1 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:39,839 The polar regions are more hostile to life 2 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:42,319 than any other part of the Earth. 3 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:51,279 Human beings have little natural protection against the cold. 4 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:55,479 So why, for thousands of years, 5 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:59,199 have we endured the hardships that come from living here? 6 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:05,959 And what keeps us coming back today to the farthest extremes of our planet? 7 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:27,679 Winter in the most northerly town on Earth, Longyearbyen. 8 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:33,199 Here, for three months of the year, the sun never rises. 9 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:39,999 Only the full moon, which never sets as far north as this, 10 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:42,879 sheds any light into the darkness. 11 00:01:55,880 --> 00:02:01,519 This town was built here in Svalbard, only 700 miles from the North Pole, 12 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:03,599 to support a mine. 13 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:08,279 The Arctic is rich in coal, oil and minerals. 14 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:17,519 In Siberia, the Russian Arctic, 15 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:20,799 the mineral wealth has given rise to large cities. 16 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:29,479 This is Norilsk, the coldest city on Earth. 17 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:37,559 Temperatures regularly drop to below -50 degrees centigrade. 18 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:41,479 Fuel freezes in the tanks of the trucks 19 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,799 and has to be melted in a rather alarming way. 20 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:54,439 Ships are frozen into the rivers for nine months of the year. 21 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:58,399 The ice must be cut away from their hulls 22 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:03,159 because steel becomes brittle and vulnerable to the thickening ice. 23 00:03:05,920 --> 00:03:07,839 Like all Arctic cities, 24 00:03:07,920 --> 00:03:12,479 Norilsk depends on a power plant, which heats everybody's home. 25 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:17,599 Waste heat from the plant even keeps a lake ice-free all winter. 26 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:21,039 Even at air temperatures of -50, 27 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,759 the Norilsk Walrus Club come here every day. 28 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:42,839 There is evidence that a dip in cold water 29 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:45,119 is good for the immune system, 30 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:47,799 but when the water is a degree above freezing, 31 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:52,079 it's hard to imagine that the benefits could outweigh the pain. 32 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:07,919 Today's Arctic city dwellers 33 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:12,199 can lead an almost normal existence, thanks to technology. 34 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:16,879 But towns and cities are very recent arrivals 35 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:18,879 in the polar landscape. 36 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:24,439 The polar regions are the least populated part of our planet. 37 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:29,439 Most of the Arctic remains empty of human beings. 38 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:37,639 In the north, the Pole itself is covered by a freezing ocean. 39 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,839 Around it lie vast lands, 40 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,919 of which Siberia is the largest and coldest. 41 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:05,159 Human beings first ventured onto the great plains of Siberia, the tundra, 42 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:09,359 thousands of years ago, and some live here still. 43 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:22,679 The Dolgan are one of the few tribes who still live in much the same way 44 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:25,079 as those first Arctic pioneers. 45 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:36,159 They are reindeer people. 46 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:38,919 Reindeer are one of the few animals 47 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,799 that can endure these bitterly cold conditions, 48 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:44,639 scraping a living by nibbling tiny plants 49 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:46,639 that survive beneath the snow. 50 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:53,839 Nobody has ever totally tamed reindeer, 51 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:56,399 but today's animals are docile enough 52 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:59,319 to allow the Dolgan to drive them across the tundra 53 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:02,199 in an everlasting search for their food. 54 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:22,039 This is a typical Dolgan village, 55 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:25,479 home to just two extended families. 56 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:39,439 Here, in the coldest part of the Arctic, 57 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:42,679 the only way to get water for nine months of the year 58 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:46,079 is to melt ice from the frozen rivers. 59 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:54,799 At least there's no problem preventing food from decay. 60 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,759 Outside is one big deep-freeze. 61 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:04,519 Survival is only possible because of reindeer fur. 62 00:07:04,840 --> 00:07:07,159 It makes wonderfully warm clothing, 63 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:10,559 though small children still have to be sewn into their clothes 64 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:12,879 to prevent instant frostbite. 65 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:18,719 The Dolgan even use reindeer fur to insulate their huts. 66 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:24,399 This is living at its most communal. 