Crossing Svalbard: In The Footsteps Of Irvine

Their goal is to successfully retrace an expedition carried out nearly a century earlier by four Oxford university predecessors which included the legendary Sandy Irvine.

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). 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.