Book Review: Mark Synnott heads ‘Into the Ice' to chase the maritime mystery of Sir John Franklin
Mark Synnott admits in the introduction to his new book that 'it is out in the high and wild places in this world that I've always felt the closest to whoever it is that I really am.' While not exactly poetry, it's a good summary of the best parts of 'Into the Ice,' Synnott's third work of long-form nonfiction after 'The Impossible Climb' and 'The Third Pole.' Part travelogue, part historical mystery and part memoir, 'Into the Ice' will appeal to fans of extreme adventure stories, nearly all of whom will never sail a boat through the Northwest Passage.
The travelogue moments of the book are the best written, as Synnott and his crew sail his 47-foot boat Polar Sun east to west through the passage, from Nuuk, Greenland, to Nome, Alaska. 'When the sun shone directly into the bay, the light reflected off the faces of the ice in infinite shades of blue and green, like a polar disco ball,' Synnott writes on a summer evening in 2022 while conjuring likenesses for icebergs with his young son. (Tommy and Synnott's wife, Hampton, herself an accomplished sailor, join the crew for a couple weeks at the start of the trip.)
The 6,736-mile journey takes 112 days, which provides plenty of time for readers to learn the story of British Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin and the 128 men he led on an expedition to discover the passage in the mid-19th century. The mystery of what happened to Franklin and all of his men has never been entirely solved, though the wrecks of both his ships were discovered earlier this century. Synnott sets out 'in the wake of Erebus and Terror, (to) anchor in the same harbors, see what Franklin and his men saw… Maybe if I fully immersed myself into the Franklin mystery, I might discover what really happened to him and his men.'
Spoiler alert: He doesn't. You would have heard about it by now. But he does dive deep into the historical record, and that's where the book loses some momentum. At times it reads like an academic paper, as Synnott references the work of various historians through the years who have investigated the Franklin expedition. He takes us back nearly two centuries to recount Franklin's career and what is known about his third attempt to map the Northwest Passage from 1845-1847.
The tale is more compelling when Synnott is engaging with living Franklin-ologists like Canadian Tom Gross, who has been searching for Franklin's tomb and collecting evidence of what happened for decades. Gross was scouting King William Island in a small plane in 2015 when he observed 'two black stones standing up vertically on a ridge' that did not belong a few miles inland. But in their excitement at the discovery, he and his co-pilot forgot to note the GPS coordinates and he's still looking for what he believes were markers of Franklin's tomb a decade later.
If all this sounds like it might be better watched on TV, you're in luck. National Geographic funded Synnott's voyage, as it has many of his previous adventures, and the stunning scenery and drama on the high seas is available to view on Disney+ as 'Explorer: Lost in the Arctic.' If you're not a subscriber, the best parts of the book let readers travel in their mind 'beneath massive waterfalls that cascaded from the heights… thousands of feet tall, and where they poured into the sea, clouds of fulmars, cormorants and kittiwakes circled in the salty mist.'
