FC2Video

On March 30, 2010 a team of eight people departed for Spitsbergen (Norway). There, they boarded a chartered Antonov 74 twin-engine jet, which took them to a Russian polar base on the arcic ice cap. Their goal: to ski the last degree of lattitude to the North Pole, a distance of roughly 112 kilomters. Normally, this distance can be covered in about a week. However, extremely low temperatures, wind, ice-drift and open water created one challenge after another. On top of all this, the team has the task of performing scientific measurements of ice thickness and show cover. This episode offers a short impression of their adventures. If you would like to see the North Pole with your own eyes, check out www.poletrack.com/lastdegree for more information.

There are, believe it or not, people who voluntarily camp out on the Greenland ice cap for weeks at a time in the name of science. Our international team of students introduces you to two of these scientists from Edinborough University. This episode has everything that makes life on the ice cap worthwile: whiskey, cigars, and copious amounts of dehydrated ground beef.

The Ilulissat glacier in Greenland produces around 20 billion tonnes worth of ice bergs each year, making it the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere. In this video we take a short trip trhough the Ilulissat Icefjord and on to nearby Red Bay. Music in this episode: Revolve (R Mix) by His Boy Elroy. iTunes link: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?i=318092207&id=318092192&s=143441&uo=6 Check out www.icescapes.tv for more.

This time IceScapes.tv brings you a special episode with spectacular scenes from the Ilulissat ice fjord and the Greenland ice cap. These images were filmed during the 2006 Climate Change College, during which 6 students from the UK and the Netherlands ventured into the arctic wilderness to be trained as climate change ambassadors. Based on the experiences and knowledge gathered on several locations in Greenland, they launched various initiatives raising public awareness around the topic of climate change. In the future we will feature more stories from the Climate Change College. You can read more about the project on www.climatechangecollege.org. Special thanks to Marc Cornelissen for making this footage available. Music in this episode: Arcadia by Apparat (Buy on iTunes) Check out www.icescapes.tv for more.

In this episode we visit the remote North-Western part of Greenland, where the 2008 Notice Expedition team arrived three weeks early after their South to North crossing of the ice cap. They had planned to be picked up by boat, but because of their early arrival the fjords are still frozen and the boat won’t be able to reach them. Instead, they will now have to find some things to do for a couple of days while waiting for a helicopter to take them to the town of Qaanaaq. Music in this episode: The Dream by The Orb (via music.mevio.com), Signs and Vision by Paul Avgerinos (via magnatune.com), Horizons by Tekno Eddy (via ccmixter.org). Check out www.icescapes.tv for more.

After last week’s boat trip through the fjords of southern Greenland, we go ashore and take a closer look at the ice cap. The ice cap is basically a huge glacier, and as you can see, the outer edges are quite steep, especially when you are trying to drag a couple of heavy expedition sleds up there. This footage was filmed during the 2008 Notice Expedition at their starting point for a south to north crossing of the Greenland ice cap. Music in this episode: Walk Away (Perttu Lindroos Remix) by Love Spirals, via music.mevio.com Check out www.icescapes.tv for more.

We take a boat trip from Narsarssuaq (in the south of Greenland), via Narsaq to Qaleragdlit, following the Bredefjord. This footage was filmed while dropping off the 2008 Notice Expedition at their starting point for a south to north crossing of the Greenland ice cap. In Narsaq they make a short stop for some supplies and police formalities. Check out www.icescapes.tv for more.

After a long day of hard work during an arctic expedition it’s time for the daily ritual of setting up the tent and melting snow into water that can be used for cooking or drinking. This whole process can take a few hours, depending on wether or not the gas burners are willing to cooperate. Music in this episode: 3 Blue Dogs by Kevin Christensen, via music.mevio.com Check out www.icescapes.tv for more.

What better way to propel yourself across the Greenland ice cap using a sustainable source of energy: wind. By using kites it’s possible to reach speeds of over 60 km/h (over 35 mph), while towing a heavy sled with food and equipment behind you. The only downside is that if you fall - by itself being a rather uncomfortable experience at those speeds - it’s quite likely you will be run over by the sled, since it has no brakes. Enjoy the ride! Music in this episode: Love is no possession by Kirsty Hawkshaw, via music.mevio.com Check out www.icescapes.tv for more.

In this episode we pay a short visit to Camp Raven, a camp on the Greenland ice cap maintained by the109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard for training purposes. The camp features a “skiway” (a runway made of snow and ice) where large, ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules cargo planes can land and take off. Unfortunately we had very little footage available of the camp, but hopefully you’ll enjoy it nonetheless. Music in this episode: Calling Card 2 by Darkroom, via music.mevio.com Check out www.icescapes.tv for more.

You would think that skiing across the Greenland ice cap for weeks and weeks would get really boring after a while. But once you get into the groove, there can be a meditiative quality to it. Thatâ??s what we tried to capture in this video. Music in this episode: Narita Morning by All India Radio, via music.mevio.com Check out www.icescapes.tv for more.

The Arctic is not just raw and hostile but can also be, at times, peaceful and quiet. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the view! This footage was recorded by Philip de Roo, Joep Bovens, and Eric Schlameisen during their 2300km south-north crossing of the Greenland ice cap in May/June 2008. Music in this episode: Subterranean by Artemis, via music.mevio.com Check out www.icescapes.tv for more.

Have a look around inside Dye-II, one of a series of “Distant Early Warning” stations that were in use during the cold war. Nowadays the station is abandoned and only visited by occisional expeditions that happen to pass by. Inside, it look like a ghost house, and it seems as if the former occupants just dropped whatever they were doing and left. Music in this episode: An Appointment by All India Radio, via podsafemusicnetwork.com Check out www.icescapes.tv for more.

One of the traditional means of transportation in Greenland is dogsledding. It’s an excellent way to get from the coastal towns to the Greenland ice cap, as you can see in this video. Music in this episode: There To Sail by Digital Dream Society, via podsafemusicnetwork.com Check out www.icescapes.tv for more.

One of the dangers of polar expeditions are the violent storms (pitoraqs) that can appear suddenly and without warning. The only way to survive such a storm is to tie down the tent really well, sit inside, leaning against the tent poles for extra support, and pray...

Get a first-person experience of the last few kilometers of kiting toward Dye-II, an old “Distant Early Warning” station on the Greenland ice cap. This footage was recorded during the Notice Expedition 2008 using a helmet cam.