67 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:29,519 Good relations with the in-laws are essential. 68 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:34,039 Reindeer are so valuable 69 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:37,639 that the people only eat them if they have no other choice. 70 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:41,439 Their favorite food is raw fish from the frozen rivers. 71 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:46,959 Every week or so, these families have to travel 72 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:49,759 to find new feeding grounds for their herds. 73 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:56,359 First, they round up their strongest animals with lassoes, 74 00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:58,799 a skill that their ancestors brought with them 75 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:00,639 when they came north from Central Asia. 76 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:12,039 And then, literally, they move house. 77 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:31,999 A whole Dolgan village can move on in just a few hours. 78 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:35,399 Over the year, they travel hundreds of miles like this 79 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:37,399 across the vast tundra. 80 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:02,799 It was the herds of reindeer wandering over the lands of the Arctic 81 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:04,839 that brought the first Dolgan here. 82 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:09,519 Other people, however, took on an even greater challenge. 83 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:11,079 They left the land 84 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:14,279 and looked for their food out on the frozen sea. 85 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:23,559 Here, in the shifting world of the sea-ice, 86 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:25,919 they found sea mammals. 87 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:04,879 Pasha leads a group of Inuit men in Chukotka, 88 00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:07,439 the northeastern corner of Russia. 89 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:12,799 The men have travelled many hours from home in the bitter cold, 90 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,759 fighting their way through a dangerous maze. 91 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:21,919 These 100-tonne ice floes 92 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:25,119 could crush their small boats like eggshells. 93 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:42,599 The men have big families 94 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:46,239 and this is the only way they have of feeding them. 95 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:53,679 Pasha is looking for the puffs of steamy air produced by their quarry, 96 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:58,239 an animal that is bigger than many Arctic whales. 97 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,559 A two-ton seal with formidable tusks. 98 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:16,279 A walrus. 99 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:20,399 It's heading for open water. They must reach it before it dives. 100 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:28,959 An angry walrus could easily overturn the boats. 101 00:11:36,680 --> 00:11:40,599 The harpoon sticks firmly in the walrus's thick layer of blubber 102 00:11:40,680 --> 00:11:43,759 and floats attached to it prevent the animal from diving. 103 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:05,199 Pasha wants to kill quickly with a single clean shot. 104 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:21,559 The hunters are exhausted after a long day, 105 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:24,239 but they still have a lot more work to do. 106 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:30,639 This enormous prize will feed everyone's family for weeks. 107 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:39,599 It will take many hours to butcher. 108 00:12:39,680 --> 00:12:41,679 Nothing will go to waste. 109 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:53,439 The meat is parceled up in bags made of the animal's skin. 110 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:02,719 It's midnight, but the sun is still up. 111 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:06,159 Summer is almost here. 112 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:15,319 This far north, the seasons change fast. 113 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:18,639 The sun is rising higher and growing warmer 114 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:20,559 with each passing day. 115 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:43,119 The transformation from winter to summer is so dramatic 116 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:46,359 that it dominates the lives of all who live here. 117 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:52,079 The ice around the coast has almost disappeared 118 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:57,039 and gone are the seals and walrus that Pasha and his men relied on. 119 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:02,159 They set off on another search for food. 120 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:10,639 Their destination is an island in the bay. 121 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:21,159 Their walrus-skin boat is an ancient design, 122 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:25,239 light enough to carry high up the beach so it doesn't drift away. 123 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:39,759 Once again, the men will have to work as a team. 124 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:43,919 But one of them of will be taking very serious risks. 125 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:53,119 The lightest man in the group, Kolya, is also the oldest. 126 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:57,319 He will trust his life to a length of old nylon rope 127 00:14:57,680 --> 00:14:59,999 and the strength of his friends. 128 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:19,839 These 100-metre-high cliffs are home to thousands of guillemots 129 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,239 and Kolya is after their eggs. 130 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:31,639 He relies on the men above to lower him to the right place. 131 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:38,399 Kolya is tough but his stress is obvious. 