Original subtitles

(simmering, epic music) (helicopter chops)

- [Narrator] The Arctic Ocean,

five and a half million square miles of sea and ice.

One of the most dangerous places on Earth,

where every year, an extraordinary team of skydivers

carve out an airport just 20 miles of the North Pole.

Beside it, an oasis springs up

in this frozen desert,

Ice Camp Barneo.

- Five star Arctic hotel.

(chuckles)

- [Narrator] The camp is a magnet for people big dreams.

- I've just been dippin' me boots

in the end of the runway.

(laughter)

(cheering)

- [Narrator] Marathon runners--

- [Woman] You're so tired, you don't know where you are,

you don't know who you are.

You want to die.

- [Narrator] Champagne tourists--

(cheering)

- It's a long drive contest, apparently.

- [Narrator] And international scientists.

- It's sort of like God made you a laboratory

right out in the perfect spot.

- [Narrator] Amateur adventurers go in search

of the ultimate experience.

- It's just like walking into a different world

that you never would have dreamed or prepared for.

- We could be going to absolute carnage.

(angry screaming)

- [Narrator] They have just three weeks

to pursue their Arctic dreams

before Barneo melts to the sea.

(splashing) (laughing)

- Oh my God!

- [Narrator] This is one season

of the world's most extreme outpost.

(panting)

(barking)

- Welcome to the Arctic Ocean!

Woo-hoo!

(simmering music) (plane zooms)

(helicopter chops)

- [Narrator] It's late March.

Flying above the frozen surface of the Arctic Ocean,

a Russian crew searches the ice.

(radio chatter)

They're looking for a site to build an airport.

Finding the perfect sheet of ice,

strong enough to support the landing

of a 30 ton cargo jet is not easy.

- This piece of ice they choose from the helicopters,

three days of flying,

flying around the North Pole

to find this piece of ice to build the runway.

(pensive music)

- [Narrator] Each year, the Russian Geographic Society

sponsors the building of an extraordinary outpost

on the ice

around 25 miles from the North Pole.

They call it Barneo.

As much of the ice sheet melts in summer,

Barneo must be rebuilt from scratch every year.

(radio chatter)

- [Radio Man] ETA

two-zero-one-three.

- [Man] One-three.

- [Narrator] Once a site for the airport is found,

the only way down is by parachute.

(intense music)

- The lowest speed of that plane is 300 kilometers per hour,

which is quite fast,

so when you're jumping out,

you have to hit the blast with that speed,

300 kilometers. (chuckles)

- [Narrator] Two bulldozers, drums of fuel,

food, and tents for the crew

are also airdropped into position.

In temperatures of 40 degrees below zero,

the team must create a runway like no other in the world.

- Here's really deep snow,

from half meter to up to one meter snow,

and for our tractor,

it's really hard to move the snow away.

Our team has to chop the ice,

because the ice was not smooth.

So we were chopping manually and using the chainsaws.

(chainsaw buzzes)

- [Narrator] While the team get to work,

Barneo's guests are gathering 600 miles to the south.

(jaunty traditional music)

Longyearbyen, on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen,

is the most northerly town in the world.

Every year, hundreds of scientists,

adventurers and tourists fly in,

waiting here until Barneo is open for business.

(camera shutters)

Among the first to arrive this season

are a group of office workers from the UK.

They'll be attempting a trek to the pole for charity.

- I'm really looking forward to it now.

Now we've actually got here,

it's taken a long time to get here,

we're really looking forward to it.

- I understand it's minus 40 up where we're going,

so, um, it's gonna be a challenge and an effort.

- I'm clearly the only idiot

that's turned up without a jacket.

(laughs)

(wind blows)

- [Narrator] This far north,

the temperature only hits seven degrees centigrade

in the height of summer.

Today, it's a chilling minus 20.

- It's very cold, yes.

- We've got a big thing ahead of us, haven't we?

And we are just six ordinary guys.

