
00:21:12,843 --> 00:21:15,527
...now it's just basically a
religious holiday.
288
00:21:16,002 --> 00:21:19,562
lt takes 500 square miles to feed
one person in the Arctic.
289
00:21:19,881 --> 00:21:24,442
Excessive carbon emissions in our
cities are leading lnuit to poverty.
290
00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:28,923
Their culture endangered, they truly
put a face to global warming.
291
00:21:32,239 --> 00:21:34,968
After the dinner, the elders sign
the Polar Explorer flag...
292
00:21:35,318 --> 00:21:40,198
...that will be flying on our tent
every night. And they bless our trip.
293
00:21:40,757 --> 00:21:43,600
Outside the sun is hanging
low on the horizon--
294
00:21:43,916 --> 00:21:46,680
Casting a pink glow
on the frigid landscape.
295
00:21:47,116 --> 00:21:50,562
Keith and l decide that tomorrow
we will ski out and test our gear...
296
00:21:50,915 --> 00:21:55,044
...one last time before departure,
including our blogging technology:
297
00:21:55,394 --> 00:21:59,193
An iridium satellite phone
and an HP lPAC.
298
00:21:59,513 --> 00:22:02,675
We will sleep on the ice,
preferably near a pack of dogs.
299
00:22:03,432 --> 00:22:06,117
They provide early warning
for the bears!
300
00:22:06,791 --> 00:22:10,682
One was sighted outside the hotel
just three days ago!
301
00:22:13,190 --> 00:22:17,751
March 21st, 2009. Another day
going over the pack list,..
302
00:22:18,149 --> 00:22:20,595
...and shedding a few more
pounds off the loads.
303
00:22:20,908 --> 00:22:23,797
How much is your weight, Keith?
-Not too sure yet.
304
00:22:25,587 --> 00:22:31,946
lt was a balmy -35 last night.
lt's still quite icy out there.
305
00:22:32,466 --> 00:22:36,151
Got my good friend here. We'll
be friends you and l, aren't you?
306
00:22:36,825 --> 00:22:42,035
That's my personal kit, right here.
Keith has got about the same.
307
00:22:42,344 --> 00:22:45,471
Camera equipment, GPS,
ion batteries,..
308
00:22:45,903 --> 00:22:48,508
...and an easy chair,
which is a killer item.
309
00:22:48,863 --> 00:22:54,424
ln the tent it's like this and it's
more comfortable than most sofas.
310
00:22:55,061 --> 00:22:58,667
The cold kit here,
for the colder days.
311
00:22:59,100 --> 00:23:03,104
And this one here,
for the warmer days.
312
00:23:03,460 --> 00:23:07,350
Socks, underwear, not many
of them as you can tell,..
313
00:23:07,659 --> 00:23:12,948
...for a month and a half or so.
Face gear, head gear, glasses,..
314
00:23:13,257 --> 00:23:18,182
...the iPod of course. And then
the base layers, the boots--
315
00:23:18,536 --> 00:23:23,746
Those are important. Quite a few
pairs of gloves, wind stopper vest,..
316
00:23:24,175 --> 00:23:31,023
...over mitts, inner layer for the
boots, water and thermos,..
317
00:23:31,374 --> 00:23:34,376
...and then finally of
course: the sledge.
318
00:23:34,693 --> 00:23:37,263
We are waiting for Keith"s sledge
to arrive in Resolute...
319
00:23:37,572 --> 00:23:40,814
...as it did not make it on time for
the scheduled flight on the way in.
320
00:23:41,252 --> 00:23:43,902
Fingers crossed that
it arrives today by cargo,..
321
00:23:44,331 --> 00:23:46,651
...otherwise we will lose a day.
322
00:23:49,130 --> 00:23:52,132
There are always rich encounters
in Resolute; people who,..
323
00:23:52,449 --> 00:23:54,132
...just like us, wait for
the go-ahead...
324
00:23:54,529 --> 00:23:56,849
...on their way to make
their dream come true.
325
00:23:57,168 --> 00:23:59,853
Take Tarka and Catlin for instance,
who have crossed...
326
00:24:00,288 --> 00:24:04,371
...the Chinese Gobi desert on foot
over 4,000 kilometers in six months.
327
00:24:04,847 --> 00:24:08,247
Or Michele who is on the footing
of departure for a solo ski trip...
328
00:24:08,566 --> 00:24:12,615
...from the South Camp lnn to
the Magnetic 1996 North Pole.
329
00:24:33,081 --> 00:24:35,321
Gobi refers to the type of desert
that it is, as opposed to its...
330
00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:39,440
...geographic location. There's lots
of Gobi deserts around the world,..
331
00:24:39,759 --> 00:24:43,842
...but the Taklamakan Desert is
the largest of the Gobi deserts,..
332
00:24:44,158 --> 00:24:46,479
...so people will tend to
call it the Gobi Desert.
333
00:24:46,798 --> 00:24:50,244
We started in the middle
of the Gobi Desert, 40�C.
334
00:24:50,637 --> 00:24:56,040
As we moved east through the winter,
it got colder and colder,..
335
00:24:56,316 --> 00:24:59,716
...averaging out to about -35�C
over a two month period.
336
00:25:00,035 --> 00:25:02,003
How does it compare
to this weather here?
337
00:25:02,355 --> 00:25:04,834
This feels considerably colder.
338
00:25:05,274 --> 00:25:10,279
l think -35 is
quite different to -40.
339
00:25:10,593 --> 00:25:13,197
Minus 40 and below
is quite a big jump.
340
00:25:13,432 --> 00:25:15,275
For some reason it feels
considerably different,..
341
00:25:15,592 --> 00:25:18,594
...but up here you get much
stronger winds and wind chill...
342
00:25:18,911 --> 00:25:20,754
...is a lot worse than
what we found in China.
343
00:25:21,151 --> 00:25:23,357
We walked from the West Viewpoint
of the Great Wall,..
344
00:25:23,710 --> 00:25:26,553
...walked right across it, then up
over the mountain range,..
345
00:25:26,869 --> 00:25:29,440
...which are again massive amounts
of region in Northern China.
346
00:25:29,709 --> 00:25:31,994
Then we headed out all the way
across to Northern Korea.
347
00:25:32,268 --> 00:25:33,712
How long did it take you to do this?
348
00:25:34,388 --> 00:25:36,787
That took us about 6 months,
give or take a few days.
349
00:25:37,067 --> 00:25:43,676
167 days it took us, with only
3 days off. A long time.
350
00:25:45,505 --> 00:25:49,748
Final packing of the sledges.
They weigh in at about 190 lbs,..
351
00:25:50,025 --> 00:25:53,232
...including fuel, which is better
than l had anticipated.
352
00:25:59,862 --> 00:26:01,432
160.
353
00:26:01,542 --> 00:26:03,590
We have confirmation,
weather pending, that...
354
00:26:03,942 --> 00:26:07,707
...we will be wheels off at 7 AM.
T-minus 10 hours.
355
00:26:08,421 --> 00:26:10,581
-Oh, l know why--
-Why is that?
356
00:26:11,660 --> 00:26:13,981
Because you have your
extra food in there.
357
00:26:14,259 --> 00:26:17,467
-And the toilet paper.
-And the toilet paper, yeah.
358
00:26:18,419 --> 00:26:25,300
We're T-minus 1 1 hours now.
So after 8 months of waiting and...
359
00:26:25,537 --> 00:26:28,664
...planning and suspense, and
whether or not sponsors would...
360
00:26:28,976 --> 00:26:31,820
...come through or not, and all of
the training and everything else,..
361
00:26:32,176 --> 00:26:36,942
...if weather permits, which of
course, in these parts,..
362
00:26:37,455 --> 00:26:43,653
...often doesn't-- right now anyhow,
we're leaving tomorrow morning at 7.
363
00:26:44,013 --> 00:26:45,981
lt's 8:00 in the evening, so
seven o'clock tomorrow.
364
00:26:48,452 --> 00:26:54,777
And can l just ask, just purely for
me, why you've chosen to do this?
365
00:26:55,171 --> 00:27:02,177
Other than the obvious answers,
are the centennial of Peary's...
366
00:27:02,489 --> 00:27:05,890
...reach of the North Pole in 1909.
lt's clear that there won't be a...
