The Friendly Arctic (film)

Photos and video by Bjørn Olson / illustrations by Kim McNett

Bjørn Olson and Kim McNett are no strangers to cycling through the challenging and unpredictable conditions of the Alaskan Arctic. The two have been venturing into remote corners of the state by fatbike for a decade. Past expeditions have led them into blizzards and grueling headwinds and had them dealing with relentless insects.

This time was different. There was no snow, they faced far less wind, and the insects weren’t nearly as bad. As usual, they experienced abundant wildlife and stunning scenery along the route, but the conditions were abnormally warm, and they confronted sobering evidence of global warming’s impact on the high-latitude ecosystem they traversed. Along the way, the two documented the trip by camera and sketchbook. Watch it below and scroll down for links to Bjørn and Kim’s past work in Alaska.

“Traversing vast landscapes is to be an observer of the rapid changes to our natural and cultural world.”

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“These destinations are part of a vast network that represent something much larger than a dot on the globe.”

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