- If someone had told me when I was a boy, you know,

I'd be go going on a trip to North Pole,

I would have had a heart attack.

I was born sort of

on the back of the Britwell Estate in Slough,

so the North Pole might as well be the moon.

That for me is just a boyhood dream come true, really.

- [Narrator] Around 500 people from 15 countries

will go to Barneo this year.

A large group of Japanese tourists have booked a flight

from Barneo to the pole by helicopter.

They're on a tight schedule.

- Yes, we are very excited! (laughs)

Just two days in North Pole.

(laughs)

(bicycle bell rings)

- [Narrator] Also making preparations in Longyearbyen

is Barneo's boss, Misha Malikov.

- Future omelet is prepared here.

- [Narrator] Misha was made a hero of Russia

for his pioneering Arctic expeditions.

There's not much he doesn't know about the ice.

- The most difficult moment for a person

who would like to go to the North Pole is just decision.

I'm doing it.

It's so unique.

No spoil.

Greatest and feelings what they experience

in all their life.

In all polar expedition,

the, uh, most important person not the boss.

Cook! (chuckles)

Cook keep people, uh, happy.

- [Narrator] Everything here in Longyearbyen

is ready to go.

Misha calls the runway team

to check on progress up on the ice.

(speaks in foreign language)

- Yeah, actually, uh,

not nice news for one, uh, side.

Unfortunately, snow this season is a little bit harder

and thicker than we expected.

- [Narrator] The runway team are struggling.

It's minus 40, colder than usual,

which limits the time the crew can work.

The ice is old, which makes it extremely tough.

It's taking longer than planned to cut and level.

The airstrip is falling behind schedule.

(gentle, contemplative music)

Back in Longyearbyen,

news of the delay is causing concern

for Barneo's waiting customers.

- My team's expected to fly in on third,

and that gives us 10 days to make the pole.

So every day we're delayed

on the runway being constructed

is an extra, you know,

10 miles we have to make on our project.

- [Narrator] Alan Chambers is a former marine commander

who now works as an expedition guide.

He's been hired along with team doctor Ed Coates

to lead the group of British office workers

safely to the North Pole.

- It's gonna be interesting to see which couches

really flourish and come out of the woodwork,

or people who go quiet.

I like the cold because it strips everybody,

and you get to the real, honest character of the people.

- It'll be hard for all of us, won't it?

But after having a good chat with Ed, the doctor,

he's been to the South Pole, he's been around here,

and Alan, this is his 10th trip to the North pole,

they inspire confidence. (laughing)

When you're a kid, you dream of these things.

Oh, let's get to the North pole.

We're off, we're going.

(adventurous music)

- [Narrator] More and more people pour into Longyearbyen,

eager to start their Arctic adventures.

- Woo! - Exciting.

- [Narrator] With 24 hours of daylight

during the Arctic spring,

the runway team have been working in shifts

around the clock to get it finished.

It's three days late,

but finally, the airstrip is ready

to receive its first flight.

(upbeat traditional music)

The airport at Longyearbyen is a hive of activity.

The Russian crew are preparing

for the first flight of the season

to the newly created ice airport at Barneo.

But they're three days behind schedule,

and the strain is beginning to show.

- Actually, it's organized very well,

but because it's our first flight in this season,

it takes a lot of pressure,

you know, and a lot of--

maybe not a lot, but little bit stress.

- [Narrator] Margarita is in charge of flight operations.

- We are taking right now, uh,

big, um, stand?

For the people in the kitchen

that we can start to prepare some food.

- [Narrator] Before any paying guests can fly north,

Barneo's crew must first build the camp.

A bewildering array of equipment is needed

to support a community on the ice.

(murmuring)

(knocks)

- TV set.

Tables.

These are beds!

Generators, food,

and toilets.

(knocking)

Important stuff, even in, uh--

sorry, it's closed.

- [Narrator] The first flight of the season is in the air.

Barneo's boss Misha can finally head out to the ice.

- I feel, uh, very excited.

