In this first episode of the series, Marcus Lush flies to Antarctica to begin his voyage of discovery about the driest continent on Earth. He takes the survival course, learns how to dig a snow cave, and considers how the technology we take for granted today compares with what was available to those early pioneers who first challenged the terrain. He meets some of the scientists who contribute their observations and analysis to a global body of knowledge, and discovers the secrets that lie locked in the ice which reveal a past, present and possible future view of planet Earth.