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Jules Hudson braves the elements to find out what it takes to do one of the toughest jobs in the UK. On Helvellyn – England’s third highest peak – he joins Fell Assessor Graham Uney who climbs the mountain every day to assess the weather and conditions. In a week, Graham walks and scales the equivalent height of an assault on Everest. But mighty as the mountain is, it’s not as resilient as you might suppose. Helvellyn is home to some of the rarest alpine plants in Britain, but they have a champion in climber and

environmentalist Rob Dyer, who reveals to Jules how technology can safeguard both plants and climbers.

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Keeley Donovan is in Glasgow discovering how pioneering surgery on guinea pig dog Eva is poised to save shattered lives all around the world. After Eva badly fractured her leg on a walk, hopes began to fade for her recovery. After surgery, infection set in and antibiotics didn’t work. Amputation – or worse – was on the horizon. But her vet had heard about ground breaking research into creating artificial bone and, with Eva’s owner Fiona’s blessing, volunteered Eva as a guinea pig. The fake bone set beautifully and Eva is happily back on all four paws. Keeley meets the professor at the helm of this pioneering work and discovers how nail varnish is part of the miracle recipe. Thanks to Eva and the success of her operation, victims of landmines in war-torn parts of the world could soon have life-changing surgery.

Most gardeners despair in winter. Their gardens look drab and bleak so how do you create a winter wonderland? Paul Martin is at Wakehurst in Sussex to visit a new winter garden and pick up some clever and colourful ideas for our own patches at home, however great or small.

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The Scottish wilderness can be a harsh environment in winter. Yet there are some people who crave these conditions and can’t wait to get outdoors. Steve Brown has come to meet Mary Carter who races and trains huskies. He also meets Catherine Lewis who has had spina bifida all her life, but this hasn’t kept her from running dogs and even competing.

Steve has come to see if he has what it takes to become a musher!

Margherita Taylor is in Cirencester, a beautiful and historic market town in the Cotswolds, to meet volunteers going to the rescue of the homeless. Rural homelessness is a growing problem and Ìýhowever beautiful our country towns might be, nowhere is immune. In England alone, it’s reckoned that 5,000 people are forced to sleep out in the open, virtually slashing life expectancy by half. Margherita discovers how a new phone app isÌý enabling volunteers to find those who desperately need help faster. And she meets Steve, whose life has been turned around by charity workers.

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