North Pole Ice Airport

A team of Russian paratroopers skydive onto the frozen Arctic Ocean to build this extraordinary ice camp. Battling temperatures as low as -40° C, they will carve a unique airport on the drifting ice. From here tourists, scientists and explorers will set out to conquer, investigate and discover the secrets of the North Pole. They have just three weeks to realise their dreams before Barneo melts into the sea. While the advance team build the airport, Barneo's logistics team are based in the Norwegian town of Longyearbyen, 600miles south. Their job is to handle the demands of the hundreds of visitors heading for the area. Amongst the polar hopefuls are six UK office workers, making a trek to the pole to raise 250,000 for a children's health charity. Twenty year-old skydiver Johnny Strange is attempting to enter the record books as the youngest person to complete the 'Adventurers Grand Slam' by climbing the highest peak on each continent and standing at both poles. Also on the way are a group of Japanese tourists on a luxury trip to the pole by helicopter. For each person who makes the journey, the experience will be a mix of mental strength, physical determination and raw natural beauty.

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.

With a lifespan of only four weeks, Barneo is a magnet for people passionate about living on the edge. Visitors include not only scientists and explorers, but also skydivers, a couple looking for the ultimate wedding venue, extreme golfers who think nothing of teeing off in temperatures of 35 degrees below zero and the hardy souls whose idea of fun is to run the notorious Arctic Marathon. The polar region changes the people who visit it and the cameras are with them as they face up to themselves and the challenges posed by this awe inspiring, unforgiving landscape. This week, dog-handler Rafael is guiding his team of huskies to the North Pole. Lead dog Wally is retiring, but will new recruit Nelson be up to the job? On his long, cold adventure Rafael reveals the unique bond between man and beast and the sadness felt when tragedy strikes. Polar guide Eric is an old friend of Camp Barneo, but this season his trip to the top of the world presents an even greater challenge. His inexperienced group of business men want to ski to the Pole against the flow of the ice drift, meaning that for every two steps forward, they will drift one step back. Also visiting the Arctic is 17-year-old Eton schoolboy, Parker. While his friends are busy revising for their A-levels, Parker is heading to 90° North to collect snow samples for a climate-change project. Finally, after a tough, action-packed four weeks at this unique ice station, it is time for the team to pack up camp Barneo and head home to their families before the ice starts to drift and melt again. For the next 11 months no human will set foot on this extraordinary spot on the planet, but planning for next year has already begun...