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Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
How to watch 'Ocean with David Attenborough' online from anywhere
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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
How to plan a self-drive boat tour of Ireland's River Shannon
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). The Irish heartlands put the emerald in the Emerald Isle — and the River Shannon, which flows from County Cavan to County Kerry, is its lifeblood. It takes its name from the Celtic goddess Sinann: legend tells that she lifted the cover of a forbidden well in the Cavan Mountains, causing a flood to burst forth. Her drowned life force ebbed into the river she'd made, creating flower-filled meadows, tousled islands and fertile fields. Cruising has long been a wonderful way to explore the Shannon — the longest river in Ireland — but now there's more reason than ever to try it as the river's boat fleet has been converted to hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel, cutting carbon emissions by 92%. And compared to the crowded coast, Ireland's heartlands receive a tiny fraction of the country's visitors. 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More rarely, you might encounter corncrakes, skylarks and sedge warblers. AfternoonThere's no mistaking the town of Shannonbridge — its 16-arched namesake straddles the banks, finishing in a fort that lords it over the river like a stone fist. In the early 1800s, the threat of Napoleonic invasion, assisted by pro-independence Irish, weighed heavy on the minds of British colonists. Their response was to build Martello towers around the coast and fortifications all the way up the Shannon, of which Shannonbridge Fort is one of the best examples. Though now three-quarters demolished, it still cuts an imposing silhouette — plus, it has a great cafe. Visit the exhibition on the fort's history, then storm the ramparts — open to visitors this year — and look down on the fort's remains. EveningFrom Shannonbridge, it'll take around three to four hours to motor up to Lough Ree, where you'll see the golden-hour light shimmering on its surface and dancing over the reeds. If you're lucky, you may spot otters at dusk. Park at the moorings for Glasson Lakehouse, on the lake's southeastern shore. Inside, it's all tufted leather, waxed timber beams and stone fireplaces. At Bonnie's restaurant, Glasson native Dee Adamson crafts seasonal menus that marry Irish ingredients with pan-European flair, including dishes like chargrilled pork belly with onion tuille. Sleep on the boat or splash out on a room here — they come with a record player, lots of funky art and some have a lake-view balcony. MorningGlide back south to Athlone — one of the largest towns in the heartlands and on the Shannon. This is, in many ways, Ireland's crossroads, having witnessed rebellions, sieges and Viking raids. As you walk from the marina, your first sight is of Athlone Castle, built in 1210 and remodelled during the Napoleonic period into the hulking, multi-towered fortification that still stands. Inside, an interactive exhibition describes the town's history. Next door, the Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul is a powerful statement of post-independence Catholicism. For lunch, stop by The Left Bank Bistro: the crowd-pleasing menu includes chunky focaccia sandwiches using local produce. AfternoonThe approach to Clonmacnoise from the river is one that catches the breath, as spectral shadows on the horizon resolve into a gutted monastery, twin towers and a scattering of Celtic crosses. This was once one of the most important religious settlements in Europe, founded by Saint Ciarán in around 545 CE. Temple Ciarán, just 10ft wide, is believed to be the saint's resting place, from which pilgrims still take a pinch of earth for luck. Also seek out the 13ft-high Cross of the Scriptures, carved with scenes of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. It's now housed in the visitor centre, where you'll also find original grave slabs, a video presentation and an exhibition on life on the Callows. EveningReturn to Athlone for the nightlife. Fill up first at Thyme, a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant on the banks of the Shannon serving elevated Irish cuisine in a swish, herb-coloured dining room. Afterwards, head next door to the Dead Centre microbrewery to sample its IPAs, stouts and ales. Athlone is perhaps most famous as the home of Sean's Bar — officially the oldest pub in Ireland, dating to 900 CE. A section of the original wattle-and-daub wall is still visible, next to the Guinness World Record certificate. Grab an Irish coffee — laced with the bar's own Sean's Whiskey — and if there's live music, nod along to the thrum of fiddle and bodhrán (drum). Carrick-on-ShannonThe Shannon's northern reaches show a different side to the river: narrower, curvier and dotted with islands. Boat trips here often start at Carrick-on-Shannon, the largest town in County Leitrim. Pick up urban walking trail guides at the tourist information centre and explore its architectural curiosities: the Italianate-Gothic fusion of Hatley Manor, the pastel facades and vibrant doors of St George's Terrace. Most curious of all is the 12ft-wide Costello Memorial Chapel — Ireland's smallest church. Businessman Edward Costello built it in 1879 in memory of his wife, Mary Josephine. Next door is the multi-award-winning Flynn's Bar, where bartenders pull pints of Guinness as smooth as the Shannon. Lough KeyMeandering north west from Carrick-on-Shannon, you'll glide past bobbing cormorants and the indigo smudge of Sliabh an Iarainn (Iron Mountain). Once you've squeezed through Clarendon Lock, the trees part onto the silvery mirror of Lough Key, where you'll meet McDermott's Castle. Tie up at the jetty for the Lough Key Forest Park — formerly the Rockingham Estate, owned by the aristocratic King family. The Rockingham Remembered self-guided tour leads you through the bowels of the old house, which burned down in 1957. There's also a tree canopy walk, and the Moylurg Tower, resembling a Brutalist headstone, has a fantastic view of the lough and its islands — if you can scale its 160 steps, that is. BoyleSouth west of Lough Key, slip into a narrow, hedgerow-hemmed canal running parallel to the Boyle River, which ends in a marina. From there, it's a short walk to the market town of Boyle. If you can, time your visit with the Courtyard Farmers' Market, open on Saturdays — you'll find locally made Leitrim Hill Creamery cheeses, Pyne's preserves from County Sligo, handmade jewellery and watercolour paintings. Otherwise, drop into King House, a restored Georgian mansion. Inside is a collection of Irish paintings and sculptures, plus international pieces donated by former Irish president Mary McAleese. Afterwards, wander up to Boyle Abbey, a 12th-century Cistercian monastery with carvings of monks and animals in its upper reaches. Published in the June 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Volcano tourism is booming, but is it too risky?
