The coldest places on Earth

Grab your thermals, and get ready to visit some of the world's coldest spots. From the sub-zero cool of Canada's Yukon to the snowy heights of Everest, are you ready to get frosty?


Snag, Yukon
The site of the lowest temperature recorded for continental North America is the splendidly-named town of Snag in Canada's Yukon. On February 3, 1947, at the remote town's weather station, a bone-chilling low of −63 °C was reached. It was so cold, that the Toronto Globe and Mail declared, "The only reason the men didn't celebrate was that all the alcohol at the station was in the thermometer and that was nearly frozen." The men at the station made a note of a variety of amazing phenomena that occurred as the mercury dropped. Sound travels much further – the duty weather officer clearly heard dogs barking in the village 3 miles away, and he also heard a tinkling sound when he went outside; it was his breath freezing instantly and falling as powder to the ground! Go for the thrill of the chill in the Yukon and see the Aurora Borealis, go dog sledding or explore the wild nature on a cross-country ski adventure.

Yakutsk, Siberia
Boasting an extreme subarctic climate, Siberia is the place to be - if you want to freeze off, that is... Russia holds two records for the coldest places on Earth. Oymyakon is the coldest inhabited place and Yakutsk, on the Lena River, the coldest city. In 1933 Oymyakon recorded a temperature of −67.7 °C, however, there's not a great deal to do there, so travel further across the frozen expanse of Siberia and make your way to Yakutsk instead, which experiences positively-toasty-in-comparison −40 °C temperatures throughout winter. During summer, Yakutsk experiences highs of 32 °C meaning that the town has one of the world's biggest seasonal temperature difference. The Lena River defrosts during that period, and it makes it a hot tourist spot to start Russian River cruises. As the largest city in the world built on permafrost, every single building in Yakutsk is built on underground stilts, take time to take a look before hopping on board.

Antartica
When it comes to having the frost factor, Antarctica wins hands-down as it has the lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth, a face-freezing -89.2 °C (-128.6 °F) at the Vostok Research Station in 1983. Such temperatures make it impossible for any of us to actually live at the South Pole, so the only permanent residents are scientists who live at the research stations. You can get the chance to visit though, by taking an Antarctic cruise. 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the first Antarctic expedition, Stay wrapped up and spot penguins and glaciers, humpback and fin whales.

Everest base camp
Who dares freezes up on Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain (8848 m, fact fans!) which is also one of the coldest places in the world. In January, temperatures at the summit average around -36° C, and can drop as low as -60° C. Even in the warmest month, July, the mercury doesn't rise much further than -19° C. Scaling the heights might be beyond most of us but a trip trekking through Nepal to Everest's base camp could be possible. Head out in March or April, you'll be hiking in a T-shirt in the morning and will even be able to see flowers at the lower altitudes. Nights are cold though, and will be around -10°C.

Champneys, Tring
When you think of the world's coldest places, Tring in Hertfordshire doesn't immediately spring to mind, however, with Champney's new Kriotherapy chamber everyone can now experience sub-zero temperatures of -135C without leaving the UK. This is the latest must-try treatment from Japan. The shock of the extreme cold boosts endorphin production and releases adrenaline through your body. It also gets blood circulation pumping and can help with a whole range of illnesses from arthritis, stress, insomnia, joint problems and even depression. You can only stay in for 3 minutes at a time as any longer would freeze you to death, but, beware - it's apparently oddly addictive... You can feel incredibly euphoric after a treatment and toasty-warm for hours afterwards. Celebs from Alice Cooper to Theo Walcott are big fans.