367
00:27:06,169 --> 00:27:09,968
...bicentennial because the ice
is just changing so rapidly;..
368
00:27:10,328 --> 00:27:14,013
...its' melting so quickly. lt still
gets very cold in the winter,..
369
00:27:14,327 --> 00:27:18,046
...but it just warms up very rapidly
and the all of a sudden it's gone.
370
00:27:18,446 --> 00:27:21,334
Any time soon it'll be gone
in the summer months.
371
00:27:21,805 --> 00:27:27,015
But l think the underline story
of any of these Arctic stories,..
372
00:27:27,364 --> 00:27:30,685
...and l think anyone who travels in
these parts would know, is that...
373
00:27:31,003 --> 00:27:35,484
...part of those trips is also trying
to find yourself in the process.
374
00:27:35,802 --> 00:27:40,249
lt's all kinds of adventure,
and it's a climate message and...
375
00:27:40,521 --> 00:27:44,048
...at the end of the day,
it's a personal journey.
376
00:27:44,361 --> 00:27:47,727
And what do you expect to get out
of it, as a personal journey?
377
00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:52,241
Um, well, hopefully
not frostbite anywhere.
378
00:27:52,799 --> 00:27:58,327
But some... peace, l think.
379
00:27:59,117 --> 00:28:03,440
What l especially like about those
long solitary days walking,..
380
00:28:03,916 --> 00:28:10,320
...is the meditation. Just to be in
a mental space that's just your own.
381
00:28:10,595 --> 00:28:14,724
ln communion with nature and
feeding your soul in that process...
382
00:28:14,994 --> 00:28:18,963
...with seeking to soak up,
everything that surrounds you,..
383
00:28:19,233 --> 00:28:22,396
...the beauty and the uniqueness
of that situation.
384
00:28:22,672 --> 00:28:27,472
And by virtue of that, l think
one feels pretty unique...
385
00:28:27,791 --> 00:28:33,638
...in that moment as well.
That's the idea.
386
00:28:36,350 --> 00:28:39,318
-You're go tomorrow?
-Go tomorrow, yeah.
387
00:28:39,669 --> 00:28:42,193
-How many hour?
-Seven.
388
00:28:42,308 --> 00:28:46,358
-Seven o'clock.
-Yeah, we leave at seven.
389
00:29:16,621 --> 00:29:19,431
Our six AM weather report
comes in negative.
390
00:29:19,780 --> 00:29:21,907
Our team on the ice
reports low vis,..
391
00:29:22,220 --> 00:29:24,870
...and we are back to bed
until an eight AM update.
392
00:29:25,179 --> 00:29:29,581
Beautiful downtown Resolute.
This is the South Camp lnn.
393
00:29:29,818 --> 00:29:32,787
You're giving us a
send off, huh?
394
00:29:36,297 --> 00:29:40,016
At nine thirty Steve at Ken Borek
calls asking if we are ready to go.
395
00:29:40,296 --> 00:29:43,459
Like two bats out of purgatory,
Keith and l are on the go.
396
00:29:43,735 --> 00:29:46,420
Here we are, in the van,
first in the process.
397
00:29:46,775 --> 00:29:48,457
Getting out to the airport.
398
00:29:48,734 --> 00:29:50,224
Reality sets in on the way,..
399
00:29:50,494 --> 00:29:53,064
...and we both contemplate
our impending experience.
400
00:29:53,933 --> 00:29:57,300
Our friends at the South Camp lnn
give us a solemn blessing--
401
00:29:57,613 --> 00:30:00,137
And we ride in silence
to the airport.
402
00:30:01,012 --> 00:30:07,734
Good place for some thinking.
l love the space up here;..
403
00:30:08,050 --> 00:30:14,215
...will go back to UK with ideas
and plan for the next year.
404
00:30:24,567 --> 00:30:29,651
March 24th, 2009. Troy, our pilot,
greets us by the hangar.
405
00:30:32,245 --> 00:30:34,372
Just had a little conversation
with Troy.
406
00:30:34,725 --> 00:30:37,045
The weather has been steadily
improving throughout the day.
407
00:30:37,364 --> 00:30:40,492
Wind shifted around the southwest,
blowing a front that kept us from...
408
00:30:40,843 --> 00:30:43,767
...flying away yesterday
up north over the pole.
409
00:30:44,323 --> 00:30:46,449
So, it's good news,
yeah, we're going.
410
00:30:46,722 --> 00:30:48,212
lt's all loaded up,
there's nothing in there.
411
00:30:48,522 --> 00:30:50,489
l just did a double check of all
our equipment in the corner there.
412
00:30:50,921 --> 00:30:53,082
lt's not on the plane;
l don't know where it is.
413
00:31:01,759 --> 00:31:04,761
-ls it ready?
-Yeah, all ready.
414
00:31:05,878 --> 00:31:09,278
Alright mate, l'll see you
on the other side.
415
00:31:10,837 --> 00:31:13,840
There's a safety card in the back.
lt'll tell you about no smoking.
416
00:31:14,196 --> 00:31:19,406
And...
417
00:31:19,795 --> 00:31:22,036
...about two and a half
hours to Eureka.
418
00:31:22,475 --> 00:31:23,554
Are you excited?
419
00:31:23,874 --> 00:31:26,638
Always, a little bit of
nervous energy on the start...
420
00:31:26,954 --> 00:31:30,753
...of something like this, but
excited to be moving out there.
421
00:32:51,956 --> 00:32:53,924
We are landing down, man.
422
00:32:55,115 --> 00:32:58,914
Two and a half hours and we
land in Eureka for refueling.
423
00:33:05,113 --> 00:33:10,072
Here we are. Eureka.
Here we come. One more stop.
424
00:33:11,032 --> 00:33:14,080
Stepping out of the plane,
-43�C temperature is...
425
00:33:14,471 --> 00:33:17,122
...a stern reminder of
what lies ahead!
426
00:33:18,670 --> 00:33:22,390
A slight breeze, and that air
stings like a fist of needles.
427
00:33:25,389 --> 00:33:28,630
A seam on the fuel pump malfunctions
and Keith and l, both giddy and...
428
00:33:28,988 --> 00:33:32,195
...cold, run around the
runway to keep warm.
429
00:33:33,947 --> 00:33:36,154
How many missions have you flown
to the North Pole, Troy?
430
00:33:36,547 --> 00:33:39,629
You know, l would say
about a half a dozen.
431
00:33:40,026 --> 00:33:41,788
What do you like about this region?
432
00:33:44,145 --> 00:33:48,592
Actually, this is probably
the best part of the planet.
433
00:33:49,944 --> 00:33:56,745
Yeah, it's unspoiled, picturesque
and yeah, totally remote.
434
00:33:57,782 --> 00:34:03,868
We're not going today so we gotta
run off a little steam to stay warm.
435
00:34:04,902 --> 00:34:09,304
Possible frustration there, but hey,
we'll have plenty of time on the ice.
436
00:34:12,900 --> 00:34:17,142
The weather closed in on the ice.
So we're in Eureka.
437
00:34:17,499 --> 00:34:20,706
We were about to take off
and now will have to wait...
438
00:34:21,018 --> 00:34:23,589
...a couple of hours,
and see what happens.
439
00:34:24,098 --> 00:34:27,988
Perhaps overnight here,
which could spell trouble.
440
00:34:28,337 --> 00:34:30,497
Sometimes you overnight, then
it becomes two nights and then...
441
00:34:30,856 --> 00:34:33,256
...over three nights,
then over four nights.
442
00:34:33,616 --> 00:34:36,937
The weather went out
at the re-supply point.
443
00:34:38,734 --> 00:34:43,614
Basically fogged in, so we can
all hold out for a few hours.
444
00:34:44,093 --> 00:34:48,734
We'll be out of duty day by then.
445
00:34:49,492 --> 00:34:53,575
Then we'll have to wait for
tomorrow. So possibly, we'll be...
446
00:34:53,971 --> 00:34:57,259
...overnighting here, without
having to go back to Resolute.
447
00:34:59,090 --> 00:35:02,570
The last bastion of civility before
heading to the ice, Eureka is a...
448
00:35:02,929 --> 00:35:07,138
...station battered by the merciless
lashings of the great north.