For four years, I haven't seen this ice,

and for me, each meeting with ice

is always big emotion,

and I have a feeling I'm flying back home.

These people will be already their 10th season on ice.

Believe me, one month on ice,

uh, like six months in normal life.

(chuckles)

- [Narrator] After two hours flying north

over the frozen Arctic Ocean,

the extraordinary ice runway comes into view.

(isolated music)

The ice is little more than a meter thick.

No one is certain it'll withstand the landing

of the 30 ton jet.

- [Pilot] Landing till then.

Three-four.

(radio chatter) (engines hum)

(soaring)

- [Narrator] The successful landing is a great relief

to the runway builders.

- Today, we received our incredible

Antonov 74 plane,

so the crew is in a good mood now!

- [Narrator] Sasha is Barneo's number two,

and supervised building the runway.

- It's my fourth season here on Barneo.

I discovered for years that, uh,

it attracts good people.

Arctic is my favorite place.

- [Narrator] The ground team must now hurry.

The pilot keeps the engines running

as the extreme cold could prevent them from restarting.

The Antonov heads back to Longyearbyen.

It'll soon return with the first paying customers.

Barneo's crew have just a couple of days

to build a working town on the ice.

It will be an airport, a hospital,

a hotel, and a fuel station.

In one of the most inhospitable places on the planet,

Barneo will be the essential lifeline

that keeps the visitors safe.

(energetic traditional music)

In Longyearbyen,

ex-marine Alan is putting his team

of charity-trekkers through their paces.

It's his final chance to assess their skills

before they hit the ice.

- Who's the guy off, um, South Park?

Is it South Park? - George Clooney?

- (laughs) No. - Kenny!

(laughing)

- Kenny! - Kenny!

(laughing)

- [Narrator] First, Alan must talk them

through their unfamiliar kit.

- The main difference we've got here,

you can see they've got skins on.

Synthetic skins, right?

So originally, they were made

out of seal skin in the olden days,

and it's like stroking a cat.

It's really soft one way,

and then the hair sticks in

when you go the opposite way,

so it gives you that traction to shuffle forward,

and even on a 45 degree,

you've got no problem, you won't slip back.

- Never skied, I've done snowboarding,

but, um, not done skiing.

But this isn't like skiing, is it?

Sort of walking with bits of wood on your feet,

it's not skiing.

- [Narrator] Brian has even less experience.

Today is his first time on skis.

- [Brian] Alan, why are these so sharp?

- [Alan] So they can stick into the ice.

- Okay.

(pleasant ballet music)

- The whole key is to get the balance transfer

right right in the sliding,

and it's really hard the first time you put skis on.

So, um, the guys got their work cut out.

(chuckles)

- Have you got any stabilizers?

- [Narrator] The whole team are struggling,

but property manager Brian is finding it hardest of all.

- Horrendous time on the skis.

I understand it's meant to be an easy way

to travel across the ice,

but I just can't get it at the moment,

and I was just frustrated like hell

at not being able to do it.

- You stay off that path.

- [Narrator] Brian's had enough,

and heads back to the apartment.

- It's good for me to get a measure

of the tolerance, anyway.

You know, one, two mistakes, people get upset.

You just gotta watch for these things when we get out there.

It's only gonna get harder.

(percussive music)

- [Narrator] In Longyearbyen's most expensive hotel,

the Japanese tourists are counting

on a gentler route to the pole.

They've each paid around 25,000 pounds

for a luxury Barneo experience.

They'll be flown straight to the top of the world

in a helicopter.

But for the last two days,

they haven't made it past reception.

- We want to go to North Pole,

but the weather is no good,

so we are waiting here.

And tomorrow, we want to go to the North Pole.

Yes, tomorrow.

Tomorrow we are going to North Pole.

(serious orchestrated music)

- [Narrator] 600 miles north,

the hard work of Barneo's crew has paid off.

The heated tents are in place,

and the ice camp is taking on a village atmosphere.

- This is the main entrance to the Barneo station.

Different flags.

