02x06 - Andes Adventure

[bunniefuu]

i'm bear grylls.
whoo!

and I'm going to seek out some
of the most extreme challenges

in the most dangerous places
on earth,

where having
the right survival skills

can mean the difference
between life and death.

Whoo-hoo!

i'm in patagonia,

one of the remotest and wildest
places on the planet.

This is puma k*ll.

this ancient and legendary land

has some of
the coldest temperatures

and highest winds on earth.

Just, like, skin-shredding.

this is a desolate landscape
carved by ice and fire.

It's also deadly.

being stranded here
forces you to push yourself

harder and further
than anywhere else.

My head is just freezing.

only the toughest can survive
in this extreme wilderness.

i'm going to show you
the lengths you need to go to

to stay alive in the furthest,
wildest end of the earth.

I've come here to explore

One of the wildest,
windiest places

On the face of our planet --
patagonia.

i'm heading for one of the most
amazing sites in patagonia --

the perito moreno glacier.

advancing at a rate
of just over 6 feet a day,

it's one of the few glaciers
in the world

that's getting longer.

10 times the size of manhattan,
this ice wilderness,

chilled by freezing
patagonian winds,

is about as tough as it gets.

this is the last place on earth
you'd want to be stranded.

i'm going to try and get across
this ice monster

and show you the skills you'd
need to make it out alive,

and my camera crew
is coming with me.

Do you know --
the first thing that's hard

Is just even moving on this.

In boots like this on the ice,

It's like going uphill
on an ice rink.

Look, watch this.

trying to move across a glacier
without crampons

is pretty impossible.

And that's just trying to move


I'm going to need another plan

If I'm going to make
any progress across this.

Okay.
Let's just think.

if you haven't got crampons

and there's a glacier
between you and safety,

you've got to improvise.

If I get my boots off
and these off --

I need to try and get them
over the end of this.

And the aim, really,
is for these socks

To give more traction than just
the rubber sole of these boots.

i don't know
if this is going to work,

but there's only one way
to find out.

Okay, so I'm going to
give it a try.

And that's -- that's great.

It's definitely grippier
than just rubber soles.

who would have thought it?

a simple pair of socks gives me
just enough grip

to keep my footing
on this rock-hard ice.

temperatures can easily drop
to minus-4 fahrenheit,

and the fierce wind
whipping across the glacier

can make that feel like
minus 40.

you don't want to hang around
up here.

you've got to keep moving.

What's happening at the moment

Is I'm just getting all of
these, like, pressure ridges,

These waves of ice

With all of these crevasses
the other side of them,

And it's making keeping any sort
of direction really hard.

to get some speed up,

i'm gonna ditch my socks
and use normal crampons.

the 870 square miles of ice
splits and cracks

as it buckles
and twists downhill.

crevasses that can swallow you
and k*ll you are everywhere.

if I can't get over them,
I just have to go around.

it's like being stuck
in a maze of ice.

Really, I want to be heading

More like straight out there.

You see, it looks
a little bit flatter.

If I can reach that,

That's probably going to take me
into the middle of it.

But it is, you know --

It's really hard
keeping your direction here

Just 'cause there are
no landmarks

And the whole place is
constantly moving and shifting.

crevasses aren't
the only problem out here --

in patagonian spring,

the glacier is crisscrossed
with meltwater.

a stream can disappear
without warning,

carving a huge cavern
under the ice, called a moulin.

it's a black, watery,
freezing graveyard.

the glacier is up to
half a mile deep,

and I'm going down there
to see what it's like

in this icy hellhole.

if you go down one of these,
you're never gonna come back.

And this really is
an extraordinary place

To be inside.

at any minute, it can fill
with freezing water.

who knows where
this shaft of death might lead?

We actually had a guy k*lled
in one of these ice tubes

On an expedition
in the himalayas.

And he just was walking
on a glacier, and it dropped.

He went straight down
one of these chutes,

Straight into black,
and he was never seen again.

