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The journey from London out to the Koriyak herders in the middle of the Siberian tundra was supposed to take 5 days if everything went to plan.

The advance team with the director and assistant producer managed it, flying out with the filming and survival equipment first to Moscow and the next day on to the Kamchatkan capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

From there they took a small transport plane north to the ice-bound port of Ossora from where they were taken by MI-8 helicopter out to the reindeer herd.

The second wave including myself, the camera crew and the athletes were due to meet our colleagues using GPS but bad weather descended and we unable to take the helicopter ride to meet them.

For six nights we packed ready to leave the next morning but this turned out to be very fortunate as on night six there was a fire at the hotel but we were able to make a quick getaway and save all of our equipment.

Wolé gave what assistance he could to the Russian fire-fighters battling against the blaze.

We found alternative accommodation until we were able to leave but then only made it half way before the weather came in again. This time we stayed in an isolated mining town which turned out to be one of the scariest places I'd ever been.

Luckily we were able to get underway again at first light and after 2 more hot, deafening and uncomfortable hours in the MI-8 we arrived at the herd 6 days late.

The production team of 12 and all the filming kit were billeted a couple of miles away along the valley from the herders' reindeer tents in an old wooden hut about the size of a large living room.

The advantage of being squashed in meant that inside it was actually very warm with a stove going although you would still wake up in the morning cowering away from the freezing cold walls.

Managing the kit in the extreme temperatures was a huge challenge. The cameras functioned relatively well but could never be brought inside as moisture from the air would instantly freeze onto the cold metal. LCD screens would not work as the crystal in them moved too slowly, cables would snap like twigs and even just breathing into a viewfinder would mean a 10 minute wait for the ice caused by the water from your breath to shift.

Irina, the Russian cook, provided large hearty and warm meals of borscht and reindeer stews in the mornings and evenings but everyone had to have a constant supply of high energy foods and hot water throughout the day in order to make up for the huge loss of calories required just to keep warm. It's probably one of the few times in life when eating 3 chocolate bars in a day is actively encouraged.

We had to work very carefully with the Koryak herders not to get in their way while filming the reindeer corralling as it's one of their most important jobs of the year.

If they don't get it done properly on the day it can cause great damage to the herd in the rutting season.

Despite this they were always courteous and willing to take time to explain what was happening or to demonstrate their prowess with a lasso.

To film the race itself we had 4 cameras along with fluid and emergency food on snowmobiles leapfrogging the competitors along the course. The noisy Russian engines couldn't be run while filming for sound so the crews had to try to run backwards through the deep snow with the competitors for short bursts.

On one leapfrog up to the front of the field I got more and more worried as I passed the frontrunning Koryak competitors that Murray had got lost somewhere on the course before coming across him amazingly almost leading the race.

This shoot was one of the most challenging of the series in terms of logistics and conditions for both the athletes and crew.

But I would say it was one of the most unforgettable and enjoyable of those I was involved with.

Chris O'Donnell, Production Co-ordinator

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