Barneo flag, Russian flag,

and so many others.

We have two mess rooms, one for crew,

and one for clients.

And between the mess rooms, it is the cold storage,

and opposite to that, it's a kitchen.

And these are our accommodation tents.

They heated, and they have canvas beds with sleeping bags,

and we can accommodate up to 12 persons on each tent.

Five star Arctic hotel. (chuckles)

- [Narrator] There's also a medical tent,

two helicopters on permanent standby,

a generator room to provide electricity,

and the most northern toilet in the world.

But the washing facilities are pretty basic.

No hot showers here.

Just an invigorating rubdown with snow.

(motor buzzing)

With the final bits of kit moved into place,

Ice Camp Barneo is ready to open its doors for business.

(simmering adventurous music)

A new day,

and the British charity-trekkers

are about to set foot on the frozen Arctic sea

for the first time.

(whooshing)

It's a long way from Birmingham

for scrap metal dealer Paul.

- It's just so different, isn't it?

Phenomenal.

Look at the scenery!

Look at this!

- Get close together, yeah?

- This is as far removed from me

as can possibly be,

and I think that's why I'm doing it.

I think as you get older,

men especially,

I think they get a bit strange,

and do weird things to sort of reaffirm their vitality.

And there's nothing much more extreme you could do

to sort of reaffirm life than put your life in danger.

(chuckles)

- [Narrator] Each team member will drag a 60 kilo sled.

They're packed with tents, food, cooking equipment,

and extra clothing.

But before they set off for the pole,

they must check in with operations director Misha.

He's responsible for their safety,

and everyone has to play by his rules.

- We have to check in every night between eight and 10.

If we don't check in between eight and 10,

it has to be between eight and nine the following morning.

If we don't check in, they send the helicopter out,

and Alan gets fined.

Big star for it.

- [Narrator] The area around the North Pole

is uniquely dangerous.

Although the pole itself does not move,

the ice and everything on it

is in constant motion.

- The is the North Pole, and 90 degrees east.

Barneo started from this point.

For last five days, we moved from 95 degrees

to 55 degrees.

Every day, we are doing seven kilometers.

Just for your understanding.

- Saying it's floating at seven kilometers a day,

which is unbelievable.

So the runway's moving, the camp's moving,

the toilets are moving,

everything is moving at seven kilometers a day.

So that effects where we start, how we start.

- [Narrator] Alan will attempt to harness

the drift of the ice

to speed his inexperienced group north.

They'll take a short helicopter ride

to a drop off point east of the camp.

If Alan chooses the right spot,

the team can use the drifting ice like a conveyor belt

to carry them towards the pole.

- Got all the skis on, got all the sledges packed,

we're about to take off,

so this is the exciting bit.

This is what we've been waiting for.

(adventurous music)

(engine whines)

- [Narrator] The team have set themselves the challenge

of a 60 mile trek across the frozen oceans of the pole.

They hope to complete their journey in seven days.

It's a serious test.

They have no experience on ice.

It's minus 28 degrees centigrade.

They're now alone in the harshest climate on earth.

- When that helicopter took off

and it was just deadly silent,

and there was eight sledges, eight guys,

you could see fear in some of their eyes.

They realized then what they'd undertaken.

- It's like the loneliest place on the planet.

I looked at Brian, and his jaw just dropped.

He looked devastated.

- And I thought, "What have I done here?

"Why have I brought these guys out here?

"Oh, we're gonna die."

(chuckling)

(contemplative music)

- [Narrator] Team leader Alan decides

to ease his crew into the challenge and make camp.

- Alan, is there an easy way to undo these knots?

- That was the first time we put up a tent

in the snow with no help,

and it wasn't a very nice experience at all.

It's so hard to explain,

it's just like walking into a different world

that you never would've dreamed or prepared for.

It's just so cold.

That's all it is.

It's just nothing at all except snow.

- [Narrator] The snow is essential to their survival.

It'll be used to make drinks

and rehydrate the team's food.

