ALASKA : THE ICE TRAP | France 5 | Les Routes de l'Impossible

A white desert and frozen rivers to replace roads. Alaska, “the last frontier”, is a land of extremes. In winter, the thermometer can drop to -50 degrees. Richard always keeps a drill handy in his pickup. This allows him to dig into the ice to measure its thickness, a way of avoiding falling into the water when driving over it. Every year, winter transforms the Kuskokwim River into a highway of ice, a risky but essential communication route for the inhabitants.

The other trail, the most important for the region’s economy, runs beyond the Arctic Circle to the Prudhoe Bay oil wells. The 700 km Dalton Highway is the bête noire of American truckers. On the back of his trailer, Adam is carrying a load of heavy bags of industrial salt destined for oil drilling. Avalanches and icy patches are a constant threat. For airplane pilots and gold miners, one of the worst hazards is the blizzard. Very strong winds loaded with snowflakes that sweep everything in their path. In winter, many villages can only be reached by air.

Every year, young pilots like Matt, 27, arrive in Alaska with a taste for adventure. Their skills and energy enable the locals to get to the doctor, or to bring fruit and vegetables to the most remote corners. They also enable some to live out their wildest dreams. Scott and Lary are gold miners. They dive under the ice, in water at -1°C, right in the middle of the Bering Sea. To last for hours in the cold, they’ve cobbled together the incredible “spider” system.

In Nakapiak, the rapid melting of glaciers and permafrost is threatening daily life.