BEYOND ENDURANCE; SCOTS CAMERAMAN'S INCREDIBLE SOUTH POLE JOURNEY ON BOARD NAVY'S ONLY ICE-BREAKER.

Byline: Brian McIver

THE SHIP disappeared over the horizon and Steven Gray realised the only thing between him and a lonely, cold death on the Antarctic ice was a trusty shovel.

Accompanying a small unit of hardy Royal Marines, the Fife-born cameraman had volunteered to film their cold-weather training on Greenwich Island, but quickly realised it had seemed a much better idea back in his warm cabin than standing in the freezing cold at the bottom of the world.

Immediately accepted by the four commandos as one of the team, Steven put down his camera and, with the sub-zero temperatures of the Antarctic night fast approaching, joined the lads in digging an ice cave for shelter.

Steven was just weeks into filming a new TV series about the south polar adventures of the Royal Navy's only ice-breaking patrol boat, HMS Endurance, when he decided to take the ship's name to heart and put himself and his camera equipment to the ultimate test by with an Antarctic camp-out.

Hours later and ice cave finished, Steven had won the respect of the some of the toughest soldiers in the world, and found himself fully immersed in the strange world of the South Pole.

He spent more than two months as part of the Endurance crew to make the series Ice Patrol, which started on the satellite channel National Geographic on Monday night.

As well as his ice-cave sleepover, Steven's adventures with his trusty camera included chopper missions over the tip of the Antarctic continent, several encounters with some very smelly and poo-covered penguins and a swim in the coldest ocean on Earth.

But Steven, 43, from Dunfermline, said it was all part of one of his most amazing experiences in an action-packed career filming the extreme edges of the world, from war-torn Gaza and Iraq to natural and historical wonders.

"This was just an incredible shoot," he said. "I've never seen anything like it.

"The entire world down there is so beautiful and unique. The landscapes are like nothing else and were an absolute joy to film. I've been much more used to warm-weather work and have been in the desert lately, so it was a big change and very different. But it was also breathtaking as we went up the peninsula and into the stunning fjords.

"The human history with Antarctica only goes back around 200 years. It's just not a place that humans should sensibly be.We're not welcome there.

"So to see that kind of place up close and capture it on film was incredible."

Steven was part of a three-person film crew who boarded Endurance at its base in the Falkland Islands last October to make the series for National Geographic.

The 6000-ton vessel and its 120 crew spend most of the year patrolling the fringes of the icy continent and its islands, charting the waterways which are becoming ever busier as more commercial cruise liners visit the seventh continent.

At present, only 10 per cent of the region is properly mapped, so the Endurance has plenty to do, as well as providing transport and support for the British Antarctic Survey team, who based in that part of the world.

ENDURANCE had a change of captain at the same time as Steven came on board, and the documentary follows the ship's company as they go through a series of tests and drills to get ready for the southern patrol, which includes crossing the notorious Drake Passage, between the southern tip of South America and Antarctica.

"We really enjoyed working with the men and women of the Endurance," said Steven. "They made us feel very welcome and we soon became part of the family.

"The three of us shared a cabin, and it was easy enough to adjust to life on the ship. They have internet access, everyone watches football on television and there is a pub quiz every week.

"The crew of Endurance are definitely special. They need to be to operate in that part of the world.

"They are very professional and it was good to be able to watch them at work.

"The worst part for me was near the start when we crossed Drake Passage.

"According to the crew, it was a very smooth crossing by their standards.

"But I was throwing up all morning in the cabin, and then was in bed for the rest of the day.

"I found my sea legs after that, but it was very choppy with huge waves pouring over the deck. I can't imagine what a bad crossing must be like."

The series soon became more than just a fly-on-the-wall documentary for Steven and his colleagues.

The ship's four Royal Marines were always away on adventures, such as the ice-cave sleepover.

"I'd spent time with Royal Marines in Iraq, so I know what kind of guys they are, and I've always gotten on well with them," said Steven.

"So when they invited me on their cold weather survival training, I was up for it.

"But I didn't realise just how hard it would be.

"We did have communications equipment and emergency tents, and I was with the Royal Marines, but when I saw the ship sail off, I did get a real sense of isolation.

"It's very cold and very quiet, and even though you know the ship will never be more than half a day's sail from you, it's still very chilling.

"We had to build the ice cave, and they said it would take four hours, but it felt more like 12 to me.

"It did feel good to have it finished, and we had ration packs to eat while we were out.

"We spent two nights away, and it was down to about minus five.

"The other big expedition was when the Royal Marines went to the Shackleton Path, following the trail Shackleton used when he was exploring.

"I was invited to join them, but I would have had the camera and all the other gear, which would have slowed them down too much.

"I flew in on one the Endurance's two Lynx helicopters to film them.

"It was an incredible feat to witness. It really made me think about what it must have been like back in Shackleton's day to come to this part of the world."

STEVEN also went for a dip in the icy ocean and, even though he was in a full dry suit, has never experienced cold like it.

There was also time to watch beluga whales, seals, and all kinds of birds, including the penguins made famous in recent movies, such as the Morgan Freeman-narrated March Of The Penguins.

Steven joked: "You have this idea of penguins being beautiful black and white creatures.

"But in reality they don't look like that because they basically spend all their time pooping and throwing things up.

"And Morgan Freeman never mentioned the smell. They were stinking." Apart from the penguin pong, Steven said the only downside of his journey was the fact that it had to end prematurely.

In December, while he was flying home for a Christmas break, the Endurance began taking water and was taken out of service temporarily.

It had to be piggy-backed home on a giant semisubmersible heavy-lift ship to the UK for repairs, so Steven wasn't able to return.

"It was a pity that we couldn't go back and do more filming because I really enjoyed spending my time with the crew.

"They were very welcoming and very helpful and, even though a lot of the crew have been split up around the world, I've stayed in touch with a lot of them because we got on very well.

"I'd love to go back to that part of the world.

"I think once you've been to Antarctica, it gets in your blood and you need to go back."

Ice Patrol is on National Geographic Channel, Sky Channel 526, at 10pm on Mondays.

CAPTION(S):

ENDURING MEMORY: Steven filmed the fascinating work of HMS Endurance and its crew LIFT HOME: The Endurance is taken back to the UK for repairs FROZEN SOUTH: Delivering vital supplies to the British Antarctic Survey, top, and the beautiful isolation of a glacier in South Georgia