In this bitter terrain, they'll consume four times

the number of calories that they do back home.

(grave, determined music)

Not every visitor to Barneo with dreams of the pole

will get there on foot.

20 year old Johnny is a college student from California.

- My name's Johnny Strange.

I'm a action sports athlete,

and I'm here to skydive into the North Pole.

So I'm gonna skydive in, and if I do that,

I'll be the youngest in the world

to complete the three poles,

which is top of Everest, South Pole, North Pole.

- [Narrator] Both his parents have scaled Everest,

and Johnny has caught their adventure bug.

- [Johnny] Pretty excited,

but getting kind of nervous about the skydive, you know.

If everything goes right, it should be good.

'Cause if not, I'm gonna smash into the ground.

- [Narrator] Skydiving onto an icecap

is extremely dangerous.

The Russian parachutists who built the runway

are military trained,

full time professionals accustomed to cold weather jumps.

In 1997, three tourists died

during a jump over the South Pole.

Skydiving there is now banned.

But at Barneo, anything is possible.

- Have to be in right gear,

well prepared, and also, landing on the ice is difficult.

But if they like to do so, we can arrange.

- Everybody can say, "Oh, yeah, it's dangerous,

"you can get hit," or, "You're an idiot," blah blah blah.

But everybody dies eventually,

and I'm just trying to live my life to the fullest.

- [Narrator] For safety reasons,

Johnny will jump with two of Barneo's parachutists.

His life depends on having a clear plan for the descent.

But the Russian jumper doesn't speak English.

- How high are we going up?

(speaking in foreign language)

- 2,500 meters.

- Okay.

And then pull at 1000 meters?

(speaks in foreign language)

- 1,200.

- Okay, I'd rather pull higher than lower,

because I don't trust my altimeter here.

- [Narrator] Johnny is worried the subzero temperature

will effect his altimeter.

If he misjudges his altitude

and opens his parachute too low,

Johnny faces certain death.

(grave music) (murmuring)

(simmering, adventurous music)

20 miles from the North Pole,

the ice airport is busy with new arrivals.

Camp Barneo opened three days late

because of problems building the runway.

Operations director Misha must catch up the lost time

and squeeze as many groups as possible

through Barneo's doors and out to the pole.

- Yeah, but what are you--

how far are you from North Pole?

- [Narrator] But you no longer have to be

a great explorer to conquer the earth's summit.

If your pockets are deep enough,

you can fly straight there.

The Japanese tourists are finally getting

their dream trip to the top of the world,

and paying 25,000 pounds for the privilege

buys you a very personal service.

- North Pole.

(chuckles)

(speaks in foreign language)

- Yeah, it's special place.

Probably 20th time I'm on this special place already.

Yeah, actually, nice spot here.

I'm happy.

- [Narrator] Without a GPS,

there's nothing to show that you're standing at the pole,

but the Russian hosts have thought of everything.

Camp manager Sasha has a party trick

ready for the tourists.

- Congratulations for vising the North Pole!

In this case, we can cross all the meridians.

So in one minute,

you can make a round the world trip!

- [Narrator] All lines of longitude

converge at the Earth's axis,

making the north and south poles

the only places on the planet

where it's possible to circumnavigate the globe

in under a minute.

- It's fun! (chuckles)

We are here in the North Pole

making round the world trip,

and taking pictures,

so it's really fun.

- You can see faces of people.

They're quite happy.

- [Narrator] The tourists' brief time at the pole is up.

It's back on the helicopter to Barneo,

then straight off to the airport

for their onward flight to Japan.

(simmering music)

60 miles south,

the British charity-trekkers are determined

to reach the pole the hard way.

Their first night on the ice has been a shock

for scrap metal dealer Paul.

- It's cold.

It's so, so cold.

Supposed to be minus 35 last night.

The only warm place is your sleeping bag,

and when you're in it, you don't wanna get out of it.

- Brian thought he had frostbite

the first night on all his fingers,

'cause the ends of his fingers had gone black overnight.