132 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:49,079 The men lower Kolya down to the bottom of the cliff 133 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:53,119 and from there he works his way back up the crumbling rock face. 134 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:27,279 This mission will produce no more than about 50 eggs, 135 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:30,879 but at least there's no need to carry a packed lunch. 136 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:48,559 Over the years, many men have fallen to their deaths 137 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:50,359 collecting seabird eggs. 138 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:53,559 This is truly dangerous work. 139 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:08,159 These Arctic peoples can't grow crops. 140 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:11,639 The frozen ground never thaws to allow them to do so. 141 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:14,839 They rely on animals for their food, 142 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:17,719 so the chance to collect a few dozen eggs 143 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:21,439 has to be taken, even if it means risking your life. 144 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:41,879 The change of season has transformed the Arctic's coastline 145 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:45,359 and inland, the difference is just as extreme. 146 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:53,319 July temperatures on the tundra can be surprisingly high, 147 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:55,479 over 30 degrees centigrade. 148 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:02,839 Reindeer now move not just to find fresh pasture, 149 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:07,199 but also to avoid the summer swarms of bloodsucking flies. 150 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:11,039 To keep their animals healthy, 151 00:18:11,120 --> 00:18:13,559 the local herders are driving them to the sea. 152 00:18:16,360 --> 00:18:20,199 The cooler conditions on the coast bring relief to the herds 153 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:23,759 and the chance every year for different tribes to meet. 154 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:29,559 Pasha and his hunters live close by. 155 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:32,719 They've had word of the herders' arrival. 156 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:42,519 The hunters' cargo is highly prized for the winter ahead, 157 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:44,399 fat-rich walrus meat 158 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:47,959 that's been fermenting in the skin bags for two months. 159 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:52,399 Today will see an exchange that has taken place 160 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:54,559 every summer for centuries. 161 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:59,359 The herders barter reindeer skins for walrus meat. 162 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:03,399 Pooling their resources has helped these communities 163 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:05,399 to survive for so long. 164 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:13,359 A fry-up of guillemot eggs is all the better 165 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:15,279 when shared with old friends. 166 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:22,919 Summer brings a brief chance for isolated peoples to meet. 167 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:26,199 This is an opportunity to exchange news, 168 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:29,439 arrange weddings, and tell the latest jokes. 169 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:41,399 By August, the summer is over. 170 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:44,239 Winter arrives only too swiftly, 171 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:47,999 but the peoples of the Arctic, who came here originally to hunt, 172 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:52,319 have devised ways to deal with the hostile and changing conditions 173 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:54,799 that have stood the test of time. 174 00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:59,559 Today, there's a new draw to the Arctic. 175 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:09,799 This is Greenland, a territory of Denmark, 176 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:12,999 now known to be rich in oil and precious metals. 177 00:20:25,120 --> 00:20:28,759 This sled team is part of the Danish Special Forces. 178 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:32,359 They're on one of the world's toughest journeys, 179 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:34,399 a 2,000-mile patrol 180 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:37,999 to maintain Denmark's claim to this valuable wilderness. 181 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:45,119 But the patrol's mission is only possible 182 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:48,919 with the help of man's oldest Arctic companion. 183 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:58,479 Rasmus and Roland have spent the summer months 184 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:01,999 training and getting to know their team of Greenland huskies. 185 00:21:02,360 --> 00:21:06,239 They need to have a very close bond with every single dog. 186 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:09,439 This is Roger and Armstrong. 187 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:13,959 Actually the oldest dog in the whole patrol, 188 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:16,719 but he's still going strong. 189 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:20,199 The men are totally dependent 190 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:23,439 on the stamina of their dogs, which will keep on running 191 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:26,319 all through the bitter cold of the winter. 192 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:36,599 This is the last time the team will see the sun for two months. 193 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:45,639 The most intelligent dogs always lead, choosing the safest route, 194 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,639 feeling for hidden crevasses and thin ice. 195 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:00,799 This is one of six teams 196 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,559 that patrol the whole of northeast Greenland, 197 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:06,239 the only people in an empty wilderness 198 00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:09,759 that is larger than France and Great Britain combined. 