You know, these things,
really -- I joke not --

These can be real K*llers.

Okay, I want to try
and work my way out,

But all of this ice
is literally --

It is b*llet-hard.

water is gushing down the sides
of the moulin.

it's freezing me
and soaking me to the skin.

my boots are filling
with icy water.

i've got to get out now,
and I have to do it fast.

my ice axes are hardly
scratching the surface.

And this ice
is just rock-hard.

i need to get a good grip
and haul myself out.

if I wasn't on a rope,
I'd just vanish into the abyss.

Gah.

I'm getting
really, really drenched here.

i've hardly got any grip,

even with crampons
and ice axes.

[ Breathing heavily ]

[ Breathing heavily ]

it's exhausting, painful, slow.

my hands are frozen,
I can't feel my feet,

and I can barely hold on.

but I have to make
one last big push to get out.

I can't remember
when I was last so grateful

To feel the sun on my face.

Because deep down in that hole,
where it's blue and then black,

Is not a nice place to be.

Okay, over this lip
and then away.

i'm escaping the moulin,

but out here,
freezing-cold wet clothes

can still k*ll you.

Just want to get
these crampons off.

My fingers are going numb.

And if I just left myself
soaking wet up here,

You know, you get hypothermic on
a glacier like this very fast.

I want to get
all of this kit off,

Wring it out,
put it back on,

And then get moving
and get that blood pumping

And hope that I can generate
enough heat

To get the clothes dry.

if you get cold and wet
out here,

your body loses heat three
times faster than in the dry.

unless you get warm,
it means almost certain death.

At the moment, what I need
is to generate some warmth.

If anyone can see me now...
[ Chuckles ]

They're thinking, "what the hell
is that mad englishman doing

Butt naked in the middle of the
flipping patagonia ice field?"

That was the question I'm kind
of asking myself, as well.

It's kind of just such
a fundamental of survival --

If you get wet,

You've got to get
out of your wet clothes

And get warm and dry
as soon as possible.

You're gonna have to excuse me
for the next 10 minutes

While I just run up in here
and get warm.

Ahh!
That's better.

Whoo!

there's no shelter
and nothing to eat here.

i've just got to keep moving...

...deeper into the heart
of the glacier.

Now I'm more in the middle
of the glacier.

You can see the going's
much smoother underfoot.

Kind of like
an ice highway here.

but there are no pit stops
on this highway.

survival here is a struggle for
even the most well-equipped.

Hey, guys,
come and check this out.

If you want to meet something
that's good at survival,

Look at this fellow.

It's called
an andiperla willinki.

And these actually
are really rare.

You'll only find these
up on this patagonian ice field.

In fact, they're the only thing
living up here

On this patagonian ice field.

it's so rare, it's actually
protected by argentinean law.

but in a survival situation,
you could eat it.

And they're perfectly adapted
to their environment --

These subzero temperatures,
high winds, and the ice.

Amazing.
And what a name.

Andiperla willinki.

We'll leave it.

i've never encountered a place

that is so inhospitable
and unforgiving.

the temperature on the glacier
can plunge to minus-40 degrees.

but the twists and turns
of the perito moreno

make navigation
a real challenge.

sorry, guys.

i've led you
on a bit of a duff route here.

i don't want to have to retrace
my steps.

i need to get a move on.

What I could do, actually,
is just cut, like,

An ice bollard around this
with my rope.

I'll just abseil down this.

the survival manual says
go around an obstacle,

even if it costs you time
and energy.

but I can go quicker
if I rappel down the ice wall

and get on my way.

And what I'm doing here
is just cutting a groove

For the rope to fit into.

the ice is so brittle,
it can shatter like glass.

I just need to uncoil the rope.

i have to make sure the bollard
is wide enough

to take my weight
without splitting.

if it's too thin,

the rope will slice through
the top like cheese wire.

What I'm gonna do is put it
in a classic abseil.

