As workplace views go, these take some beating.
Army officer and firefighter-turned-explorer Mark Wood has shared a collection of incredible images from his extreme expeditions.
The 53-year-old from Coventry has made navigating some of the world’s most remote areas his full-time job and the icy regions are his favourite spots.
The photographs, which feature in Wood’s new books Solo Explorer and Rock & Ice, show the adventurer in a range of locations from the top of Mount Everest to the North and South Poles.
One particularly hairy shot shows one of Wood’s fellow explorers precariously stepping over a gaping crevasse and using his ski poles to steady his balance. Another shows Wood’s face frosted with ice while battling minus 50 degrees Celsius in the Arctic.
He told MailOnline Travel that he’s ‘always close to tears’ on his daredevil travels as they take him on an emotional journey. He most looks forward to seeing the ‘colour green’ on his return to England after spending so much time in the blindingly white snow. Scroll down to see some of Woods most epic moments…
An image of one of Wood’s fellow explorers during a geographic North Pole expedition in 2016. The man is seen precariously stepping over a gaping crevasse, using his ski poles to steady his balance. The team for that trip was made up of qualified explorers, specialising in long-range, cold-weather expeditions
Wood said of his 2016 geographic North Pole expedition: ‘We wanted this expedition to capture the unique beauty and global significance of this remote region before it changes dramatically’. This man’s eyebrows appear to be frozen as a result of the extreme conditions
Wood takes a break while climbing the Mount Everest area in 2019 (left) and during a 2013 expedition to the same region, proudly holding the British flag (right)
Large ice boulders shimmer in different shades of blue, as Wood determinedly ventures towards the North Pole in 2016
A husky pup nibbles on the remains of a polar bear’s arm. Wood took the macabre shot during his 2004 expedition to the North Magnetic Pole
A stunning view from the slopes of Mount Everest during Wood’s 2013 expedition. Over the past few years, the explorer has set up educational programmes with the help of Skype linking schools en route to the world’s highest mountain with schools around the globe. Wood says one of his goals is to ‘inspire others to understand their planet and to encourage people to keep on exploring’
Extreme weather conditions meant that Wood didn’t manage to summit Everest in 2013. Above, a shot showing some of the kit required for such a feat including crampons, gaiters and thick down jackets
In 2006 Wood crossed the frozen landscape of the Canadian high Arctic while co-leading an expedition to the Geomagnetic North Pole. Above, members of his group in action with icebergs and snow-dusted peaks ahead
One of Wood’s teammates looks weary after pulling his sled through a soup of frozen ice en route to the North Pole in 2016
During a 2016 trip to the North Pole Wood and his team had to navigate a mix of terrain. Above, one of the icy corridors of water they had to cross while hauling sledges packed with their gear
The summit of Everest seen on a clear day in 2013, with the arid terrain below. Wood has guided more than 200 people through the mountains of the Himalayas
Most climbers start using oxygen above the 22,965ft (7,000m) mark on Everest. Above, Wood seen with a fellow mountaineer kitted out with oxygen masks in 2013
In March 2013 Wood led an expedition through the Nepalese side of the Himalayas to Mount Everest base camp. From there, the team attempted the south side of Everest over a 40-day period. Above, his climbing group, with strong winds whipping the icy peaks above
Don’t look down! Wood captures some of his climbing party on Mount Everest during his 2013 trip as they cross a gaping crevasse using a ladder and ropes to steady their balance
Wood says the coldest temperature he experienced was during an expedition in 2003 when the thermometer hit minus 50 degrees Celsius. Above, a photo of him at the time, with ice coating his facial hair and almost fusing his eyes shut
Into thin air: A view from the slopes of Everest in 2013 with blue skies and clouds in the valleys below
An Inuit child smiles for the camera. Wood took the shot while working in the Arctic as a location coordinator and guide for a special episode of Top Gear
A photo taken during Wood’s geographic North Pole expedition in 2016. The aim of the trip was to film the state of the Arctic ice as the group skied towards their finishing point
Determined: Wood trudges towards the North Pole in 2013
Wood said he captured ‘unique beauty and deteriorating conditions’ when he ventured to the North Pole in 2016
A moody black-and-white shot showing three yaks and a herder approaching Wood while he trekked through the Himalayas in 2013. Wood says: ‘I never get tired of the mountains or the people’
A group of children sit still for a photograph. The shot was taken in 2017 while Wood was on an expedition in Nepal, completing the Annapurna circuit
Wood poses for a quick selfie while on a solo expedition to the South Pole
Wood says when he travels to cold places, he keeps his cameras in plastic bags to keep the moisture out. Above, the avid-adventurer captured behind the lens while trekking in the Himalayas
An Arctic dog looks at the camera with a sprinkling of snow on its snout (left) and the teeth of a polar bear Wood found while in the Arctic (right)
To learn about Wood’s next expedition navigating an uncharted crossing of the remaining sea ice in the Arctic Ocean visit expeditionsolo100.com.
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