199 00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:17,079 Conditions here are too extreme for current mining technology. 200 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:19,639 But someday, ways will be found 201 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:22,279 of digging out the huge mineral treasures 202 00:22:22,360 --> 00:22:25,079 that lie hidden within these mountains. 203 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:32,279 The patrol secures Denmark's claim to do so simply by being here. 204 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:46,039 But it's not the prospect of getting rich 205 00:22:46,120 --> 00:22:48,599 that makes men sign up for this patrol, 206 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:51,719 it's the chance for the journey of a lifetime. 207 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:55,479 The team travel over the ice for six months, 208 00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:57,959 covering up to 40 miles in a day. 209 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:04,759 Friendship and teamwork are essential if they are to succeed. 210 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:11,359 Their dogs can sleep outside no matter how cold it gets. 211 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:14,879 Rasmus and Roland have a nice, cozy tent. 212 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:21,959 They have a few modern conveniences, 213 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:24,919 including a radio with which they report their position 214 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:28,959 back to headquarters in Denmark and catch up on the latest news. 215 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:35,319 Right now, it's the section of money, 216 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:39,359 what's new in the economy in Denmark, the financial crisis 217 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:43,399 and all the other things that we actually don't care about out here. 218 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:46,879 If you can cope with the conditions, 219 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:50,159 then winter in the Arctic can be magical, 220 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:54,079 especially when the greatest light show on Earth is overhead. 221 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:07,039 The first humans in the Arctic believed the Northern Lights, 222 00:24:07,120 --> 00:24:11,039 or Aurora Borealis, were dancing spirits. 223 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:12,999 Now we know the lights are caused 224 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:17,279 by electrically charged particles streaming from the sun, 225 00:24:17,360 --> 00:24:20,679 attracted by the magnetic pull of the Earth's poles. 226 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:36,279 A big aurora storm contains enough energy 227 00:24:36,360 --> 00:24:38,599 to knock out satellite communications 228 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:41,879 and power supplies across the Northern Hemisphere. 229 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:45,199 So, understanding the aurora is vital. 230 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:54,559 In Alaska, rockets are used to study the Lights. 231 00:24:56,960 --> 00:24:59,839 A hundred miles up, at the edge of outer space, 232 00:24:59,920 --> 00:25:02,719 the rockets release a cloud of glowing smoke 233 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:04,839 that's visible from Earth. 234 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:13,999 The smoke is blown by fierce winds, which are generated by the aurora. 235 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:21,559 Mapping the movement of the smoke helps scientists to understand 236 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:25,159 how this unearthly spectacle affects our atmosphere. 237 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:50,919 They constantly monitor the aurora to help protect us from its effects, 238 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:54,319 so the rest of us can simply enjoy the magic, 239 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:57,119 just as the Arctic's first people must have done 240 00:25:57,200 --> 00:25:59,119 thousands of years ago. 241 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:16,799 For all the many peoples of the Arctic, 242 00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:20,119 the aurora is a reminder of the sun's presence 243 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:22,679 throughout the dark days of winter. 244 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:29,839 But when the sun is below the horizon in the north, 245 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:33,039 it's above it at the southern end of our planet. 246 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:39,039 Here, humanity's history has been very different. 247 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:47,639 Antarctica is far colder than the Arctic, 248 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:52,679 and 99% of its land is permanently blanketed by ice. 249 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:58,319 Antarctica is so utterly remote and inhospitable 250 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:00,799 that no people ever settled here. 251 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:06,119 It was only 200 years ago 252 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:10,319 that the first human beings even glimpsed the vast continent. 253 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:20,719 The first people who crossed the Southern Ocean 254 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:22,719 did so for the same reason 255 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:25,519 that the first people went to the Arctic Ocean, 256 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:27,679 to hunt sea mammals. 257 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:44,519 The populations of whales and seals are only now beginning to recover 258 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:47,999 from 150 years of intensive hunting. 259 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:05,439 But none of those hunters ever tried to venture 260 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:08,959 into the frigid interior of the Antarctic continent. 261 00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:15,999 The first successful attempt to do that was made only 100 years ago. 262 00:28:18,120 --> 00:28:19,879 This hut was the base 263 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:23,479 for one of the most famous expeditions in polar history. 