True North Part 1

Keep Hope (and TYT) Alive

'True North' follows TYT host John Iadarola and journalist Chavala Madlena on a journey throughout the Arctic, presenting an unprecedented view of life in a part of the world that few will ever see. From exploring a shattered coal mine to an expedition through the Arctic Ocean, Iadarola and Madlena provide a unique perspective on life in the Arctic and the impact climate change has had on the land and its people. Combining adventure, dynamic human-interest stories and a bit of danger, True North brings viewers to the front lines of our reckoning with global climate change.

In our introductory episode we meet our hosts John Iadarola and Chavala Madlena as they prepare for a month-long expedition in the High Arctic to learn about life in a place that has become a flashpoint in the conversation about climate change. We begin our journey North in the town of Tromso, Norway with a crash course in Polar History.

Then John pays a visit to Tore Albrigtsen, a professional musher who’s competed in the Iditarod and Yukon Quest, and spends some time with his fun-loving sled dogs. We find out what it takes to travel in some of the world’s most challenging environments, then join Tore on the trail where John mushes his own team of sled dogs.

John explores the island’s fossils and coal deposits from its prehistoric past as a tropical forest, and examines the history of mining on Svalbard.

Chavala spends the night in Pyramiden, a once vibrant Soviet-Era ghost town that was abandoned after a tragic plane crash killed 141 of its few hundred residents. With the help of our Russian guide Victoria and our polar bear guard Renee, we explore this piece of polar history and the haunting tale it tells about the town’s former inhabitants.