The first of two documentaries following snowplough teams and RAC patrols in Scotland and the north of England, working to ensure the roads are clear when the winter weather hits. In the fishing village of Applecross, the snowplough drivers' main priority is keeping open the single-track road that connects the locals to the outside world, while another ploughing team sets out on a routine gritting mission - only to grind to a halt in 3ft of snow. In Northumberland, an RAC patrolman rescues a woman and her elderly mother who are stranded on an isolated moor - only to get stuck himself.