264 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:32,759 It was from here, in 1911 , 265 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:36,279 that Captain Scott and his team launched their attempt 266 00:28:36,360 --> 00:28:39,399 to be the first people to reach the South Pole. 267 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:46,919 The cold, dry conditions have preserved the interior of the hut 268 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:50,159 almost exactly as the expedition members left it. 269 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:58,919 Expedition photographer Herbert Ponting 270 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:02,199 captured the spirit of the age of exploration. 271 00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:09,159 These first explorers 272 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:12,599 borrowed the techniques of the Arctic peoples. 273 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:18,439 They wore fur gloves and boots and burned seal blubber to keep warm. 274 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:24,559 They built sleds based on a traditional Inuit design. 275 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:34,519 They even made their sleeping bags from reindeer hide. 276 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:44,079 Scott and his men sought the glory of discovery 277 00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:48,119 in an untouched wilderness and died in the attempt. 278 00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:51,319 But he and those who followed him 279 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:54,479 were the first to reveal the splendor of Antarctica 280 00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:56,559 to the rest of the world. 281 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:07,879 The lure of adventure still draws intrepid travelers today. 282 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:10,479 Like the first explorers, 283 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:13,679 most modern visitors come during the brief summer, 284 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:17,359 when the cold relents enough for the toughest icebreakers 285 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:19,959 to reach the edge of the continent. 286 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:23,359 But most still need a helicopter to go further. 287 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:36,319 The scenery in Antarctica is magnificent and dramatic. 288 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:40,319 But what really attracts people here is the wildlife. 289 00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:46,559 An emperor penguin colony is a particular highlight. 290 00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:52,679 Because human beings didn't arrive in the Antarctic 291 00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:54,719 until the past few centuries, 292 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:57,839 the animals have never developed a fear of man. 293 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:02,919 But very strict regulations 294 00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:06,479 govern how close people can approach any wildlife. 295 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:09,799 And when visitors leave, 296 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:13,479 they must take every trace of their visit away with them. 297 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:43,319 Since 1959, the whole of Antarctica 298 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:46,239 has been protected by international treaty. 299 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:52,039 The nations of the world have agreed that no country can claim Antarctica, 300 00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:54,679 or prospect for its oil or minerals. 301 00:31:57,320 --> 00:32:00,519 The only significant human activities allowed here 302 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:03,639 are those that extend our scientific knowledge. 303 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:11,839 But unlocking Antarctica's secrets requires some unusual tools. 304 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:32,879 This brand-new robot submarine 305 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:36,239 has been designed to go far beyond the limits of any human. 306 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:51,879 Today this diver is putting the sub through its paces 307 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:54,239 on one of its very first dives. 308 00:32:56,360 --> 00:32:59,199 It's designed to be small and nimble enough 309 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:03,159 to explore the Antarctic seabed without damaging it. 310 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:21,919 The submarine's mission as it journeys into the unknown 311 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:25,719 is to map the sea floor and look for species new to science. 312 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:43,719 The seawater here is a degree below zero, 313 00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:48,079 so even the toughest human diver can't stay down for long. 314 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:53,439 The submarine will explore deeper under the ice 315 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:55,679 than anyone has gone before. 316 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:04,999 From the depths of the ocean to the highest peaks of the land, 317 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:06,959 new discoveries are being made 318 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:10,759 even in places which were first visited over a century ago. 319 00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:26,599 Mount Erebus was an irresistible draw 320 00:34:26,680 --> 00:34:29,559 to the legendary explorer Ernest Shackleton. 321 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:34,799 In 1908, his men became the first to climb this active volcano. 322 00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:36,519 They soon discovered 323 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:40,039 that this is the coldest place on the Antarctic coast. 324 00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:43,879 Today's explorers still have to guard against frostbite 325 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:45,319 in the height of summer, 326 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:49,439 when temperatures rarely creep above -30 degrees centigrade. 