On June 2, 2025, Italy's Mount Etna, one of Earth's most active volcanoes, erupted again, releasing what experts called a 'lava fountain' that sent tourists rushing downhill to safety. In late March 2021, thousands of people in Iceland hiked into the Geldingadalur valley to watch fiery lava splutter and spill from the crater of the Fagradalsfjall volcano after it erupted for the first time in nearly 800 years. As white ash clouds puffed above trails of glowing, molten rock inching through craggy black stones, some visitors took photos, others sat in quiet awe, and a few toasted marshmallows over the lava flows. Photographer Chris Burkard, who captured the eruption for National Geographic, was transfixed by the ominous-but-beautiful landscape too. 'It was mesmerizing,' he says. 'I never thought something as simple as molten rock would get me this excited.' The aftermath of eruptions has created famously fertile ground for tourism. Japanese tourists have bunked at onsen ryokans (hot springs inns) in villages near volcanoes since the 8th century. The ruins of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, preserved by a blanket of ashes when Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79, lured countless sightseers on the European Grand Tour in the 17th and 18th centuries. But the steam, crackle, and pop of active volcanoes has an allure all its own. 'They're one of the most primeval forces of nature that we can observe,' says Benjamin Hayes, chief of interpretation and education for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. 'You feel the power of Mother Earth near this lifeblood of the planet.' Traveling to an active volcano isn't without risks and ethical questions. It can be the thrill of lifetime—or a fatal attraction. Before you get fired up to see one, here's what you should know. In the last decade, volcano tourism has boomed, fueled in part by social media and so-called 'lava chasers.' They seek legendary, photogenic smoking spots like Mount Vesuvius (and the other two dozen-plus active volcanic sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List). In the United States, several national parks feature active volcanoes, including Mount Rainier in Washington State, Lassen Peak in California, and the Yellowstone Caldera in Wyoming. The day after the Island of Hawaii's Mount Kilauea erupted on December 20, 2020, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park saw a sharp spike in visitors. Many of the 8,000 guests were locals, but the park also saw a steady increase of out-of-state visitors as COVID-19 travel restrictions eased. Depending on the place, travelers can take lava boat tours, hop helicopter trips over calderas, surf down the slopes of a volcano, or even walk to the edge of the lava lake. But these endeavors come with risk. Eruptions often produce poisonous gasses (e.g., sulfur dioxide, present at Fagradalsfjall) that can damage your lungs. Between 2010 and 2020, at least 1,143 people have been killed in volcanic explosions, most recently near New Zealand's Whakaari/White Island volcano, which suddenly erupted December 9, 2019, killing 22 tourists and injuring 25 others. (Visiting a volcano? Here's how to stay safe.) Yet, these casualties seem to have fueled curiosity rather than deterred tourism. Instead of steering clear of erupting volcanoes, sensation seekers are drawn to disaster areas—a trend expected to continue after the pandemic. Volcanic eruptions happen when there's an increase in magma-static pressure or a shift in tectonic plates, which can also spur earthquakes. Sometimes, erosion or melting glaciers slowly move the earth and eventually spur eruptions; other times sudden landslides trigger them. Volcanic activities are monitored by scientific observatories around the world, so blow ups are rarely a surprise. (For a bit of armchair volcanology, use the Smithsonian Institution's online active eruption tracker.) 'If you know some of the basics, you can observe eruptions fairly safely,' says Rosaly M.C. Lopes, a volcanologist and planetary geologist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. 