...okay, you made that sound like absolute certain death before but... yes, it's definitely doable. I'd know more about what to do with a frozen wasteland than a desert, admittedly, since I actually grew up in a frozen wasteland.

Granted, it was probably a bit friendlier than the Silent Lands you're talking about, because we had people who could use all the snow lying around to their advantage and there were communities that had adapted over countless generations, but... well, you know.