449
00:35:07,848 --> 00:35:10,533
The vehicles that make it there
know they have reached the...
450
00:35:10,848 --> 00:35:15,136
...end of the line and are resolved
to finish here without ceremony.
451
00:35:15,687 --> 00:35:18,211
The men who drive them
have stern faces shaped by...
452
00:35:18,606 --> 00:35:22,655
...their pioneering spirit. As
with frontier towns of the past,..
453
00:35:22,965 --> 00:35:25,809
...people here are lured by
opportunity.
454
00:35:26,125 --> 00:35:29,093
But as the lines on their faces
deepen, they all seem to...
455
00:35:29,404 --> 00:35:33,169
...soften internally, moved by
the power of this harsh desert,..
456
00:35:33,523 --> 00:35:35,844
...and surprised by the answers
that come to them...
457
00:35:36,242 --> 00:35:38,972
...from questions they
had not sought to ask.
458
00:35:39,402 --> 00:35:43,883
Eventually it"d seem, everyone is
forced to ponder the same question:
459
00:35:44,161 --> 00:35:47,721
"Who am l, and why am l here?"
460
00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:50,684
ln the white stark vastness
of the great north,..
461
00:35:50,999 --> 00:35:55,162
...answers come easier, because
there aren"t as many places to hide.
462
00:36:00,197 --> 00:36:02,563
Out of the cold, dinner is served.
463
00:36:02,877 --> 00:36:05,800
At our table, much of the talk is
about how multi year ice has...
464
00:36:06,236 --> 00:36:10,399
...become fleeting, systematically
being replaced by new ice.
465
00:36:11,155 --> 00:36:14,999
This confirms the scientific data
l know all too well, but it is...
466
00:36:15,314 --> 00:36:18,602
...interesting and refreshing
to hear their point of view.
467
00:36:19,273 --> 00:36:23,357
ln fact, Arctic multi-year ice,
ice that is ten years old or more...
468
00:36:23,712 --> 00:36:28,160
...went from 80% 20 years ago
to 3% today.
469
00:36:29,111 --> 00:36:32,274
New ice accounts for the fragile
conditions of the sea ice,..
470
00:36:32,631 --> 00:36:36,919
...and how rapidly the Arctic summer
ice can simply break entirely.
471
00:36:37,590 --> 00:36:40,353
lt also factors why in
a short matter of time,..
472
00:36:40,469 --> 00:36:43,119
...explorers will likely no longer
have a window to...
473
00:36:43,228 --> 00:36:45,879
...reach the pole, as
we are attempting to.
474
00:36:46,828 --> 00:36:48,988
We will spend the night here
tonight, and pray for...
475
00:36:49,307 --> 00:36:53,390
...our marching orders in the
morning. Next update is at 7 AM.
476
00:36:53,986 --> 00:36:59,070
Hopefully, Sedna, the lnuit goddess
of the ice, will be on our side.
477
00:37:02,344 --> 00:37:10,751
l think that's finally it, leaving
Eureka and dropping to the ice.
478
00:37:11,622 --> 00:37:15,752
ln about two hours we should be
on the packed ice,..
479
00:37:16,101 --> 00:37:17,910
...on our way to
the North Pole.
480
00:38:49,602 --> 00:38:53,241
This is our approach. We're about
to get dropped off on the ice.
481
00:38:53,761 --> 00:38:58,800
Troy is trying to get us on
some nice ice to land on.
482
00:38:59,680 --> 00:39:03,240
Not easy around here because
it's filled with rubble ice...
483
00:39:03,639 --> 00:39:05,799
...and pressure ridges.
484
00:39:32,953 --> 00:39:35,079
That's what l call
a rock n' roll landing.
485
00:39:35,912 --> 00:39:37,595
There's no getting the seat
in the upright position...
486
00:39:38,152 --> 00:39:40,881
...and making sure your seat belt
is fastened on these planes.
487
00:39:41,671 --> 00:39:45,037
This thing has landed on
this really rough ice.
488
00:39:47,430 --> 00:39:51,798
Troy is an ace pilot.
He got us down here on the ice.
489
00:39:52,549 --> 00:39:57,474
We are officially on the Arctic Sea
ice about to begin our journey.
490
00:39:58,627 --> 00:40:00,754
lt's pretty exciting.
491
00:40:04,986 --> 00:40:07,636
l guess l'd like to say
welcome to nowhere.
492
00:40:18,103 --> 00:40:23,187
This is it! lt's like
stepping on the moon.
493
00:40:26,302 --> 00:40:28,986
We're here, 85th degree.
494
00:40:30,181 --> 00:40:33,024
About three hundred and some
nautical miles from the North Pole.
495
00:40:33,740 --> 00:40:37,982
We got about 34 days ahead of
us. And the journey begins.
496
00:41:28,039 --> 00:41:30,484
That was an awesome flight, Troy.
Thank you so much.
497
00:41:30,878 --> 00:41:34,927
Well, best of luck, you know.
Best of luck, getting to the Pole.
498
00:43:01,899 --> 00:43:06,028
These are the luxury accommodations
here at the Polar inn.
499
00:43:07,538 --> 00:43:10,347
We're a little short on
amenities though.
500
00:43:10,777 --> 00:43:14,462
We called in for a shoeshine
but nobody picked up, so.
501
00:43:15,016 --> 00:43:18,416
There's no late night snack.
-Yeah there is.
502
00:43:18,775 --> 00:43:23,336
-Oh yeah, where is it?
-Leftover dinner.
503
00:43:25,134 --> 00:43:27,340
Yeah, frozen.
504
00:43:28,173 --> 00:43:30,903
-No microwave.
-No microwave.
505
00:43:33,692 --> 00:43:38,617
After a day on the trail, virtually
every stitch of item is wet,..
506
00:43:39,051 --> 00:43:43,373
...this is what we use to
dry it. This line right here.
507
00:43:43,850 --> 00:43:51,368
And this goes for long johns,
base layer, the second layer,..
508
00:43:51,808 --> 00:43:55,778
...third layer, fourth layer,
fifth layer.
509
00:43:59,527 --> 00:44:03,166
So that's my complaint
to management,..
510
00:44:03,486 --> 00:44:06,136
...l'm gonna tell them to
build more cabinet space.
511
00:44:23,242 --> 00:44:25,084
What happened to the stove?
-lt's out.
512
00:44:38,679 --> 00:44:42,808
As you can see, the ice frosts
over the tent at night.
513
00:44:44,677 --> 00:44:49,716
We get the heat up with the
heaters in the evenings and...
514
00:44:50,076 --> 00:44:53,078
...then in the morning again.
But during the night,..
515
00:44:53,395 --> 00:44:57,001
...we've got to obviously
turn them down to save on fuel.
516
00:44:57,395 --> 00:45:01,842
The temperature drops pretty
considerably in the tent and...
517
00:45:02,274 --> 00:45:07,233
...everything gets pretty frosty,
as you can see from all the stuff...
518
00:45:07,592 --> 00:45:13,678
...over here. This is what
we get our water from.
519
00:45:14,151 --> 00:45:19,076
The water reserve here. And
this is our local chef here.
520
00:45:19,590 --> 00:45:23,070
Hey, l got some breakfast brewing.
521
00:45:25,029 --> 00:45:27,474
l'm getting it all figured out
here in the morning.
522
00:45:27,868 --> 00:45:31,758
That's it, life in a tent. lt's
a little tight, not glorious.
523
00:45:32,107 --> 00:45:34,393
But the company is fine.
524
00:45:39,626 --> 00:45:41,866
Second day and we are bushed!
525
00:45:42,265 --> 00:45:45,314
The ice is clumpy as we
negotiated a field of rubble...
526
00:45:45,704 --> 00:45:47,911
...that was pretty discouraging.
527
00:46:28,695 --> 00:46:31,095
After two hours of pulling
our heavy sledges across...
528
00:46:31,415 --> 00:46:33,939
...these pressure ridges
the size of trucks, l looked up...
529
00:46:34,334 --> 00:46:37,734
...to see the same landscape
for miles in all directions!
530
00:46:38,253 --> 00:46:42,973
Well, this is day 3, it's been
pretty cold so far.
531
00:46:43,412 --> 00:46:46,256
lt's sunny everyday at least,
that's pretty good.
