These are some of the pupils training for a once in a lifetime trek through the Arctic.
The youngsters from Arbroath High School will battle the elements while pulling sleighs with their kit to survive 10 days of expedition with explorers from Polar Academy.
They will navigate a 75-mile skiing journey – each young person leading the team for one day – put up their own tents and cook for themselves.
And they might even catch sight of the Northern Lights.
Expedition team member Aaron Sinclair, 13, from Arbroath, said: “I’m looking forward to the whole thing.
“I don’t think we’ll see a polar bear, that would be really rare but it would be amazing.
“We might see arctic foxes at night when we are camping, that would be cool to see one of them.”
Ten of the students will travel to a remote northern area of Greenland, where they will ski over unmarked land and pass unnamed mountains.
The remaining five, who are on the reserve team, will later have an opportunity to take part in an exchange with children from a remote Inuit village.
All of the group are undergoing intense training to raise their fitness to ‘athlete’ level.
Piper-rose McBay, 16, from Arbroath, said: “We’ve learned how to control our heartrate under water.
“We did full immersion training in a swimming pool in case we fall into the water.”
The group has also learned essential outdoor skills which they put to the test in the Cairngorms when they bagged their first Munro.
Piper-rose added: “That was difficult because of the weather but when we got up to the top it was a great sense of accomplishment.
“I’ve never done anything to that level before, I want to do it again.”
In future training sessions the young people will pull tyres along sand to mimic pulling their sledges through snow.
And every week they join forces with a team of pupils from Monifieth High School who are also taking part in Polar Academy for intense workouts.
Jessica Cox, 15, from Arbroath, said: “The sessions can be hard and I feel tired after them but recover when I sleep.
“That’s what gets me through because I know that no matter how tired I am, I will be fine later.”
Polar Academy also took the team to a cold chamber where the youngsters had to remove their shoes, socks and hoodies in -10C temperatures.
Jessica added: “The floor was metal and it was so cold it was burning my feet but we all stayed in there. I’m not sure for how long but it felt like ages.
“It showed us what kind of things we can expect on the expedition and what to prepare for.”
The students commented on an improvement in their fitness level and an increase in their own confidence.
Andrew Grubb, 14, from Arbroath, said: “When I put my name down [for Polar Academy] I was really shy and withdrawn but this has brought me right out of my shell.
“I’ve got more self-esteem, I speak more often and I interact with more people.
“I didn’t have a lot of people to rely on before but now I’ve got a really strong circle of people who I know I can rely on.”
Andrew added that he is more likely to express his own views in class now and has since joined a number of other clubs due to an increase in confidence.
He said: “It’s encouraged me to go further and do more and brought me opportunities that I never thought I would get.”
After completion of the expedition, the participants will tour Scottish schools sharing stories of their journey.
Polar Academy aims to create future leaders though inspiring ‘invisible’ children within schools. Read more about the programme.
Conversation