CROSSING SVALBARD: IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF IRVINE
This film follows four Oxford University students as they embark on an epic, unsupported journey across the island of Svalbard, a deserted and barren icy wilderness in the north of Scandinavia. Their goal is to successfully retrace an expedition carried out nearly a century earlier. In 1923, four Oxford university predecessors had completed the arduous crossing. The team included the legendary Sandy Irvine, who famously partnered George Mallory a year later in a doomed attempt to become the first to climb Mount Everest. To this day, it remains a mystery whether they actually made it to the summit. Hundreds of hours of intense training and meticulous preparation are needed for such an expedition. They must learn how to deal with the dangers of polar bears and survive the freezing temperatures and the threat of prolonged storms. A key objective is to use a drone to document their arduous crossing of the ice and to carry out valuable scientific research into how global warming is affecting the glaciers of Svalbard, previously known as Spitsbergen (which means jagged mountains). Their expedition starts ominously as their boat journey to the first location at Duym Point faces heaving, mountainous seas which threaten the entire trip. Once ashore, each member has to pull 80 kilogramme sledges across the ice, carrying all of their supplies, climbing equipment, cameras, solar panels and tents. Spectacular drone footage reveals Svalbard’s dramatic icy landscape as never before. The drone is also used to map one of the larger glaciers to see exactly how much it has shrunk due to global warming. They are able to compare this glacier to a photograph taken on the 1923 expedition. The results are startling. Along the way, the team come across historical traces of the 1923 expedition, including wooden tent pegs and rusted tins which once contained Oxo stock cubes donated by a sponsor. At times, the Arctic weather proves their greatest enemy. For days on end, they endure violent winds of over 100 kilometres per hour which force the team to build a survival shelter in which they huddle together for warmth. In all, it takes 32 days of guts and determination to cross the archipelago, but the trip is a resounding success. One team member, Jamie Gardiner, tragically died the following year while on a climb in Norway. This film is dedicated to his memory.