532
00:46:46,732 --> 00:46:51,020
But we've had between
-34 and -40�.
533
00:46:51,491 --> 00:46:54,891
Both Keith and l have little
frost nips on our fingers.
534
00:46:55,410 --> 00:46:57,980
lt's pretty chilly.
535
00:46:59,049 --> 00:47:02,017
On the third day we're
treading along, hopefully...
536
00:47:02,368 --> 00:47:05,451
...this will be a good omen
for the future.
537
00:47:28,043 --> 00:47:31,364
Like Sisyphus and his rock,
we pull our heavy sledges...
538
00:47:31,922 --> 00:47:36,005
...across this uneven icy landscape
one step after the next.
539
00:47:36,641 --> 00:47:39,689
Occasionally cursing our decision
to be here in the first place.
540
00:47:40,000 --> 00:47:42,685
Day 5. North.
541
00:47:48,399 --> 00:47:51,322
-What the f..k.
-S..t.
542
00:47:52,678 --> 00:47:55,441
lt is common for the first few days
of any expedition to be...
543
00:47:55,797 --> 00:47:59,163
...the hardest as you get
acclimated and into a rhythm.
544
00:47:59,796 --> 00:48:01,639
We are up for the challenge
and hoping that...
545
00:48:01,956 --> 00:48:04,162
...the temperatures warm up a bit.
546
00:48:04,555 --> 00:48:07,877
Like nomads trekking across the
white desert of another planet,..
547
00:48:08,234 --> 00:48:11,522
...we advance one laborious
step after the next.
548
00:48:49,186 --> 00:48:51,995
A gale grew from the west.
549
00:48:52,625 --> 00:48:56,549
Even 5 knots of wind lashes
the face like frozen razor blades.
550
00:48:57,024 --> 00:48:59,834
lf indeed the human body has
a hundred million trillion cells...
551
00:49:00,224 --> 00:49:02,703
...in constant communication
with one another,..
552
00:49:03,223 --> 00:49:07,022
...then mine were all
screaming, ""l am cold! ""
553
00:49:26,578 --> 00:49:29,228
The cold temperatures
crystallize the water deposits,..
554
00:49:29,657 --> 00:49:32,228
...preventing them from
bonding with the ice.
555
00:49:32,577 --> 00:49:36,376
The result is like pulling the
200 lb sledge through sand.
556
00:49:39,175 --> 00:49:41,985
The terrain is never flat,
even when hitting nice pans...
557
00:49:42,335 --> 00:49:43,983
...which has been rare.
558
00:49:44,374 --> 00:49:46,945
Mostly it has been rubble fields,
which slow us down and...
559
00:49:47,254 --> 00:49:50,939
...can be quite discouraging
when they sprawl on for miles.
560
00:49:54,772 --> 00:49:57,138
The mood varies between
euphoric and upbeat,..
561
00:49:57,652 --> 00:50:00,302
...and frustrated and doubtful.
562
00:50:14,168 --> 00:50:17,091
Still, the Arctic desert
reveals itself to us...
563
00:50:17,407 --> 00:50:20,296
...in all of its majestic and
endless subtleties in the way...
564
00:50:20,647 --> 00:50:22,728
...that it only does to those
committing to traveling...
565
00:50:23,046 --> 00:50:27,812
...its unforgiving realm. The lunar
vistas are simply breathtaking.
566
00:50:28,245 --> 00:50:32,248
No life here, and no sounds
but for the cruddy break...
567
00:50:32,604 --> 00:50:36,209
...of our feet on the ice and
our constant marching companion:
568
00:50:36,643 --> 00:50:39,726
The steady and heavy
rhythm of our breath.
569
00:50:42,722 --> 00:50:45,770
The sun does not rise above
15 degrees from the horizon...
570
00:50:46,081 --> 00:50:49,289
...at its apex, but
no longer sets either.
571
00:50:54,480 --> 00:50:59,121
All this in the silent and lonely
universe of the intense effort...
572
00:50:59,479 --> 00:51:02,083
...punctuated only by the
sound of heavy breathing...
573
00:51:02,478 --> 00:51:05,640
...and the endless sunset
of the midnight sun.
574
00:51:20,634 --> 00:51:22,716
Time to get up.
575
00:51:25,633 --> 00:51:27,840
We started late today,
as a wind from the south...
576
00:51:28,192 --> 00:51:32,356
...was shaking the tent all night.
Also l think today is Sunday,..
577
00:51:32,952 --> 00:51:36,239
...and on that day we felt,
we too could get some rest.
578
00:51:37,990 --> 00:51:43,438
Every morning is the same exercise.
Just grabbing stuff out of...
579
00:51:43,749 --> 00:51:49,596
...your sleeping bag and
hanging it on the line to dry,..
580
00:51:50,028 --> 00:51:54,987
...so that we can repeat
that process again the next day.
581
00:51:56,786 --> 00:51:59,391
We felt no rush in getting
beat up by the elements...
582
00:51:59,866 --> 00:52:02,186
...and were slow out of the tent.
583
00:52:02,905 --> 00:52:04,827
Mmm, porridge.
584
00:52:07,024 --> 00:52:15,067
Sesame seeds, oats and
we render it with some pemmican,..
585
00:52:15,463 --> 00:52:19,546
...which is basically just some
bacon fat and bacon bits and...
586
00:52:20,022 --> 00:52:22,672
...we've thrown in some cranberries
just to spice it up.
587
00:52:23,101 --> 00:52:32,462
Lots of calories make up for
what we're going to burn today.
588
00:52:42,577 --> 00:52:48,060
Lovely day on the Arctic Ocean
here. 87 degrees north.
589
00:52:48,406 --> 00:52:50,885
Three more to go,
two weeks in.
590
00:52:53,165 --> 00:52:56,770
There's my live commentator for you.
591
00:52:59,243 --> 00:53:02,770
Three hours in, we came across
our first large open lead,..
592
00:53:03,083 --> 00:53:05,971
...and with it came the black
color of the Arctic ocean,..
593
00:53:06,402 --> 00:53:09,723
...which of course is
constantly below our feet.
594
00:53:12,041 --> 00:53:15,680
lt's all open water. That's why
we're seeing steaming there.
595
00:53:16,080 --> 00:53:20,368
lt's open from all the way
there, to back here.
596
00:53:21,079 --> 00:53:23,239
About here it looks like it closes.
597
00:53:23,838 --> 00:53:26,921
So that's what we're going to
try to do, is cross it over there.
598
00:53:28,317 --> 00:53:31,639
lt was a complex system of
cracks in the ice generated...
599
00:53:31,917 --> 00:53:34,885
...by the awesome power of
currents and winds, and after...
600
00:53:35,196 --> 00:53:39,325
...following its banks for a while,
we finally found a crossing point.
601
00:53:39,795 --> 00:53:45,357
When a lead freshly forms it could
actually undulate, rubber ice.
602
00:53:45,674 --> 00:53:48,244
So it had some flex, and we were
okay with how much flex it had.
603
00:53:52,512 --> 00:53:54,878
lt's good.
604
00:54:24,346 --> 00:54:26,916
Open leads and pressure ridges
are the biggest challenges...
605
00:54:27,225 --> 00:54:29,510
...to North Pole travelers.
606
00:54:40,542 --> 00:54:43,227
We hurried as the environment
was rapidly changing...
607
00:54:43,621 --> 00:54:45,828
...and the lead widening.
608
00:55:30,252 --> 00:55:32,139
-Not so bad, huh?
-Not so bad.
609
00:55:32,291 --> 00:55:37,091
l stopped there because l want to
unclip my harness, just in case.
610
00:55:37,610 --> 00:55:42,979
You know if you go in, you may not
want all this stuff attached to you.
611
00:55:47,208 --> 00:55:50,574
By now both Keith and l
have a number of frostbites.
612
00:55:50,927 --> 00:55:55,534
-Getting better, hopefully.
-One here, and one there.
613
00:55:55,766 --> 00:55:58,052
This is certainly not uncommon
when traveling regions...
614
00:55:58,406 --> 00:56:01,568
...where men have no business
spending any amount of time in.
615
00:56:02,005 --> 00:56:06,134
But those nips have to be carefully
monitored or the risk could be loss.