327 00:34:55,480 --> 00:34:57,919 Shackleton's men had no idea 328 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:01,879 of the extraordinary spectacle that lay beneath their feet. 329 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:10,519 Yeah, okay, up on the wall there somewhere now. 330 00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:14,399 Under the ice and snow is a network of caves, 331 00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:18,999 which only a handful of expert cavers have ever dared to enter. 332 00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:30,879 This is the first scientific expedition to explore them in detail. 333 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:39,999 Here there are ice formations that occur nowhere else on Earth. 334 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:47,039 Each cave contains its own unique collection of structures. 335 00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:17,239 The team is mapping the caves 336 00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:20,319 to see how their shape changes over the years. 337 00:36:21,240 --> 00:36:23,199 Okay, flat side to here. 338 00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:36,279 That's 126.8 degrees for the angle. 339 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:38,119 -126.8. - Correct. 340 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:41,879 Steam leaking from vents in the side of the volcano 341 00:36:41,960 --> 00:36:46,759 is constantly sculpting this labyrinth that extends deep under the ice. 342 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:52,879 When the hot breath of the volcano hits the icy walls, 343 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:56,399 the moisture in the air freezes into beautiful shapes. 344 00:37:10,280 --> 00:37:12,399 Some of the crystals are so unusual 345 00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:16,839 that the cavers are investigating a remote but tantalizing possibility 346 00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:18,839 about their formation. 347 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:24,079 Could it be that some of these extraordinary crystal shapes 348 00:37:24,160 --> 00:37:27,159 are formed by highly specialized bacteria 349 00:37:27,320 --> 00:37:28,999 living in the ice? 350 00:37:44,280 --> 00:37:46,439 Nobody yet knows the answer. 351 00:37:46,760 --> 00:37:49,519 This is just one of the many strange mysteries 352 00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:54,039 that draw people to work in a place that is so hostile to human life. 353 00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:06,679 While some scientists come to Erebus to explore its bizarre ice caves, 354 00:38:06,760 --> 00:38:08,519 others visit the volcano 355 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:11,839 to study the innermost workings of our planet. 356 00:38:17,280 --> 00:38:20,599 Erebus is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, 357 00:38:21,200 --> 00:38:25,319 but even so, volcanologists work on the very rim of its crater. 358 00:38:27,320 --> 00:38:29,159 They stand in the bitter cold, 359 00:38:29,240 --> 00:38:32,479 while 100 meters below them is a lava lake 360 00:38:32,600 --> 00:38:36,079 where temperatures are over 1 ,000 degrees centigrade. 361 00:38:39,520 --> 00:38:42,999 This is a rare glimpse of the molten rock 362 00:38:43,080 --> 00:38:45,599 that lies beneath the Earth's crust. 363 00:38:59,920 --> 00:39:03,479 But research here is looking up as well as down, 364 00:39:03,800 --> 00:39:07,159 measuring how the gases that bubble out of the volcano 365 00:39:07,240 --> 00:39:10,119 influence the make-up of the air we breathe. 366 00:39:13,760 --> 00:39:18,399 Antarctica is the best place to measure any changes in our atmosphere 367 00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:21,519 because it has the least polluted air on Earth. 368 00:39:23,440 --> 00:39:28,399 It's also the perfect place to launch more outward-looking missions. 369 00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:38,839 This balloon, made of material no thicker than cling film, 370 00:39:38,920 --> 00:39:41,759 will eventually grow to be 300 meters tall. 371 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:48,679 It will carry a device for detecting cosmic rays, 372 00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:51,679 tiny particles from the beginning of time 373 00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:53,839 that are only now reaching Earth. 374 00:40:05,760 --> 00:40:09,639 The balloon will travel to the very edge of outer space 375 00:40:09,720 --> 00:40:13,039 to gather clues about the formation of the universe. 376 00:40:22,320 --> 00:40:27,519 Even today, very few ever make the journey inland from the coast. 377 00:40:28,480 --> 00:40:32,799 We still know remarkably little about the interior of the continent. 378 00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:37,279 The people on this plane are trying to answer 379 00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:39,519 one of the fundamental questions. 380 00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:42,639 How much ice is there in Antarctica? 381 00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:51,479 They measure the depth of the ice sheet, 382 00:40:51,560 --> 00:40:55,479 which is over 4,000 meters in places, using radar. 383 00:40:57,600 --> 00:40:59,559 Their work will enable us to see 384 00:40:59,640 --> 00:41:03,239 how the volume of Antarctica's ice changes in the future. 385 00:41:04,560 --> 00:41:08,079 It also makes it possible to map a hidden landscape. 386 00:41:21,560 --> 00:41:26,639 This plane is following the same route through the Transantarctic Mountains 387 00:41:26,720 --> 00:41:29,399 that Captain Scott took 100 years ago. 388 00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:33,959 His team hauled their sleds over 100 miles 389 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:36,479 up this glacier, the Beardmore. 390 00:41:42,960 --> 00:41:47,159 Skirting seemingly endless crevasses, with no map to guide them 391 00:41:47,240 --> 00:41:49,359 and no idea of what lay ahead, 392 00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:52,319 it was a journey of extraordinary suffering. 393 00:42:03,120 --> 00:42:08,999 Their target lay beyond the mountains, over 3,000 meters above sea level, 394 00:42:09,080 --> 00:42:11,079 on the Antarctic Plateau. 395 00:42:17,520 --> 00:42:20,999 An unbroken sheet of ice larger than Western Europe, 396 00:42:21,240 --> 00:42:26,519 this is the coldest, the windiest, the most lifeless place on Earth. 397 00:42:30,720 --> 00:42:34,439 Roald Amundsen's team narrowly defeated Scott's 398 00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:37,679 to become the first people to reach the South Pole 399 00:42:37,760 --> 00:42:41,359 on the 14th of December, 1911 . 400 00:42:42,640 --> 00:42:45,759 Nobody else successfully completed the journey 401 00:42:45,840 --> 00:42:48,159 for nearly 50 years after that. 402 00:42:52,320 --> 00:42:56,879 But since 1957, there has been a permanent base at the South Pole. 403 00:42:56,960 --> 00:42:59,839 You can even land a plane on the ice runway. 