Just through the legs,
over the head,

And then I'm good to go.

Ease myself 'round...

And down we go.

the bollard is holding.
I'm over the ice wall.

And the great thing
about using an ice bollard

Is you can then
pull your rope down after you.

And job's a good un!

the shattered rock and grit
on the edge of the glacier

covers the ice,
but it's still treacherous.

the ground is literally
opening up in front of me.

but it's not a place
to shelter.

ice caves like this are caused
by freezing glacial streams

carving underwater channels
through the glacier.

Okay, guys,
just take it easy in here, eh?

they might look inviting,
but they can be deathtraps.

the ice is constantly shifting,

and at any minute it could fill
with freezing water

or simply collapse
and crush you to death.

And these ice tunnels
really are --

They feel like the kind
of beating heart of the glacier.

It's as if this is just like
a giant artery

Running straight under
all of the ice.

the glacier moves
an amazing 6 feet a day,

and the ice
is under intense pressure.

This is really quite
an uncomfortable place to be.

You can just imagine

How many thousands and thousands
of tons of ice there are

Directly above my head here.

even the smallest shift
in the ice

could collapse the roof
and crush me at any moment.

And the only good thing
about this ice cave

Is that I can at least fill
my water bottle

From all the melting ice.

But this is not
a good place to be.

This is now right in the belly
of the glacier.

I want this to fill up
and get out of here fast.

Come on.

Okay.

Right.
Let's get out of here.

This is a most dangerous
tunnel, as well.

When you get all of this stuff
just dripping,

It means the ice
is at its most fragile.

This place really is beautiful.

The kind of place you imagine
superman would live.

But it's also deadly.

that's one place
I'm glad to be out of.

i'm about to jump
into the semiarid desert

of the patagonian steppe

in the eastern rain shadow
of the andes mountain range.

the steppe gets less rainfall
than new mexico,

and locals say the wind
is so relentless

that it drives men mad.

They say the patagonian steppe

Reveals the person
you really are.

And that's where I'm going --

Right into
that barren wilderness.

the patagonian steppe

is slightly bigger
than california.

it's 188,000 square miles
of low scrub.

there's little to eat
and practically no protection

from the notorious
patagonian wind.

it was a hairy landing,
but I'm safe on the ground.

and there's no time
to hang about.

But the reason it's so harsh

Is that it's
that dangerous combination

Of these relentless winds,
the strong sun,

And these low temperatures.

And it's one of those few places

Where you can end up
getting sunburnt

And hypothermic
at the same time.

the winter lasts five months
in patagonia.

and even though the sun often
shines on the cloudless steppe,

it won't give you any warmth.

the wind can gust up to


enough to demolish houses
and blow you off your feet.

any water quickly evaporates

due to the relentless effects
of sun and wind.

Everything is so dry.

Look -- all of that.

And the earth.

Bone dry.

So, really, your challenge here
is just to find water.

finding water on the steppe
is a matter of life and death.

to survive here,
you've got to read the land.

If you look at these hills,

All of them look like
they kind of come together

Down into this bowl.

And then at the corner of it,

You can see
it's darker and it's wetter.

And that's gonna be
your best chance

For getting something
to drink.

tiny freshwater springs
are a lifeline out here.

This is definitely a spring.

this patagonian oasis is a
magnet for the local wildlife.

You see how many animals tracks
there are around this.

Yeah, look at all these.

The only thing is,

Animals don't always have
the best table manners.

And where they drink,
they'll also pee and poo.

What I want to try and do
is just dig a bit of a trench

To get some of
this water flowing

And take
the contaminated stuff away.

And, look,
it's starting to run now.

You see?

And that's the stuff
I want to be drinking.

And it's easy when
you're hunting for water

To be lulled
into a false sense of security,

Thinking it's the clear stuff,
you know, like this,

That it's the good stuff
to drink --

When, actually, the freshest
stuff is found right here

'Cause it's coming fresh,
straight out of the ground.