616
00:56:06,404 --> 00:56:15,413
On day 16,
l've got Arctic, 2 and Sebastian, 8.
617
00:56:17,162 --> 00:56:19,049
This was another tough day.
618
00:56:21,761 --> 00:56:25,651
But it will change...
we keep heading north!
619
00:56:33,798 --> 00:56:37,643
We skied hard and for the first time
began to grow into our rhythm.
620
00:56:37,957 --> 00:56:40,801
We might have done better mileage
but for the many rubble areas...
621
00:56:41,157 --> 00:56:42,521
...we are still dealing with.
622
00:56:42,956 --> 00:56:45,356
This quantity of rubble and
pressure ridges is consistent...
623
00:56:45,716 --> 00:56:48,718
...with newly formed, and
therefore weaker, ice.
624
00:56:49,315 --> 00:56:53,000
Multi-year ice, which is almost
all gone in the Arctic sea,..
625
00:56:53,394 --> 00:56:55,476
...tends to be thicker
and smoother.
626
00:56:55,834 --> 00:56:57,835
lt has more structural integrity.
627
00:56:58,433 --> 00:57:01,436
lt is amazing to consider the
awesome power of currents...
628
00:57:01,752 --> 00:57:05,836
...and winds crushing multi-tons
chunks of solid ice like twigs,..
629
00:57:06,232 --> 00:57:10,600
...and piling them on top of one
another like an auto salvage yard!
630
00:57:29,547 --> 00:57:33,152
That is just unbelievable! This
pressure ridge, look at this--
631
00:57:38,265 --> 00:57:42,473
Look! This pressure ridge is
being formed just as we speak.
632
00:57:43,504 --> 00:57:47,712
Just the forces of nature,
the tides crumpling these...
633
00:57:48,063 --> 00:57:55,627
...massive pieces of ice, billions
and billions of tons of ice...
634
00:57:56,061 --> 00:57:58,541
...being moved and crumpled.
635
00:57:59,060 --> 00:58:02,541
lt's really unbelievable
and an extraordinary sight.
636
00:58:03,260 --> 00:58:07,389
Such is the power of nature.
Our focus as a people...
637
00:58:07,739 --> 00:58:11,583
...must be on harnessing
that into renewable energy.
638
01:00:19,871 --> 01:00:24,159
-l got the rope.
-Good, excellent. Well done!
639
01:00:29,749 --> 01:00:33,514
That's how you cross a lead
on the Arctic Ocean.
640
01:00:33,988 --> 01:00:36,512
Yeah, that's a little boat creation.
641
01:00:37,267 --> 01:00:41,066
Not Canc�n, but
it does work as a raft.
642
01:00:44,506 --> 01:00:47,554
Today was a grind.
There were no gimmies.
643
01:00:47,825 --> 01:00:49,793
No freebies. No mulligans.
644
01:00:50,224 --> 01:00:53,068
No "this one"s on the house",
or "first ball in".
645
01:00:53,424 --> 01:00:56,790
Nothing but hard-earned
slow miles.
646
01:00:57,183 --> 01:01:00,106
We had, essentially, a blizzard.
647
01:01:00,422 --> 01:01:02,822
The stress of the cold
was challenging.
648
01:01:03,182 --> 01:01:06,582
l had the good fortune of fogging
both of my goggles that day.
649
01:01:06,941 --> 01:01:09,465
We had temperatures
minus 46 Fahrenheit.
650
01:01:09,780 --> 01:01:13,580
So l was forced to relinquish
my position in the lead.
651
01:01:13,979 --> 01:01:15,662
You never know what to expect.
652
01:01:16,019 --> 01:01:19,545
Once we got resupplied, there was
a sort of break of our rhythm.
653
01:01:19,858 --> 01:01:23,021
And our second ration of
fifteen days was a little short,..
654
01:01:23,378 --> 01:01:25,345
...which gave us food shortages.
655
01:01:25,617 --> 01:01:29,586
lt's tough being out there
when you're both food stressed.
656
01:01:29,816 --> 01:01:33,501
-We were hungry, a lot!
-lt's what you focus on so much!
657
01:01:33,815 --> 01:01:38,183
Keith was just beat up
at the end of that day.
658
01:01:38,454 --> 01:01:40,297
lt really pushed me mentally.
659
01:01:40,734 --> 01:01:42,701
What are you doing here, Heger?
660
01:01:43,133 --> 01:01:46,500
l'm just getting ready to send
a dispatch with our PDA unit...
661
01:01:47,053 --> 01:01:49,179
...and our iridium
satellite phone.
662
01:01:50,932 --> 01:01:53,820
This uplinks with the satellites
and we're able to send images,..
663
01:01:54,211 --> 01:01:58,294
...text messages and our position;
so that folks back at home...
664
01:01:58,650 --> 01:02:01,698
...can virtually join
our adventure.
665
01:02:50,239 --> 01:02:51,729
This is truly remarkable.
666
01:02:52,119 --> 01:02:54,086
We are witnessing
one of nature's...
667
01:02:54,438 --> 01:02:57,043
...most extraordinary
display of power here.
668
01:02:57,238 --> 01:03:00,604
This lead that's been blocking
our way is actually closing.
669
01:03:01,037 --> 01:03:05,200
So the two plates are coming
together and it's in fact...
670
01:03:05,556 --> 01:03:08,444
...what's creating these
pressure ridges around here.
671
01:03:08,835 --> 01:03:11,918
But, it looks like, if we're lucky,
this whole lead is going to...
672
01:03:12,355 --> 01:03:15,323
...close up and we're going
to be able to cross it over.
673
01:03:26,632 --> 01:03:31,796
The arctic terrain can be
unrelenting and unflinching.
674
01:03:32,310 --> 01:03:36,633
Yard by yard we negotiated
the broken ice boulders.
675
01:03:37,829 --> 01:03:41,196
The mix of cruddy, powdery snow
swallowed up the sledges" rails...
676
01:03:41,628 --> 01:03:44,950
...as if dragging them through
syrup. Each section led to...
677
01:03:45,308 --> 01:03:48,549
...another chaotic and random
display of Nature"s forces.
678
01:03:51,466 --> 01:03:55,913
ln this grand theater, it is hard
not to feel insignificant.
679
01:03:56,465 --> 01:03:58,786
And the purpose of our mission,..
680
01:03:59,145 --> 01:04:01,954
...in its simplicity,
felt all the more absurd.
681
01:04:02,544 --> 01:04:04,148
Nice job.
682
01:04:14,222 --> 01:04:16,667
Try and imagine
a giant crumble cake.
683
01:04:17,021 --> 01:04:18,545
Throw it into the deep freeze.
684
01:04:18,781 --> 01:04:21,021
And now reduce your size to
about an inch,..
685
01:04:21,380 --> 01:04:24,031
...strap on some skis
and decide to cross it!
686
01:04:24,459 --> 01:04:27,348
Sometimes the best thing to do
is to just put one foot...
687
01:04:27,659 --> 01:04:30,707
...in front of the other, and
move forward without thinking.
688
01:04:36,617 --> 01:04:41,303
This is us after
fourteen hours of travel.
689
01:04:41,816 --> 01:04:43,976
We're pretty exhausted.
690
01:04:44,375 --> 01:04:47,981
We're going into the negative drift
at this point. So, it feels like...
691
01:04:48,294 --> 01:04:51,343
...walking on a conveyor belt.
Every mile that we do we lose...
692
01:04:51,774 --> 01:04:55,140
...about a tenth of that mile
to the drift pulling us backwards.
693
01:04:55,573 --> 01:04:57,017
We're travelling
on the Arctic Ocean,..
694
01:04:57,533 --> 01:05:00,660
...so we spend 35 days
without touching land.
695
01:05:01,012 --> 01:05:04,811
First, there is no point
on the sea ice where...
696
01:05:05,131 --> 01:05:08,372
...there is an actual
geographical North Pole.
697
01:05:08,510 --> 01:05:10,876
That night we realized that we had
started drifting south.
698
01:05:11,230 --> 01:05:13,117
That point is at the bottom
of the ocean and...
699
01:05:13,469 --> 01:05:15,551
...everything above
it is essentially floating.
700
01:05:15,869 --> 01:05:19,759
So the miles we were making,
they were being taken away...
