Iceworld Podcast

Out now, ‘Travelling in the Tractor Train Traverse, with Nick Withey and Rory Fleet’ – a conversation with two of the Traverse team, who drive supplies and fuel huge distances across the frozen wilderness to help scientists work in the deep field. Iceworld is available on your preferred podcast app.

Welcome to Antarctica. What’s it like living and working in one of the most extreme environments in the world?

From polar scientists to plumbers, ICEWORLD is a series of interviews with ordinary people who are doing extraordinary jobs in Antarctica. The team talk climate science, extreme living, expeditions and becoming a community.

Iceworld is hosted and recorded by Nadia Frontier, and produced in partnership with Boffin Media.

Latest Episode

Meet the ice road truckers of Antarctica: the Tractor Train Traverse team, who drive supplies and fuel huge distances across the frozen wilderness to help scientists work in the deep field. With no garage in sight – and, in fact, nothing much else – this hardy and skilled team have to maintain the vehicles as they travel, living and working together to traverse the Antarctic interior.

Nadia talks to Nick Withey, Traverse Vehicle Engineering Manager, and mechanic and first time traverser Rory Fleet – both recently back in the UK after a busy season in Antarctica. Nick and Rory talk about navigation, safety and scouting, fixing vehicles in the snow, and the weird experience of motion sickness in a whiteout. This long, slow road trip could be the closest experience you can get on Earth to traversing another planet.

Previous episodes

S4 E11. Doctors of Antarctica, with Dr Nisha Mistry and Dr Rebecca Boys
A person standing next to a pile of rocks S4 E10. Moss, mites, bacteria and algae: looking for the smallest life in Antarctica
A person standing in front of a bus S4 [Bonus] Women at the poles – with Jane Francis, Jo Johnson, Katy Rumm, Vicky Auld, Laura Taylor, and Kat Turner
A man holding a sign posing for the camera S4 E9. A carnival of polar animals, with Katie Wells
A sign in front of a sunset S4 E8. ‘Drilling into the ice rift – with the RiPIce expedition to the Larsen C Ice Shelf’ 
A person holding a sign S4 E7.  Carbon cycling, biogeochemistry, and cruising on RRS Sir David Attenborough – with Emily Rowlands, Laura Taylor & Kat Turner
A man standing in front of a plane  S4. E6. Uncovering the secrets of clouds, with Floortje Van Den Heuvel
A man holding a book S4. [Bonus] Life after Antarctica: post-deployment with Dr Bav Sasi, Jerry Gillham and Kirsten Shaw
A man holding a sign posing for the camera S4 E5. Penguin passion at the poles, with Derren Fox and Peter Fretwell
A man standing in front of a beach S4 E4. Scouting for shags and skuas with Paul Whitelaw and Aurelia Reichardt
A group of people posing for the camera S4 E3. The operation to survey sea ice – from land, sky and satellite
A man sitting on a rock in the snow S4 E2. Evolving in the cold with Professor Melody Clark and Dr Simon Morley
A person holding a sign posing for the camera S4 E1. Piloting flights from Canada to Antarctica, with Vicky Auld and Olly Smith
A person holding a cell phone S3 E14. The life Antarctic, with marine biologist Nadia Frontier
A man wearing a hat with snow on the ground S3 E13. Ash Shinn is looking after your Antarctic research station
A person that is sitting in the snow S3 E12. Yes, diving in Antarctica is COLD – with Jack Gordon and Mike Lindsell
Graphical user interface, website S3 Ep 11. Fixing Skidoos in Antarctica with Matthew McPherson
A group of people standing in front of a crowd posing for the camera Bonus episode. Happy Midwinter, from King Edward Point Research Station
A group of people standing in front of a sign S3 Ep 10. Engineers of Antarctica, with Jonathan Witherstone & Jaskiran Nagi
A person sitting on the ground Bonus episode. Fossil hunting and managing Antarctic mud, with the Seymour Island expedition team
A group of people on a boat S3 Ep 9. Watching wild weather in Antarctica, with Jo Cole
S3 Ep 8. From Arran to Antarctica with Niall Macleod
A group of people standing on top of a snow covered slope S3 Ep 7. Leading polar expeditions, with Ed Luke and Matthew Shepherd
A penguin in the snow Bonus episode. Leadership and a life on the ice, with Professor Dame Jane Francis
S3 Ep 6.  Chefs of Antarctica, with Sadhbh Moore and Katy Rumm
A man holding a sign S3 Ep5. Ryan Mathews on diving and exploring in Antarctic Winter
A man standing in front of a stove  S3 Ep4. Stu McManus on his journey to Antarctica as an electrician
Text Bonus episode. A polar voyage into the New Year, with Captain Matt Neill and Jo Johnson
Text Bonus episode. It’s Christmas in Antarctica, with Aurelia Reichardt, Matt Hughes & Jo Cole
A woman standing in front of a stove S3 Ep3. Joe Clay on small community living, and keeping the power on in Antarctica
S3 Ep2. Allie Clement on scientific fishing and life as an Marine Assistant in Antarctica
A couple of people that are standing in the snow S3 Ep1. Louis Day on boating in Antarctica and navigating ice