Ray Mears Northern Wilderness - 4. In Arctic Footsteps

In a stunning celebration of one of earth's last great wildernesses, Ray Mears goes on an epic adventure into Canada's unforgiving yet inspiring landscape.

In this episode of the series, Ray follows in the footsteps of an unsung British hero who helped put modern Canada on the map. John Rae from Scotland was the first great Arctic explorer and came to be regarded as the foremost authority on First Nation methods of Arctic survival and travel. Ray Mears follows the story of how John Rae found the Northwest Passage - the Holy Grail of 19th-century exploration. Yet this man, who should have been a hero of his day, was vilified by the British establishment. Ray believes it's time to put the record straight. (R)

Broadcast on:

BBC HD, 8:00pm Tuesday 17th November 2009

First broadcast:

Sunday 15th November 2009

Duration:

60 minutes

Available until:

11:59pm Sunday 6th December 2009

Categories:

• Audio Described,
• Sign Zone,
• Factual,
• Science & Nature