So even though it looks dirty,
you're better off drinking this.

it's not a great idea
unless you're desperate.

the amount of animal dung here
means you could get

any number of parasitic
or bacterial diseases,

but it could save your life.

[ Slurping ]

It probably wouldn't win
any prizes in a restaurant.

But at least, hopefully,

The spring bit of it
isn't contaminated.

And really
it's a little bit like

Kind of drinking from
a loo bowl, but...

But out on the steppe,

It's about as good
as you're going to get.

the distances here are immense.

you've just got to keep going

in the hope of finding food,
water, and shelter.

but this arid wilderness

can still throw huge obstacles
in your way.

All of the steppe
is basically crisscrossed

With like this series
of escarpments,

And you can either go around
them or you can go over them.

And this cliff face here
just looks beautiful.

And I love to climb.

I'm just gonna see if I can
make it up and over this one.

it's about 150 foot high and
full of cracks and fissures.

it's a dream climb,
but a tough one.

Sometimes you look at a cliff,

And it will
just look impenetrable.

But my dad always used to
tell me when I was climbing,

"You can never tell
how steep something is

Till you literally rub noses
with it."

And it's when you get up close,

You can begin to see the lines
of weakness in a rock face.

going around this ridge
could literally take days.

but if you've got to get up
here, this is how to do it.

And all I'm using here
is a slight crack in the rock.

Behind, I'm trying to just
jam my fist in and keep that in,

And that's kind of
what I'm leaning on.

Get the blood
back into the other arm.

And then move up.

Really, to climb efficiently,

It's all about
distributing your weight

So it's not all on your fingers
or all on one foot --

Just spreading it evenly.

on a long climb like this,

it's vital
to conserve your strength.

take things at a steady pace
and don't rush.

get into position
and then make your next move.

Aah.

Really, this is what they call
the crux of the climb,

Where it's gonna make or break.

[ Panting ]

If you look down from here,
that's a good-size drop.

Whew.

I should be able
to jam my foot...

In here.

Aah.

Ahh.

Quite a tough climb.

But fun.

Whoo-hoo!

i'm on the trail of puma
with a local hunter.

the gauchos of patagonia

have herded sheep and cattle
here for centuries.

these argentinean cowboys
know the art of survival

in this lonely wilderness

and are expert horsemen
and hunters.

Whoa! Whoo.

And this is raul.

We're hunting for pumas
at the moment.

[ Speaking spanish ]

Just looking to see
if there are

Any tracks around here
by the water hole.

pumas are k*lling machines,
the size of mountain lions.

they can destroy
whole herds of livestock.

Okay, he doesn't
see any around here.

He reckons if we head up...
[ Speaking spanish ]

Head up there --
better chance.

pumas are a huge problem
out here.

every one has a bounty
on its head.

Pretty bleak up here...

When it starts raining --
with the wind as well.

Doesn't seem to deter raul,
though.

He's determined to find a puma.

At this stage,
I'll be just determined

To find somewhere
to get out of this rain.

even though this area
is practically a desert,

the fickle patagonia weather

can change
in the blink of an eye.

and it's not long before we see
the first signs of puma.

This is sort of the damage
that the pumas do to livestock.

So it means
we're on the right track.

I was asking raul
what someone should do

If they're ever attacked
by a puma.

And what he said is,

Your best chance is to try
and bluff it and stand tall

And make as much
noise as you can.

And, basically,
try to show the puma

That you're stronger
than the puma is!

last year, a man fishing
in the nearby lake

was k*lled by a puma.

it looks like we're getting

dangerously close
to our target.

[ Speaking spanish ]

Puma?

[ Speaking spanish ]

He's saying
this is definitely --

This is definitely
a puma k*ll.

[ Speaking spanish ]

Look at the skull there
of a guanaco --

It's like a wild llama.

This is where it would have
brought it and eaten it.