And I said, "Ed, come on,

"we need to look at this straightaway."

And Ed come back and said, "I've had a really good look,

"and it's just the dye from his gloves,

"it stained his fingers."

(laughs)

- [Narrator] The cold doesn't just make

physical demands on the body,

a polar expedition is a huge mental challenge.

(snow crunches)

- Being on your own,

it's not a nice feeling.

You can understand how Robinson Crusoe felt,

but we had friends with us,

but it was, it was tough.

- You do a lot of thinking.

You've got an awful lot of time to think.

Mind just wandered back to my family,

my wife, my two children,

and there's nothing you can do about it,

you just gotta tough it out.

(contemplative music)

(speaks in foreign language)

- [Narrator] Back at Barneo,

skydiver Johnny is having a last minute run through

of his big jump.

- You count. - You count.

- One, two, three.

- Yeah. - We'll say it.

- [Both] One, two, three.

(speaks in foreign language)

One,

two,

three.

(speaks in foreign language)

- [Narrator] He'll make the leap over the North Pole

with two of Barneo's hardcore

search and rescue parachutists.

For Johnny, it's the final piece

of what's called the adventurer's grand slam.

To climb the tallest mountain on each continent,

and stand at both poles.

- When I was 12,

I climbed the tallest mountain in Antarctica,

and then I went on to climb

the tallest mountain on every continent,

and became the youngest to do so.

And then I went to the South Pole,

but they wouldn't let me skydive

'cause there was a pretty bad accident there.

Now I'm here at the North Pole, pretty excited,

but getting kind of nervous about the skydive, you know.

I'll be a happy camper once that parachute opens up.

(building music)

(engine charges)

- [Narrator] Jumping over ice is extremely dangerous.

It's critical Johnny pulls his parachute

at exactly the right altitude.

But the featureless white landscape

makes it much harder to judge the distance to the ground.

During the descent, the effective air temperature

will be minus 100 degrees centigrade.

Johnny will be pushing himself to the limit.

- [Johnny] All the time before I do stuff,

I always run through, like, worst case scenarios.

I think of all the bad things that could happen,

and I run through each one individually,

and, you know, what I'd do,

so that it kind of just prepares me for the worst.

Which makes me nervous, but it's what my mind always does.

- [Narrator] One and a half miles

above the very top of the world.

Months of planning,

thousands of pounds of sponsorship,

and a new world record

all come down to this moment.

- [Johnny] There's something about, like,

taking that first jump that's just so awesome.

And for that one moment,

you know, that minute, I'm alive.

- [Narrator] During the first 10 seconds,

Johnny will accelerate to 130 miles an hour straight down.

(building, epic music)

When he hits an altitude of 1200 meters,

Johnny must pull his chute.

- Woo!

(energetic, percussive music)

Woo!

We are alive, my friend!

Woo!

But man, I'm pumped!

That was, that was too much fun.

- Super skydiver!

(mimics soaring)

- Good job, good job. - Good!

- Good job, yeah.

Woo!

I've now reached the South Pole,

North Pole, and top of Everest

in the three poles adventurer's grand slam.

Oh, I couldn't be happier.

- [Narrator] Johnny has entered the record books.

He's ticked off his final pole in style,

and he's only 20.

- [Johnny] Thank you, thank you, thank you.

- [Man] Excellent, well done, mate.

- Thank you.

Hey, Mom, it's Johnny.

Just wanted to call you and tell you I'm still alive.

I'm at the North Pole right now,

just skydived in.

All right, thanks, Mom.

Bye, Mom, love you.

(energetic music)

- [Narrator] Barneo's ice airport

has only been open for a week,

but there's already cause for concern

at the end of the runway.

- So it's just been pushed up, and now it's moving.

If you listen, you'll hear the sounds.

I'll take the microphone over.

(ice squeaks)

It reminds you that the polar ocean

is in constant movement.

- [Narrator] This huge pressure ridge

created when two sheets of ice collide

is a stark reminder of the deadly power of the frozen sea.