701
01:05:20,068 --> 01:05:22,353
...from the, sort of,
Arctic treadmill.
702
01:05:22,907 --> 01:05:27,115
So, we're pretty exhausted.
The wind has been whipping us...
703
01:05:28,266 --> 01:05:32,508
...like whip boys, all day. lt's
blowing about 25 knots right now.
704
01:05:32,865 --> 01:05:35,629
And although the temperature is
not that cold, the wind is...
705
01:05:36,064 --> 01:05:43,185
...dropping them by 20-30% so it's
about 25 degrees minus right now,..
706
01:05:43,463 --> 01:05:49,150
...but it feels about 35 minus.
Although we're happy to be here,..
707
01:05:49,502 --> 01:05:52,311
...we're pretty beat up right now.
Right Keith?
708
01:05:52,621 --> 01:05:55,020
Agree with that!
709
01:05:55,340 --> 01:05:58,025
The drift was so strong that day
that we woke up the next morning...
710
01:05:58,420 --> 01:06:02,389
...behind the spot that we had
woken up the morning prior.
711
01:06:04,179 --> 01:06:07,944
From morning until evening,
hardly a word is exchanged.
712
01:06:08,418 --> 01:06:12,660
The terrain was friendly and
relatively flat and the scenery epic.
713
01:06:13,137 --> 01:06:17,027
As each day rolls into the next,
there are no signs of life...
714
01:06:17,296 --> 01:06:19,946
...to break the quiet sanctitude
of our journey.
715
01:06:20,375 --> 01:06:25,175
Not a bird; not a bug; no plane
high above in the sky.
716
01:06:25,574 --> 01:06:28,542
The feeling of solitude in this
white stillness could, for some,..
717
01:06:28,853 --> 01:06:31,299
...scream louder than despair.
718
01:06:31,853 --> 01:06:36,141
But mostly l immerse myself in
complete communion with the ice,..
719
01:06:36,492 --> 01:06:40,257
...and feel at one with it--
one in thirty million species...
720
01:06:40,531 --> 01:06:44,170
...inhabiting the earth;
no more, no less.
721
01:06:45,450 --> 01:06:48,612
And l get lost in the unique
privelege of finding myself here.
722
01:06:48,929 --> 01:06:53,217
Nourishing my soul with the pure
and raw power of Nature.
723
01:07:05,366 --> 01:07:08,334
We came upon an enormous system
of melt ways, frozen over,..
724
01:07:08,645 --> 01:07:11,169
...remaining most likely
from the summer.
725
01:07:11,564 --> 01:07:16,364
Huge waterways looking like rivers
stretching for miles east and west.
726
01:07:16,763 --> 01:07:20,812
lt spells the ominous demise
of the Arctic summer ice.
727
01:07:21,362 --> 01:07:24,570
lndeed while it"s predicted to break
entirely in the summer period...
728
01:07:24,882 --> 01:07:28,851
...by as early as 2013, privately
scientists feared it might have...
729
01:07:29,161 --> 01:07:33,244
...happened last summer,
and could anytime hereafter.
730
01:07:38,959 --> 01:07:42,121
Broken ice in the summer means
the end of multi year ice...
731
01:07:42,958 --> 01:07:45,846
...and a rapid breakdown of the
structural integrity of the sea ice--
732
01:07:46,317 --> 01:07:52,243
Regardless of seasons. But for us,
today, it was eerily beautiful.
733
01:08:59,262 --> 01:09:02,230
All cold environments are
challenging to shoot in.
734
01:09:02,621 --> 01:09:06,386
But out here, each opportunity to
shoot has to be measured against...
735
01:09:06,780 --> 01:09:11,102
...one, the time to stop, open
the sledge and set the gear up,..
736
01:09:11,419 --> 01:09:14,149
...and two, the cold that
sets in from stopping.
737
01:09:14,539 --> 01:09:17,018
Consequently, shooting
is extremely challenging,..
738
01:09:17,378 --> 01:09:19,584
...and made all the more
frustrating for the fact that...
739
01:09:19,897 --> 01:09:22,422
...there are quite literally
100s of shots daily...
740
01:09:22,777 --> 01:09:25,665
...that cannot be captured
but to memory.
741
01:09:44,132 --> 01:09:46,498
Eerie and ominous,
with the profound beauty...
742
01:09:46,852 --> 01:09:49,376
...of the simplicity of void.
743
01:09:49,811 --> 01:09:53,496
This lead spells out the future of
the Arctic Ocean as it breaks up;..
744
01:09:53,810 --> 01:09:56,096
...its ice thickness
further threatened by...
745
01:09:56,410 --> 01:10:00,049
...the exponential factors of
warm air and warmer water.
746
01:10:02,129 --> 01:10:05,017
This lead was enormous:
two miles across and...
747
01:10:05,288 --> 01:10:08,336
...its length unclear as
it stretched East and West,..
748
01:10:08,687 --> 01:10:11,212
...well beyond what
the eye could see.
749
01:10:12,766 --> 01:10:17,611
The ice is rapidly changing, and
l wonder if generations to come...
750
01:10:17,965 --> 01:10:21,014
...will have the chance
to do what we"re doing.
751
01:10:21,564 --> 01:10:25,045
My one great privilege which
will undoubtedly live to be...
752
01:10:25,404 --> 01:10:29,407
...a great frustration is that whilst
witnessing such unique sights,..
753
01:10:29,843 --> 01:10:31,525
...l also know that
it is impossible...
754
01:10:31,882 --> 01:10:35,249
...to capture its scale
and breadth on film.
755
01:10:45,759 --> 01:10:49,320
When the sky is overcast out here,
all manners of depth,..
756
01:10:49,599 --> 01:10:53,887
...perspective and height disappear.
The pale shade that normally...
757
01:10:54,238 --> 01:10:57,638
...gives the icy terrain
its detail is completely gone.
758
01:10:58,077 --> 01:11:01,842
What remains is the seemingly
posterized ice blue color...
759
01:11:02,156 --> 01:11:05,522
...of most pressure ridges--
and pure white.
760
01:11:13,354 --> 01:11:16,675
The morale was low, as
yet another reality sunk in:
761
01:11:17,153 --> 01:11:20,121
At the rate we have been going,
we will not make the pole in time...
762
01:11:20,432 --> 01:11:22,400
...to exit through Barneo.
763
01:11:22,752 --> 01:11:26,437
So the additional challenge is set;
the race against the clock is on.
764
01:11:26,951 --> 01:11:29,521
We need to average
12 nautical miles a day,..
765
01:11:29,790 --> 01:11:33,077
...which we have not done so far,
and not for lack of trying.
766
01:11:33,549 --> 01:11:37,155
Besides we are drifting south--
we lost a mile last night,..
767
01:11:37,549 --> 01:11:40,995
...and by the time we wake up,
we will have lost another mile--
768
01:11:41,428 --> 01:11:44,555
The drift is taking us backwards,
which is not unusual.
769
01:11:44,947 --> 01:11:46,869
We will re-strategize.
770
01:11:47,186 --> 01:11:51,555
But for now we are dead tired
and will seek sleep for counsel.
771
01:12:00,224 --> 01:12:05,388
Now to pull the frosty sleeping bag
out of its compressor bag.
772
01:12:24,419 --> 01:12:30,140
l'm actually shivering right now;
l'm not fully cocooned.
773
01:12:33,897 --> 01:12:36,501
All right, good night.
774
01:12:43,735 --> 01:12:46,942
l cannot help but think of Peary,
Henson and the four lnuit on...
775
01:12:47,214 --> 01:12:51,263
...their team, and how after reaching
the pole on April 6th 1909,..
776
01:12:51,533 --> 01:12:54,660
...they then had to face
the un-assisted return to land,..
777
01:12:54,932 --> 01:12:56,456
...for many more months
of journeying.
778
01:12:56,852 --> 01:13:00,139
There were no satellite phones,
no blogs, no power bars,..
779
01:13:00,531 --> 01:13:03,897
...no technology developed fabrics,
no nylon tents.
780
01:13:04,210 --> 01:13:07,020
Just six brave men
facing the unknown...
781
01:13:07,290 --> 01:13:10,178
...with no safety net,
and no back up.
