In 1993, Jerry Shepard (Paul Walker) is a guide at an Antarctica research base u

nder contract with the National Science Foundation. UCLA professor, Dr. Davis Mc
Claren (Bruce Greenwood), arrives at the base. He presses Shepard to take him to
Mount Melbourne to attempt to find a rare meteorite from the planet Mercury. Sh
epard does so, ignoring his own intuition, which tells him it is too late in the
season to complete such a treacherous route, and decides that the only way to g
et to Mount Melbourne is by dog sled.
Shepard and McClaren make it to Mount Melbourne, but immediately are called back
to base camp due to an approaching heavy storm. McClaren begs for more time, an
d Shepard gives him half a day, which is just enough time for McClaren to find a
fragment of the meteorite. However while en route back to base, McClaren slips
down an embankment, breaking his leg and falling into the freezing water. Shepar
d uses the lead dog Maya to carry a rope to McClaren and is able to pull him out
. The two battle hypothermia, frostbite, and near whiteout conditions as they al
low the dogs to lead them home. Once there, the entire human crew is immediately
evacuated, while the dogs are left behind. Certain that their pilot will return
within days for the dogs, Shepard tightens their collars to ensure they cannot
get loose and run away. However, because of the harsh weather conditions, it soo
n becomes apparent that no rescue will be attempted until the next spring - and
by then the dogs will be long dead.
Back at home, Shepard tries desperately to secure a plane to return and save the
dogs, but no one is willing to finance the risky expedition. Five months later,
a guilt ridden Shepard has all but given up, but is inspired to make one last a
ttempt to get back to see what has become of his team. McClaren realizes the mag
nitude of his ingratitude and uses the remaining balance of his grant money to f
inance a rescue mission. Shepard acknowledges that there's almost no chance that
any of the dogs have survived this long, but knows he owes it to his team to go
back for them.
After being left behind, the eight sled dogs
lead dog Maya, Old Jack, Shorty, De
wey, Truman, Shadow, Buck, and the young Max, wait in the freezing conditions fo
r Shepard to return. After two weeks with no food, Max snaps his collar and atte
mpts to hunt seagulls. All the other dogs follow suit, except Old Jack, who is t
oo tired and weak to follow, and remains tied to the chain. Some time later, Dew
ey slips and falls down an incline, where he is fatally injured. The team stays
with his body until morning, but eventually have to leave. In the blizzard, Max
becomes separated from the group. Maya manages to lead the team to the Russian b
ase, which is unsecured and full of food, while Max finds his way back to the Am
erican base, which is still locked and abandoned. Setting back out into the wild
erness, Max finds the carcass of a dead Orca, but is driven off by a leopard sea
l. Luckily, Maya and the team are nearby, and Max lures the seal away so the tea
m can eat. However, it doubles back and attacks Maya, who is badly injured. The
team, now reunited, continue traveling. However, they are starving, freezing, an
d exhausted; and eventually the injured Maya collapses into the snow. The dogs l
ie down beside their leader as the snow piles up around them. They have been on
their own for nearly six months.
Shepard makes it back to base and is dismayed to find the body of Old Jack, stil
l attached to the chain, and no sign of the other dogs. Then, he hears the sound
of barking and sees Max, Shorty, Truman, Shadow and Buck come over the horizon.
After a joyous reunion, Shepard attempts to load the dogs into the snow-mobile,
but Max runs off, with Shepard in hot pursuit. Max leads him to Maya, lying in
the snow weak, but alive. With six of his eight sled dogs in tow, Shepard heads
back to civilization.