Episode 2

Overview

This week, the ice airport plays host to the North Pole Marathon, the coldest race on Earth. The runners face a brutal frozen landscape, sub-zero temperatures and the threat of frostbite. But for one athlete, there is a surprise at the end. Also travelling to Barneo is solo explorer Mark Wood. Fresh from his trek to the South Pole, Mark is now attempting to complete ‘the last degree’ – a 70-mile journey from 89 to 90 degrees north – totally alone. Surrounded by 500 miles of ice in every direction, Mark’s only link to the outside world will be a satellite phone as he faces isolation, deadly cracks in the frozen surface of the ocean and predatory polar bears. Elsewhere, a team of American researchers investigate whether the polar ice cap is shrinking. To get the data they need, the scientists must rely on the world-class skills of Camp Barneo's chopper pilots, plus some good-natured bribery.