782
01:13:15,008 --> 01:13:17,817
The race for the pole is still on,
we hope for good luck...
783
01:13:18,127 --> 01:13:21,335
...in the terrain again so
we can maintain our speed.
784
01:13:23,006 --> 01:13:26,169
We have been told categorically
that our flight off the ice...
785
01:13:26,446 --> 01:13:31,326
...will be no later than the 26th
in the AM, as Barneo closes.
786
01:13:32,364 --> 01:13:35,811
Barneo used to close later in May,
but the rising temperatures have...
787
01:13:36,164 --> 01:13:39,246
...made this too precarious for
this floating station servicing...
788
01:13:39,563 --> 01:13:43,771
...expeditions and scientific
research on the ice for four weeks.
789
01:13:47,681 --> 01:13:49,888
Yesterday l said that
the ice on a lead generally...
790
01:13:50,201 --> 01:13:54,000
...doesn"t break at once.
Well, sometimes it does.
791
01:13:54,480 --> 01:13:56,765
And today it did.
792
01:13:57,119 --> 01:14:01,248
So we were investigating something
that looked potentially passable.
793
01:14:01,638 --> 01:14:04,323
l took a chance on it because
l was trying to make time.
794
01:14:04,438 --> 01:14:07,600
The only way to find out is
if you take the initiative to...
795
01:14:07,917 --> 01:14:10,521
...walk out there and see if it's
going to hold your weight.
796
01:14:11,956 --> 01:14:14,607
We were trying to make time
and had a good start until...
797
01:14:14,955 --> 01:14:17,401
...a small east/west lead
blocked our way.
798
01:14:17,795 --> 01:14:20,319
A narrow section looked
questionable but doable,..
799
01:14:20,634 --> 01:14:22,841
...as it was only about
10 feet wide.
800
01:14:23,754 --> 01:14:27,234
l unhooked from the sledge, stepped
carefully on the flexing ice,..
801
01:14:27,713 --> 01:14:32,035
...took a large step forward, and
all at once... the dreaded.
802
01:14:34,711 --> 01:14:38,794
The ice gave in from under me
and l slowly but inescapably...
803
01:14:39,150 --> 01:14:41,960
...sunk to my neck
in Arctic water.
804
01:14:42,590 --> 01:14:44,716
He was fortunate that
he had loosened his skiis.
805
01:14:44,829 --> 01:14:47,150
l kicked them off and they had
floated up to the surface.
806
01:14:47,509 --> 01:14:50,159
lt took about two paddle strokes
to get to the edge where l was.
807
01:14:50,428 --> 01:14:53,476
l got to pull myself up
with Keith's assistance.
808
01:14:53,907 --> 01:14:57,434
Keith quickly threw me a line
and pulled me out which left me...
809
01:14:57,746 --> 01:15:02,354
...dripping in -25 degrees Celcius.
lt goes without saying that...
810
01:15:02,665 --> 01:15:05,065
...getting down to your skivvies
under these conditions isn"t...
811
01:15:05,465 --> 01:15:07,671
...anyone"s idea
of a good time!
812
01:15:08,064 --> 01:15:09,986
And l rolled into the snow,
at least the ice,..
813
01:15:10,304 --> 01:15:12,351
...to absorb some of the
moisture as possible.
814
01:15:12,703 --> 01:15:14,785
The powder snow is so dry that...
815
01:15:15,103 --> 01:15:17,263
...when it hits the water,
it acts like a sponge.
816
01:15:17,622 --> 01:15:20,386
You know, it was unpleasant but
it was a quick moment in time.
817
01:15:20,702 --> 01:15:24,546
There's no other better remedy
for hypothermia than activity.
818
01:15:24,861 --> 01:15:29,388
There are funner things to do,
to be sure, in the Arctic...
819
01:15:29,700 --> 01:15:34,784
...than to change and get naked in
those frigid temperatures.
820
01:15:36,298 --> 01:15:39,108
One of the great lessons of this
environment is that...
821
01:15:39,418 --> 01:15:42,818
...there are no time-outs,
no quitting and no savior.
822
01:15:43,297 --> 01:15:45,106
The mess you"re in
is yours to clean,..
823
01:15:45,416 --> 01:15:47,987
...and this responsibility
works anywhere.
824
01:15:56,934 --> 01:16:00,653
With nothing but open space in front
of me, l motored and skied hard.
825
01:16:01,333 --> 01:16:04,654
My legs got sucked into the rhythm,
and never complained.
826
01:16:05,012 --> 01:16:07,333
Nor did Keith, though l knew
his hip bothered him.
827
01:16:07,732 --> 01:16:11,053
But the day was set to put a mark
on our vanishing legacy.
828
01:16:11,571 --> 01:16:15,017
Each hour that passed was punctuated
by the pleasing speed that would...
829
01:16:15,290 --> 01:16:18,532
...define our last travel day, and
the looming and steady creep...
830
01:16:18,849 --> 01:16:22,569
...of a countdown that brought
a mix of relief and sadness.
831
01:16:23,209 --> 01:16:26,609
The last few days have been the
toughest, but today, in spite of...
832
01:16:27,088 --> 01:16:30,807
...the wind"s chill, we are
eating miles and feel unstoppable.
833
01:16:36,326 --> 01:16:39,055
As if to teach us one more time
the meaning of the word respect,..
834
01:16:39,405 --> 01:16:42,771
...the pack ice threw a field of
junky, powdery blocks at us,..
835
01:16:43,164 --> 01:16:45,086
...and the clouds
overtook the sun...
836
01:16:45,484 --> 01:16:48,134
...to flatten out detail
in the terrain one more time.
837
01:16:49,883 --> 01:16:51,566
l was anxious, pushing forward,..
838
01:16:51,922 --> 01:16:54,004
...intent in reaching
our farthest north.
839
01:16:58,601 --> 01:17:03,048
Then it all cleared:
the sky, the wind, the rubble.
840
01:17:03,400 --> 01:17:07,563
And the end came abruptly,
systematic and unapologetic.
841
01:17:07,999 --> 01:17:11,638
Ahead of us and within reach,
on a flat pan framed by...
842
01:17:11,998 --> 01:17:15,320
...pressure ridges, stood
my childhood dream.
843
01:17:15,757 --> 01:17:17,884
The point that makes
explorers through the ages...
844
01:17:18,237 --> 01:17:21,046
...squint with wonder
does not surrender easily.
845
01:17:21,556 --> 01:17:24,639
But l was determined,
GPS in hand,..
846
01:17:25,116 --> 01:17:29,165
...to see those numbers line up
and honor Peary and his men...
847
01:17:29,555 --> 01:17:32,159
...from where they stood
a hundred years ago.
848
01:17:39,992 --> 01:17:43,632
Zeros! This is it! Right here!
849
01:17:43,992 --> 01:17:49,314
This is the North Pole, right here.
850
01:17:50,030 --> 01:17:53,113
From this point forth,
no matter where you go,..
851
01:17:53,350 --> 01:17:56,591
...no matter what direction
l go, l'm going south.
852
01:17:57,389 --> 01:18:10,834
And here's the other thing; if l do
this, in doing this right now...
853
01:18:17,664 --> 01:18:23,306
...l've walked through every
single time zone on the planet!
854
01:18:24,543 --> 01:18:29,627
This is it, the North Pole, right
here. The top of the world.
855
01:18:32,861 --> 01:18:35,022
We made it, it's pretty exciting.
856
01:18:35,541 --> 01:18:39,340
And in seconds, just like that,
it was gone.
857
01:18:39,780 --> 01:18:43,465
That point from which any step
heads south, the top of the world,..
858
01:18:43,899 --> 01:18:47,698
...where all longitudinal lines
blend and all time zones meet,..
859
01:18:48,138 --> 01:18:52,107
...where the world rotates below
your feet, that point was mine...
860
01:18:52,377 --> 01:18:56,460
...for one brief, ethereal
instant. And then no more.
861
01:18:57,536 --> 01:19:01,539
Beneath the frosty facemask
and under my icy ruffed hood,..
862
01:19:01,935 --> 01:19:04,699
...the breath l took filled my heart
with the essence of purpose,..
863
01:19:05,135 --> 01:19:07,182
...and a mission accomplished.
864
01:19:07,614 --> 01:19:10,423
For a while l stared in silence
at the field in front of me,..