(squeaking)

- It's when you wake up in your tent

to this sound under your feet or under your ass,

that's when you really know

it's time to get up in the morning.

(building, exciting music)

- [Narrator] The pressure ridges

are also taking their toll on the British team.

The charity-trekkers have covered just 13 miles

in the last two days.

- Awful, not enjoyable one bit whatsoever.

The terrain was not what I expected.

You had to stop, unpack your skis,

and carry your sledges

over these pressure ridges that form.

And they were, literally I believe, 20 to 30 feet.

- What a stinking wall that was.

- [Man] That was horrible, wasn't it?

- Yeah.

Man, 40 foot, nothing but rocks of ice.

- The wife thinks I'm nuts,

but she understands,

I think the days of raising tens and tens

of thousands of pounds for running a marathon

seem to have disappeared.

You know, to expect people to part

with hard-earned cash,

you need to be seen to be puttin' yourself out for it.

You know, you've got to be seen

to be doing something extraordinary.

(plodding traditional music)

- [Narrator] Barneo's helicopters are increasingly busy

ferrying armchair explorers to the top of the world.

But finding 90 degrees north,

the exact point of the pole, is not that easy.

- [Tourist] Are you there?

- [Orange Hood] 59, nine, nine, nine.

- [Tourist] No, that's not food enough.

- [Orange Hood] That's one meter different.

- [Tourist] No!

- [Narrator] The pole itself does not move,

but the ice above it is in constant motion.

- [Tourist] It's not right there.

You have to find 90.

I'm at nine-nine.

- [Narrator] This makes it impossible to stand

at the precise geographic point of the north pole

for more than a few seconds.

- There we are, 90 right there.

Woo!

Every point is south!

Woo!

- [Narrator] After a quick spin around the world,

the tourists indulge in a round of drinking.

(cheering)

- Russian vodka and American champagne in one glass.

- Yeah! (speaks in foreign language)

(speaks in foreign language) Cheers.

- It was something that we couldn't pass up.

It's not inexpensive,

it, uh, for most of us,

we're traveling halfway around the world,

but it's certainly worth it.

It's an amazing place

that very few people get to see.

(cracks)

- [Narrator] Barneo helps people to realize their dreams,

however unusual they may be.

- It's a long drive contest apparently.

- [Narrator] The Barneo staff join in, too.

With mixed results.

(whooshes)

(laughs)

- It will be growing bigger and bigger,

such type of activity, strange activity,

but it means one thing.

People got used for area of North Pole,

and started to use it for different thing.

- [Narrator] It's wealthy tourists like these

that keep Barneo afloat.

(harmonica music)

At base camp, life is pretty comfortable.

Misha has the visitors back on schedule,

and the staff can relax between flights.

(television murmurs)

But the Arctic weather can change in an instant.

The temperature is falling,

and a fog is rolling in.

30 miles from the pole,

the charity trek is caught in the whiteout.

- And it's at that point that your heart

just goes down, your chin goes down a bit,

because you're just thinking to yourself,

(sucks teeth) "We might not make this now."

If this lasts more than 24 hours,

there's a serious danger of us

not even getting anywhere near the pole.

- We've got no idea what we're heading into.

That's all.

Nothing whatsoever, we can't see it.

We could be going into absolute carnage.

I just think it's a little bit unsafe

going into that at the moment.

- [Narrator] All flights in and out of Barneo are suspended.

The British team are totally exposed

and alone on the ice.

- Going to come straight home now.

And I don't think I can (drowned out by crunching).

- [Narrator] Team leader Alan is worried

for his inexperienced group's safety.

- Let's try and find our way back.

- [Narrator] The team retreat to their tents

to wait out the storm.

- I've given the others an opportunity to start a game.

- [Alan] What have we played so far?

- We've played countries beginning

with the various letters of the alphabet,

famous Stevens,

which turned into famous Johns,

and then there was chaos.

