Channel 4 / Banijay Rights

Arctic Adventure: Ultimate Survival

In the Arctic Circle, an elite team of veterans open up about suicide and mental health as they take on one of the world’s toughest ultramarathons. With just 10 days to cover 500km through a frozen wilderness, in the depths of winter, the challenge pushes them to their limits.

Former UK Special Forces soldier, and star of SAS: Who Dares Wins, Jason Fox teams up with Aldo Kane (a Royal Marines Commando Sniper veteran), Brian Wood MC (awarded the Military Cross for bravery), and Karl Hinett (an Invictus Games medalist who triumphed over the life-changing burns he sustained from a petrol bomb in Iraq). Each of them has experienced life-changing trauma and endured more than their fair share of mental health issues. They have discovered first-hand the importance of understanding your emotions, being honest with your mates, and not suffering in silence.

Now, they are in Swedish Lapland for a gruelling, self-sufficient endurance race in one of the most inhospitable places on earth. It’s a rollicking adventure, sustained by banter, through Europe’s last true wilderness. They ski, hike and run for 18+ hours per day, dragging 45kg sledges of food and survival gear, battling through snow in -25°C temperatures, camp on frozen lakes and bed down in isolated arctic hunting lodges. They all agree it’s the toughest challenge they’ve ever attempted: harder than rowing the Atlantic Ocean and climbing Mount Everest. As the expedition progresses, exhausted and at breaking point, each of them is moved to talk about their past traumas and how they still struggle with their mental health.

Wrapped up in the escapism, humour and brutally tough arctic conditions is a takedown of ‘toxic masculinity’. These tough guys show that being honest and vulnerable with your mates, asking for help when you need it and understanding how you’re feeling doesn’t make you any less of a man – in fact, it’s critical for survival.

Where can I watch?

Click here to watch Arctic Adventure: Ultimate Survival.