404 00:43:02,760 --> 00:43:05,359 The early explorers would be astounded 405 00:43:05,440 --> 00:43:08,239 by the facilities at the South Pole today. 406 00:43:11,800 --> 00:43:13,559 Construction work isn't easy 407 00:43:13,640 --> 00:43:17,359 when the average summer temperature is -25 degrees centigrade. 408 00:43:18,320 --> 00:43:20,279 But despite the difficulties, 409 00:43:20,360 --> 00:43:23,799 the most high-tech scientific research station ever built 410 00:43:23,880 --> 00:43:26,799 was unveiled here in 2006. 411 00:43:32,360 --> 00:43:35,759 The brand-new Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station 412 00:43:35,840 --> 00:43:39,639 is designed to cope with the world's most extreme conditions. 413 00:43:40,840 --> 00:43:44,439 The building's sloping edge deflects the prevailing wind. 414 00:43:45,480 --> 00:43:48,639 Beneath, there are stilts that can raise the whole building 415 00:43:48,720 --> 00:43:52,999 a further eight meters to keep it above the accumulating snow. 416 00:44:01,800 --> 00:44:05,079 Living inside is as close to being on a space-station 417 00:44:05,160 --> 00:44:07,159 as you can find on Earth. 418 00:44:07,520 --> 00:44:10,159 This base is totally self-sufficient. 419 00:44:10,680 --> 00:44:13,799 The people are completely cut off from the outside world 420 00:44:13,880 --> 00:44:16,599 for more than half the year over winter. 421 00:44:23,360 --> 00:44:26,759 The total darkness makes this the perfect place 422 00:44:26,840 --> 00:44:28,759 to study the night sky. 423 00:44:35,960 --> 00:44:40,839 The group of stargazers will be the most isolated community on our planet, 424 00:44:40,920 --> 00:44:43,959 but they will have all their needs catered for. 425 00:44:48,800 --> 00:44:51,039 There is even a greenhouse, 426 00:44:51,120 --> 00:44:54,319 where fresh vegetables grow under artificial light 427 00:44:54,400 --> 00:44:58,159 all through the darkest, coldest winter anywhere. 428 00:45:14,200 --> 00:45:20,759 The sun sets in March at the South Pole and won't rise again for six months. 429 00:45:25,280 --> 00:45:27,719 For a few days at this time of year, 430 00:45:27,800 --> 00:45:32,559 high-altitude clouds of ice crystals continue to catch the sunlight, 431 00:45:32,640 --> 00:45:36,119 even when the sun itself is far below the horizon. 432 00:45:52,680 --> 00:45:56,359 But soon all trace of the sun disappears 433 00:45:56,440 --> 00:46:01,559 and today's over-wintering scientists remember the first explorers. 434 00:46:05,440 --> 00:46:09,879 These men, who endured the winter in flimsy wooden huts, 435 00:46:09,960 --> 00:46:13,519 borrowed knowledge from the Arctic pioneers before them, 436 00:46:13,600 --> 00:46:18,799 but they came here to study and explore, rather than to hunt or exploit. 437 00:46:19,560 --> 00:46:21,639 They embodied the human spirit 438 00:46:21,720 --> 00:46:24,599 that has enabled us to survive at the Poles. 439 00:46:29,080 --> 00:46:31,879 Here we are pushed to our limits, 440 00:46:31,960 --> 00:46:36,679 but in being pushed, humanity has achieved the extraordinary 441 00:46:36,760 --> 00:46:39,319 and opened up the last frontier. 442 00:46:57,480 --> 00:47:00,199 To tell the story of how we survive at the Poles, 443 00:47:00,280 --> 00:47:04,039 Frozen Planet travelled to Siberia, the far north of Russia, 444 00:47:04,120 --> 00:47:06,759 where most of the Arctic's people live. 445 00:47:09,720 --> 00:47:12,759 The team got to know many extraordinary people. 446 00:47:15,640 --> 00:47:18,519 But one group of men above all really opened their eyes 447 00:47:18,600 --> 00:47:20,639 to what it means to live off the land 448 00:47:20,720 --> 00:47:23,679 in the most unforgiving environment on Earth. 449 00:47:25,760 --> 00:47:28,479 Men who take their life in their hands every day 450 00:47:28,560 --> 00:47:30,519 just to find their food. 451 00:47:42,840 --> 00:47:45,599 Producer Dan Rees led the Frozen Planet team 452 00:47:45,680 --> 00:47:48,359 on their longest journey in the Arctic. 453 00:47:49,680 --> 00:47:52,079 Their mission was to film walrus hunters 454 00:47:52,160 --> 00:47:55,079 in Russia's most remote region, Chukotka, 455 00:47:55,160 --> 00:47:58,159 the closest point to their old enemy the United States, 456 00:47:58,520 --> 00:48:02,639 4,000 miles and nine time zones east of Moscow. 457 00:48:03,920 --> 00:48:05,959 It's still a sensitive region 458 00:48:06,040 --> 00:48:08,159 and the team soon learn that the border guards 459 00:48:08,240 --> 00:48:11,039 remain twitchy about foreigners with cameras. 460 00:48:17,320 --> 00:48:18,719 To get permission to film, 461 00:48:18,800 --> 00:48:22,039 the crew relied on anthropologist Niobe Thompson, 462 00:48:22,120 --> 00:48:25,959 one of the few westerners to have worked with the people here. 463 00:48:27,960 --> 00:48:31,159 But even Niobe finds a lot of doors closed to him. 464 00:48:32,600 --> 00:48:37,079 I have experienced a level of red tape 465 00:48:37,160 --> 00:48:38,719 I never could have anticipated. 466 00:48:38,800 --> 00:48:41,959 We've got... We've got our Russian visas in our passports, that's fine, 467 00:48:42,040 --> 00:48:43,399 but that's just the beginning. 468 00:48:43,480 --> 00:48:47,719 Here is the special permission given by the security services 469 00:48:47,800 --> 00:48:50,239 to be in the region of Chukotka, 470 00:48:50,840 --> 00:48:53,559 the special permission to be in every one 471 00:48:53,640 --> 00:48:56,679 of the population centers we will visit on our trip, 472 00:48:56,760 --> 00:49:00,919 permission to shoot with a telephoto lens, 473 00:49:01,040 --> 00:49:06,079 permission to shoot from a helicopter, 474 00:49:06,400 --> 00:49:09,839 permission to shoot in a natural reserve. 475 00:49:10,360 --> 00:49:12,519 But we still don't have our migration cards, 476 00:49:12,600 --> 00:49:13,799 I'm trying to get them, 477 00:49:13,880 --> 00:49:16,199 and if we don't get them by the end of the day, 478 00:49:16,280 --> 00:49:17,839 we're going to be deported back to Alaska, 479 00:49:17,920 --> 00:49:20,319 it'll take three months to get new ones. 480 00:49:20,400 --> 00:49:22,999 Niobe's paper chase takes two days, 481 00:49:23,080 --> 00:49:25,439 but finally the team is allowed to begin their journey 482 00:49:25,520 --> 00:49:26,999 to the hunters' camp. 483 00:49:27,080 --> 00:49:29,759 With no roads, sometimes the only passable route 484 00:49:29,840 --> 00:49:32,879 is over the fast-melting surfaces of the lakes. 485 00:49:44,160 --> 00:49:45,479 Okay. 486 00:49:49,800 --> 00:49:53,319 They need to be prepared for a quick exit. 487 00:50:00,560 --> 00:50:03,799 The next day the crew finally reach the coast. 488 00:50:03,880 --> 00:50:07,599 The hunting camp is now just 30 miles away across a bay, 489 00:50:07,680 --> 00:50:09,999 but the crossing could be risky. 490 00:50:10,120 --> 00:50:13,559 The frozen sea is melting fast in the spring sunshine. 