We battle our way up steep icy slopes, where one slip meant death. Days later we reach the top of the ice mountain.

We are the first humans to ever see this far north. No human has ever seen beyond these mountains. Somewhere over the horizon is the north pole. To our utter disbelief there is open water in the distance! So we can't walk to the north pole after all! Yet we can't get a boat over these mountains!

Strangely, the horizon seems to dip down in the middle. It's probably an optical illusion, due to the layers of air at different temperatures. But this is as close as we can ever come.

We have to go back to the ship. Should we turn the ship round, and return to civilisation? Or should we spend a few days here while we decide what to do? Or do something else?