In a stunning celebration of one of earth's great wildernesses, Ray Mears journeys on foot, by canoe, and by snowshoe through mountains, forests, tundra, and ice in this inhospitable but awesome landscape where roads are still scarce Examining extreme environments, this fascinating look at the frozen north includes explorations from the vast Boreal Forest with its rich animal life to the Hudson Bay where fur trappers traded with hat manufacturers in England. The guide is rich in bushcraft and follows the paths of the great early northern explorers, Samuel Hearn and David Thompson, who survived trekked across the tundra and the Rocky Mountains. The ways of the Inuit are also explored, including how they combat snow blindness and build shelter, as are the ways the prospectors in the gold rush used bushcraft skills to survive.

Ray Mears founded Woodlore, a school of wilderness bushcraft and survival. He is the author of Bushcraft, The Outdoor Survival Guide, Ray Mears Goes Walkabout, and Ray Mears Vanishing World.