Four young men and women are boated into a hunting lodge in the wilds of northern New Brunswick, Canada to partake in a cross country ski race in which the winner will reap a cash prize of $250,000. Each contestant is a former athlete or high-profile celebrity who has already received a deposit of $25,000 for their time just to travel and enter the race in the desolate area known as "Plaster Rock." The only problem is, once left at the lodge by boat, there is no way out, and each contestant begins to realize they have more at stake than the cash prize.