865
01:19:10,773 --> 01:19:14,095
...taking in the open,
unrestricted ice kingdom;..
866
01:19:14,413 --> 01:19:17,734
...committing to memory its vastness
and the contours of the mounds...
867
01:19:18,012 --> 01:19:22,380
...and ridges framing it; noting the
way that the sun defined the terrain.
868
01:19:22,651 --> 01:19:24,652
Feeling the wind biting my left side.
869
01:19:25,050 --> 01:19:28,497
l heard my heart pounding, fresh
from the effort, tugging at me...
870
01:19:28,810 --> 01:19:30,618
...with undecided trepidation,..
871
01:19:30,969 --> 01:19:34,210
...not sure whether to weep
in relief or beg for more.
872
01:19:37,088 --> 01:19:40,693
Any moment now, this solemn and
suspended reality would be broken...
873
01:19:41,007 --> 01:19:44,294
...by the distant flapping
of the helicopter"s rotors.
874
01:19:44,726 --> 01:19:46,774
And the dream would end.
875
01:19:48,445 --> 01:19:50,970
As Keith and l stood there in
the silence that had come to...
876
01:19:51,245 --> 01:19:54,088
...characterize our solitary travel,
l knew that this image would...
877
01:19:54,524 --> 01:19:58,050
...define my experience
up here. And l relished it.
878
01:19:59,323 --> 01:20:01,564
The North Pole is so ephemeral;..
879
01:20:01,833 --> 01:20:04,278
...so fleeting that it can
feel like an illusion.
880
01:20:06,592 --> 01:20:09,560
While the Pole itself is a
static geographical point...
881
01:20:09,791 --> 01:20:12,520
...at the bottom of the ocean,
up here, on the sea ice...
882
01:20:12,830 --> 01:20:16,357
...constantly drifting, nothing is.
ln fact sometimes,..
883
01:20:16,789 --> 01:20:19,872
...as happened to me then,
the dream feels more real.
884
01:20:20,509 --> 01:20:23,909
And as the ice shifts, unmoved
by the human desire to pierce...
885
01:20:24,308 --> 01:20:27,708
...its crust with a marquee post,
what is left is the image that...
886
01:20:28,107 --> 01:20:32,110
...we chose to retain. And to me,
it will be that open field...
887
01:20:32,506 --> 01:20:37,511
...staring me in the eye, as if
to say: "l"m leaving too. Soon. "
888
01:20:47,783 --> 01:20:50,546
ln the distance, the wind carried
the unmistakable flapping of...
889
01:20:50,862 --> 01:20:53,751
...the Ml8"s rotors.
890
01:20:53,982 --> 01:20:57,428
lnvisible at first, the heavy craft
appeared south of us.
891
01:21:37,692 --> 01:21:40,855
l stared out of the port hole of the
helicopter as we lifted off to...
892
01:21:41,212 --> 01:21:44,612
...Barneo, feeling real fondness
and nostalgia for this tough...
893
01:21:45,091 --> 01:21:47,456
...and unforgiving environment.
894
01:21:49,370 --> 01:21:52,850
We were leaving the pack ice,
its ridges, rubble fields and...
895
01:21:53,169 --> 01:21:56,650
...open leads; its frigid humidity
and freezing winds;..
896
01:21:57,008 --> 01:22:00,375
...its cloud cover and zero
visibility; and its canvas that...
897
01:22:00,808 --> 01:22:03,856
...challenges the human spirit
and pushes the limits...
898
01:22:04,287 --> 01:22:06,971
...of its physical potential. And
the thought troubled me...
899
01:22:07,326 --> 01:22:09,897
...as it slowly sank in that
l would likely not be back here.
900
01:22:10,326 --> 01:22:11,849
At least not like that.
901
01:22:15,525 --> 01:22:19,847
lntense and epic, the North Pole
is one tough, tough mission.
902
01:22:21,523 --> 01:22:23,730
The legendary Reinhold Messner said:
903
01:22:24,123 --> 01:22:26,966
"Everest is very dangerous,
but crossing the North Pole,..
904
01:22:27,282 --> 01:22:30,728
...which l attempted to do, is
ten times more dangerous. "
905
01:22:31,241 --> 01:22:33,527
l knew flying away that what
l brought back with me...
906
01:22:33,801 --> 01:22:35,882
...was an experience that has
marked me, and perhaps...
907
01:22:36,240 --> 01:22:38,128
...changed me for life.
908
01:22:42,679 --> 01:22:45,203
After five weeks of this
epic adventure, l know that...
909
01:22:45,518 --> 01:22:49,283
...re-entry will be a challenge.
But all things do come to an end.
910
01:22:49,637 --> 01:22:52,242
And l could really
use a sandwich!
911
01:22:55,676 --> 01:22:57,997
l reflect on human"s
amazing ability to survive...
912
01:22:58,356 --> 01:23:01,165
...in one of the harshest
environments on Earth.
913
01:23:02,915 --> 01:23:06,805
As the world celebrates Earth day,
l think of how important it is to...
914
01:23:07,154 --> 01:23:09,633
...get out of this false sense of
security that we have developed...
915
01:23:09,993 --> 01:23:14,122
...as city dwellers, lulled away by
the convenience of technology...
916
01:23:14,512 --> 01:23:17,992
...from the responsibility and
connection we have to the land...
917
01:23:18,391 --> 01:23:23,157
...that hosts us. Where does our
garbage go? We don"t know.
918
01:23:23,630 --> 01:23:26,155
What is the true impact of our
electrical power source...
919
01:23:26,550 --> 01:23:28,756
...and what is our consumption?
920
01:23:30,189 --> 01:23:32,952
lndigenous cultures have an
innate sense of renewable...
921
01:23:33,258 --> 01:23:36,580
...and sustainable living
because it is logical.
922
01:23:37,017 --> 01:23:39,986
Western cultures have
mostly lost that.
923
01:23:40,337 --> 01:23:44,500
And l hope that this experience in
the Arctic raises awareness...
924
01:23:44,816 --> 01:23:50,060
...of how fragile this is. And while
the Arctic is melting away,..
925
01:23:50,375 --> 01:23:57,939
...our societies, our governments,
and our economies are all vying...
926
01:23:58,253 --> 01:24:02,143
...to exploit its resources
made more available and...
927
01:24:02,412 --> 01:24:05,255
...accessible because of the
melting. And in such we are...
928
01:24:05,531 --> 01:24:09,217
...perpetuating a cycle which was
the genesis for the undoing...
929
01:24:09,571 --> 01:24:12,175
...of this environment to begin
with. lt's a profound link:
930
01:24:12,529 --> 01:24:18,137
lt's one of the multiple links that
tie us to this natural order.
931
01:24:18,449 --> 01:24:26,331
Any weakening of any link in that
chain puts everything in jeopardy.
932
01:24:27,527 --> 01:24:30,927
Everything, except of course for
nature and for the world which...
933
01:24:31,206 --> 01:24:32,969
...carries on in the way
that it will.
934
01:24:33,326 --> 01:24:35,976
Ultimately this is not
about protecting the planet.
935
01:24:36,325 --> 01:24:41,250
Ultimately this is really about
protecting ourselves from ourselves.
936
01:24:45,803 --> 01:24:48,487
With each step into the white
vastness of the Arctic sea,..
937
01:24:48,843 --> 01:24:52,323
...l am reminded of how small
and vulnerable we really are,..
938
01:24:52,641 --> 01:24:55,610
...and confronted with the mirror
of my own footprint.
939
01:24:56,081 --> 01:24:59,766
While the snow drifts cover
my tracks, l know that l, too,..
940
01:25:00,120 --> 01:25:03,839
...would soon drown in the tears
of the earth as its ice melts...
941
01:25:04,119 --> 01:25:06,770
...and floods our cities,
forcing on us the reckoning...
942
01:25:07,158 --> 01:25:11,527
...of an order that we lost.
l am left to ponder in amazement...
943
01:25:11,997 --> 01:25:15,319
...at the power of the nature that
surrounds us, and to appreciate...
944
01:25:15,557 --> 01:25:18,764
...the freedom we"re afforded to
journey unrestricted through it.
945
01:25:19,676 --> 01:25:22,327
What an adventure!