And then we were gonna play--

oh, no, we were playing Jack Nicholson films,

and then Nigel walked out in a huff,

'cause he said whenever he watches a film,

he can't remember what it's called.

Which, yeah, to me, why even watch it?

Easy Rider.

- [Trekker] Yes!

- [Narrator] For now, all they can do is sit tight

and hope the weather improves.

(plodding traditional music)

It's the second week of Barneo's short season.

The weather has cleared, and flights from the mainland

bring in more tourists, scientists and adventurers.

(murmuring)

- Ice all huge pressure is just next to the pole.

Yeah, it happened, and I heard noise, (mumbles)

I heard a noise, huge noise.

(simmering, epic music)

- [Narrator] The improved weather means the charity trek

is also back on course.

After seven days out on the ice,

the British team are nearing their goal.

- It was a very hard day.

In fact, every day has been hard.

- [Narrator] They've endured blizzards

and bone-chilling temperatures,

but finally, they're in sight of the pole.

John's kit, however, has had enough.

- Here we are, 200 meters away from the North Pole,

my skis broke in half,

though the spares are broken as well.

- [Cameraman] 200 meters to go,

and you've broken your ski.

- Yeah, look at that.

(laughs)

I hobbled the last 200 yards to the North Pole.

(chuckles)

It's not the most glamorous entrance.

I should have just sat on my ass,

and we would have drifted there in half an hour.

- All the guys joined together in a big line,

and that's what this team was about,

it was all coming together.

It was a real journey for them,

and so to all walk those last sort of 10 yards together,

I feel proud to have stood there with the guys,

and to actually have experienced this,

this incredible, incredible place.

(cheering)

- Of course, I've been upside down

and underneath the sledge for most of it,

but we've done it.

It's absolutely fantastic.

- [Trekker] And that's Paul running around the world.

(laughing)

- [Charity Trekker] Fastest man on the planet.

- [Narrator] The team have reached the pole the hard way,

but the struggle has been worth it.

- And everybody was elated.

I think one of the lads actually shed a tear.

Think it was Alex, he was just so glad to be there.

- [Cameraman] The entire world

is rotating beneath your feet.

- Fantastic.

Absolutely brilliant. - It's amazing, it's amazing.

- Fantastic journey.

Great to be here.

- It's good to be here, isn't it?

- There was a few tears there, yeah.

You know, you're away from your family,

you're away from your friends.

You do so much thinking about life

and what it's all about.

- [Cameraman] Congratulations.

Emotional.

Emotional?

Good man.

(flare gun fires)

- [Shooter] Ooh!

- He's shooting flares off for the sake of it.

(chuckling)

Just hope a polar bear doesn't come past now.

We're in trouble.

- [Narrator] Fortunately for the team,

they don't have to make their way

back to Barneo on foot.

- One bundle of skis, one bundle of poles.

Make sure all these shovels go in, boys.

- [Narrator] By successfully completing

their trek to the pole,

the team have raised 250,000 pounds

for a children's health charity.

- To think that we've actually now achieved

what we set out to do 14 months ago

was fantastic, you know.

(building, adventurous music)

- [Narrator] For this crop of travelers,

it's time to bid farewell to their Arctic adventure.

- You know, the Arctic takes a man's heart.

And it's such a simple, simple but harsh environment.

It's a very special place, you know,

and it's a shame that we can't spend longer up here.

So it's back to the UK, back to the grind.

But I think it's good for the soul

that you can come up here and do these things.

(soaring)

- Two, one, go!

- [Narrator] Barneo plays host to the North Pole Marathon.

- [Woman] You're so tired, you don't know where you are,

you don't know who you are.

You want to die.

- [Narrator] A team of scientists battle the elements

to measure the ice.

- Wanna connect the dots

between chemistry, and snow, and sea ice.

- [Narrator] And a lone walker stumbles

into a special day at the pole.

- Sorry I'm late, I should have dressed better as well.

I should have worn a tie.

(chuckling)

Oh, wow.

(simmering, epic music)