Poles

or those who only consider the very low temperatures of the poles, picturing the ice that caps and packs the extreme ends of the earth, it’s an easy assumption to make that both regions are inhospitable landscapes – but it’s an incorrect one. Antarctica certainly may be a lesser-explored area of thrilling challenges and heroic tales of early (and relatively recent) exploration, but the Arctic is marginally less cold, with plants, rivers, lakes, hills and mountains spread over the eight countries that make up the Arctic; Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the United States, Canada, Denmark (Greenland) and Iceland. Sure, the Arctic has its frosty plains and tundra, but life has found a way here and it’s colourful and fascinating, from the wild flowers to the textiles weft by indigenous people. People have lived in the Arctic for generations; including the Inuit, Chukchi, Sami, Yupik and Inupiat. The Inuit communities of the Arctic welcome you to villages on Baffin, Canada’s largest island, where we learn of traditional arts, crafts, hunting and more. Hearing their perspective makes for a culturally enriching experience that only the Arctic can provide. We learn more about their lives, hearing stories of resilience and discovering what it’s like to co-exist alongside the extraordinary creatures that share this remote place, including Arctic foxes, seals, 17 species of whale and an abundance of birdlife.