491 00:50:19,280 --> 00:50:22,119 It's completely safe, it's not going to break underneath us? 492 00:50:22,400 --> 00:50:23,999 He said you'll be safe, 50/50. 493 00:50:24,080 --> 00:50:25,239 50/50. 494 00:50:26,800 --> 00:50:30,479 The locals employ several generations of Arctic transport, 495 00:50:30,560 --> 00:50:33,279 from the ancient to the nearly antique. 496 00:50:38,040 --> 00:50:40,279 With the sea-ice cracking up beneath them, 497 00:50:40,360 --> 00:50:43,639 Dan has to trust the crew and a ton of filming gear 498 00:50:43,760 --> 00:50:46,119 to the experience of the locals. 499 00:50:46,880 --> 00:50:50,639 Even by their standards, this was fast becoming a risky journey. 500 00:50:56,320 --> 00:50:58,959 Where the first sleds crossed just minutes before 501 00:50:59,040 --> 00:51:00,719 is now impassable. 502 00:51:05,080 --> 00:51:08,599 It's broken right up, we can't cross the leads in the ice here 503 00:51:08,680 --> 00:51:10,039 so we need to get on some boats 504 00:51:10,120 --> 00:51:13,359 and the ice is just breaking up too fast for us at the moment. 505 00:51:14,360 --> 00:51:16,439 Fortunately, the hunters from the camp 506 00:51:16,520 --> 00:51:17,999 turn up in the nick of time 507 00:51:18,080 --> 00:51:21,399 to rescue the crew for the final leg of the journey. 508 00:51:31,560 --> 00:51:34,399 Six days and 5,000 miles from home, 509 00:51:34,480 --> 00:51:36,479 the crew finally arrive at the place 510 00:51:36,560 --> 00:51:39,399 that will be their home for the next month. 511 00:51:46,040 --> 00:51:48,279 This is an active hunting camp 512 00:51:48,360 --> 00:51:51,479 and that evening, the team are introduced to the realities 513 00:51:51,560 --> 00:51:54,239 of fending for yourself in the Arctic. 514 00:51:55,680 --> 00:51:58,439 Yeah, well, we've just seen a walrus hunt 515 00:51:59,440 --> 00:52:02,079 out here in the waters of the Bering Sea. 516 00:52:02,480 --> 00:52:03,999 All the meat will be eaten, 517 00:52:04,080 --> 00:52:05,759 they eat an awful lot of the internal organs as well, 518 00:52:05,840 --> 00:52:07,559 they use the skin, 519 00:52:07,640 --> 00:52:11,319 they use the sinews, they use the stomach for making drums, 520 00:52:11,640 --> 00:52:16,039 so it'll get used very heavily and it is completely free-range, 521 00:52:17,520 --> 00:52:19,719 you know, wild caught animal. 522 00:52:21,080 --> 00:52:23,599 You can’t grow any vegetables up here, 523 00:52:23,680 --> 00:52:27,239 but sea mammal meat contains all the nutrients the hunters need 524 00:52:27,320 --> 00:52:29,599 and is very low in cholesterol. 525 00:52:29,800 --> 00:52:32,679 Dan is keen to try some of Kolya's health food. 526 00:52:33,120 --> 00:52:35,199 Well, this is yesterday's seal 527 00:52:35,280 --> 00:52:40,239 and a chunk of flesh there, behind it is some intestine. 528 00:52:41,080 --> 00:52:42,479 We should try a bit. 529 00:52:43,400 --> 00:52:45,239 That's seal intestine. 530 00:52:48,960 --> 00:52:52,039 It's quite fishy. Fishy...fishy rubber. 531 00:52:52,680 --> 00:52:54,439 That's not too bad. 532 00:52:54,520 --> 00:52:56,559 I thought it was going to be more disgusting than it actually is. 533 00:52:56,640 --> 00:52:58,199 - The salt helps. - Yeah. 534 00:52:58,880 --> 00:53:01,359 Would he like to try some of what we eat? 535 00:53:01,440 --> 00:53:03,519 It's chicken. Chicken korma? No? 536 00:53:05,440 --> 00:53:07,759 I don't blame you, to be honest. 537 00:53:07,880 --> 00:53:09,679 I think yours is much better. 538 00:53:15,640 --> 00:53:17,519 As well as providing food, 539 00:53:17,600 --> 00:53:20,599 the animals here traditionally provided transport. 540 00:53:20,680 --> 00:53:23,079 Kolya and Pasha, the oldest hunters, 541 00:53:23,160 --> 00:53:26,439 keep alive the skill of building walrus-skin boats. 542 00:53:27,120 --> 00:53:29,999 You don't need a welding torch to repair this boat, 543 00:53:30,240 --> 00:53:33,999 just a juicy lump of seal fat to bung any holes. 544 00:53:36,440 --> 00:53:37,559 By living amongst them, 545 00:53:37,640 --> 00:53:40,639 the crew had really begun to get to know the hunters, 546 00:53:40,720 --> 00:53:44,879 but there was one big part of their lives which remained a mystery. 547 00:53:47,760 --> 00:53:49,519 As spring turns to summer, 548 00:53:49,600 --> 00:53:53,199 the hunters head out to an island to gather seabird eggs. 549 00:53:54,160 --> 00:53:56,319 The crew had heard stories of this, 550 00:53:56,400 --> 00:53:59,719 but had little idea of what it was going to involve. 551 00:54:00,960 --> 00:54:04,399 That's where they climb, those are impressive heights. 552 00:54:04,920 --> 00:54:06,519 Quite something. 553 00:54:10,200 --> 00:54:11,919 For cameraman Ted Giffords, 554 00:54:12,000 --> 00:54:16,119 this was the first sight of the rock face he was about to work on. 555 00:54:20,200 --> 00:54:21,759 These cliffs can be treacherous, 556 00:54:21,840 --> 00:54:25,759 as Kolya, the expert egg collector, knows only too well. 557 00:54:52,200 --> 00:54:55,479 Ted will rely on steel stakes for anchors 558 00:54:55,560 --> 00:54:58,319 and an array of climbing gear and ropes. 559 00:54:59,600 --> 00:55:02,439 Kolya preferred to stick with the simpler method 560 00:55:02,520 --> 00:55:04,799 that has served him well for many years. 561 00:55:10,840 --> 00:55:13,999 The crew can't quite believe what they're seeing. 562 00:55:21,240 --> 00:55:25,719 If he fell on that, that would be absolutely horrendous. 563 00:55:25,800 --> 00:55:27,159 It's, uh... 564 00:55:27,720 --> 00:55:30,399 Yeah, it's a bit sketchy, and the rope is only about that thick. 565 00:55:31,360 --> 00:55:33,439 It's an interesting method. 566 00:55:33,640 --> 00:55:35,959 The limestone cliff is loose and crumbling 567 00:55:36,040 --> 00:55:39,439 because of hundreds of years of freezing and thawing. 568 00:55:41,120 --> 00:55:44,079 Even for a highly trained professional climber like Ted, 569 00:55:44,160 --> 00:55:46,159 it's a dangerous descent. 570 00:55:56,240 --> 00:55:59,319 Kolya has been climbing here for four decades, 571 00:55:59,480 --> 00:56:01,599 but this is the first time he's had company 572 00:56:01,680 --> 00:56:04,999 and sometimes he forgets that Ted is just below him. 573 00:56:07,640 --> 00:56:11,719 Climbing supervisor Adam Scott holds his breath as he watches. 574 00:56:12,160 --> 00:56:17,039 A fall to the rocks 100 meters below would almost certainly be fatal. 575 00:56:26,960 --> 00:56:29,999 This is the most hardcore thing I've ever seen. 576 00:56:34,760 --> 00:56:37,759 It was when the team returned to the boat to finish filming 577 00:56:37,840 --> 00:56:40,039 that they got their most spectacular view 578 00:56:40,120 --> 00:56:43,439 of the lengths Kolya was going to to get his dinner. 579 00:56:47,800 --> 00:56:50,119 This shot sent the team home 580 00:56:50,200 --> 00:56:53,839 with a fresh perspective and a deep respect for these people 581 00:56:53,920 --> 00:56:56,719 who still live off the land in the Arctic, 582 00:56:57,400 --> 00:57:00,719 a way of life for which there is no safety net.