National Geographic Ultimate Explorer guest correspondent and unconventional adventurer Benedict Allen embarks on a 1,000-mile trek through Siberia by dogsled during one of the worst winters in living memory. Airs Saturday, Jan. 17, 8 p.m. ET
Some call him adventurous. Others call him eccentric. Indeed, Benedict Allen walks the dangerous line between fearless explorer and reckless daredevil. He has crossed the Amazon basin on a journey that lasted almost eight months, he has spent over three months walking the harsh Namib Desert with a group of reluctant camels, and, in a remote village in New Guinea, he has undergone an intense male-initiation ceremony in which he was, among other things, beaten every day for six weeks to be made “as strong as a crocodile.”
Now, Allen embarks on his most extreme journey yet: a 1,000-mile trek across the frozen expanse of Siberia. With two local hunters, an occasionally unruly team of dogs, and his own video camera, Allen pushes himself to the limits as he battles one of Siberia’s harshest winters in living memory. From the start, he faces frostbite, dangerous ice-crossings, and a no-show dog-trainer whose absence means Allen doesn’t know the essential commands needed to lead his team of dogs.
Despite the early setbacks, Allen eventually pulls his team together and pushes forward toward his ultimate goal: a solo crossing of the Bering Strait. But once there, he must deal with the threat of migrating polar bears. And without a guide, he must find his own way through his dangerous course relying on the skills he has learned along the way.
Join National Geographic Ultimate Explorer for this remarkable look at adventure on the edge, as Benedict Allen attempts the journey of a lifetime across the frozen reaches of Siberia.