冰层越来越脆弱

I had never visited the North Pole before, so this was a great highlight for me.

But it was hard going in temperatures of minus 40, so as soon as filming finished, we flew south.

Little did we know that we had made it out just in time. We got back from the Pole camp last night

and I've just bumped into the Russian Commander, who's just heard from the camp.

And the news is that a little crack, which I'd seen in the ice between our tent and the airstrip,

which was no more than an inch or so wide, has, overnight, widened to 20 metres.

Temporary break-ups, caused by stormy weather and strong winds, have happened before,

but they've been getting more and more frequent over recent years as the ice has got weaker.

It was only swift action by the staff that prevented a lot of valuable equipment going in the drink.