'We're lucky that the most beautiful eruptions—in Hawaii, Iceland, and Stromboli, Italy—are also not the most explosive ones.' Author of the Volcano Adventure Guide, Lopes says it's important to know the type of volcanoes you're visiting. The volatility of a given site depends on its lava: thin and runny lava flows out of the volcano slowly, while thick and viscous lava makes it difficult for gas to escape, resulting in more explosive (and possibly, deadly) eruptions. Knowing which sort you are dealing with could potentially save your life. When Italy's Mount Etna erupted in 1987, two tourists were killed. Lopes was only a mile away on a research trip when it happened. 'If it's a volcano like Etna, and there is a sudden explosion, look up and see where these rock fragments are going to land,' she says. 'But you don't run; you dodge them. And after fragments land, you run.' On the opposite spectrum, during the sudden eruption of New Zealand's Whakaari/White Island volcano, Lopes says those who survived were likely the ones who sprinted the fastest. 'Some people stayed to take photos. I think some just got caught and couldn't run fast enough,' she says. 'But that is a dangerous volcano, and volcanologists knew it could have a sudden explosion.' There are more than 1,500 active volcanoes in 81 countries. For the hundreds of millions of people who reside near them, they're just a part of daily life, like bad traffic or frequent rain. One of Japan's most active volcanos, Sakurajima in Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu, erupts every four to 24 hours. 'The people of Kagoshima don't even bother looking up when Sakurajima erupts, it happens so often,' says Alex Bradshaw, director of Overseas Communications of Kagoshima Prefecture. (Learn what it's like to live beside a volcano.) The relationship between Sakurajima and the locals is reciprocal. Fertile soil near the volcano helps Kagoshima grow its famed daikon radishes and tiny komikan oranges. 'Without Sakurajima there would be no Kagoshima. It's the symbol of our city, and the people here view it as a protective god,' says Naoto Maesako, owner of Kagoshima City's Yogan Yaki restaurant, where vegetables, kurobuta pork, and wagyu beef are cooked on hot plates made from local lava. 'We feel that Sakurajima sees us through typhoons and other disasters safely. It's our history right in front of us, and we can see the same smoldering scene as our ancestors did.' In Hawaii, the connection between volcanoes and residents is a part of the islands' origin story. Ancient Hawaiian chants refer to Pele, goddess of volcanoes and fire, as 'she who shapes the sacred land.' 'The Hawaiian people have been here and have flourished for more than 1,000 years,' says Hayes. 'It's impossible not to be connected deeply with generations of cherished stories, ancestors, and family connection to the 'aina—the land.' Some volcano tourism veers close to disaster or dark tourism. In 2010, 353 people died and more than 400,000 people lost their homes when Indonesia's Mount Merapi erupted. Soon after, tour companies popped up specifically to offer excursions to the ash-buried villages. It is an echo of the human casts and imprints at Pompeii, which reveal a terrifying account of the final days of its residents. (Learn about 'dark tourism'' and why travelers are drawn to disasters.) In 2018, Mount Kīlauea's continued eruptions destroyed approximately 600 homes, as well as roads, farms, and ranches, on the Island of Hawaii. That May, while fires still raged in neighborhoods, tourist spending increased by 3.3. percent to $173.9 million. Hospitality companies had to balance meeting traveler's needs with sensitivity towards affected residents. Ross Birch, executive director of the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau, encourages tourists who are curious about volcanoes to stick to the national park. 'It's a great place to learn about the volcanoes,' Birch says. 'Anything outside of that, you might cross into private property and potentially end up in someone's backyard.' Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) geologist Frank Trusdell recalls that within 24 hours of the Mauna Loa eruption in 1984, plane tickets to the Island of Hawaii were sold out. 'Everybody wanted to come to see the eruption,' he says. Scientists like Trusdell understand why people are drawn to volcanoes, and they believe this helps raise aware and interest in volcanology. 'Every time you go somewhere that you see a geological process—even if it's fairly tame volcanos like Yellowstone geysers—it awakens your curiosity,' says Lopes. 'It gives you a much greater respect for our planet.' This story originally published on April 2, 2021. It has been updated.