[ Speaking spanish ]

Yeah, he said this is
a typical place

A puma will bring it.

It's got a really good view
out of the hunting ground.

It can be out of the sun,
out of the wind and rain.

And this is just the sort of
place a puma would use.

[ Speaking spanish ]

He reckons there might well
be a puma not far away.

raul is definitely
onto something.

his knife is poised.

under the rock,
we come face to face

with the deadly power of
the puma -- a half-eaten calf.

Look at the nose on this.

And that's with they do.
They take that.

And also that gash --

Straight from the puma claw
down there.

And then the puma will also eat
all of the soft organs.

And that's really telling him
this is definitely --

No doubt --
this is puma k*ll.

So I'm just a bit concerned
that this is very, very fresh.

And there are a lot of puma
kills and bones around here.

It's not kind of a good place
just to be hanging about

If there are pumas.

raul won't let any part of
this puma k*ll go to waste.

he'll use the skin
for saddles and bridles.

We've only been here
about 20 seconds --

He's already skinning it.

[ Speaking spanish ]

Sí, sí, sí, sí.

Just asking if you could
eat this meat raw,

Straight off the carcass.

Slightly worryingly,
he said, "yes."

[ Speaking spanish ]

Gracias.

[ Laughing ] well,
that question backfired.

Gracias, raul.

It's blooming tough,
this one.

Can't even get it down.

Gone. [ Spits ]

[ Speaking spanish ]

No, no, no.

No, gracias.

No, he doesn't want any!

Oh, great!

[ Speaking spanish ]

He's saying it's better
when it's cooked.

Yeah.

Thanks.

Right, let's get the meat
off this, the skin off it,

And get down
off this hillside.

i'm crossing the wild expanse
of the patagonian steppe.

european settlers came here
in in the 19th century

to farm sheep and cattle.

but there's so little
to sustain life here

that huge areas
see no people at all.

People often,
on flat ground,

Will underestimate distances
by about threefold,

Especially when there are
very few landmarks

To judge the distance.

But what I've learned
from patagonia,

From experience,
is you can multiply that again.

The whole place is so huge.

You look at the lake over here.

That looks, what,


But I can tell you,
it's gonna take me 45 minutes.

there's a story
of three welsh settlers

who found out just how
unforgiving this place can be.

they strayed from a path
and died of thirst.

their bleached bones were found
years later,

just yards from a stream.

and at night, the cloudless sky
means temperatures plummet

to minus-15 degrees.

I can tell tonight
is going to be cold.

So, really, my priority

Is just to get
some shelter from the wind

And then collect
a load of firewood

So I can make a fire
and keep myself warm.

if you're going to make camp,
the golden rule is,

do it before it gets dark.

This is about
the biggest boulder around here,

And it's a good place
for me to shelter --

Nicely protected
from the wind.

Got a load of wood.

And the great thing
about this boulder here

Is that, look,
it's covered in it --

Old-man's-beard.

And all of this is bone-dry.

this moss only grows
where the air is pure,

and it's been used as tinder
on the steppe for centuries.

the tehuelche indians,
conquistadores,

and european settlers
all used it to make fire,

and it works brilliantly.

While I was out gathering
a lot of that wood,

One thing I did notice
was a lot of animal tracks,

And especially hares'.

if I can make snares
from my parachute lines,

i've got a chance
at catching some food.

And all I need to do is make
a bite in one end --

Just a really simple
overhand knot --

That gives you that really nice,
simple little loop.

Then I just thread the other end
through that.

When it comes under pressure,
it tightens on itself.

Okay, I've got a good number
of these snares now.

Take those, the knife,

And I'm also going to take
one of these

And just smear the scent
of the cow pat

All the way over my hands.

And what this will do is
hopefully mask my scent.

So when I'm laying the snares,

All any animal's going to smell
is cow pat and not human.

trying to trap anything
is always a tricky business.

it takes time, patience,

and you're quite likely
to end up going hungry.

i'm trying to get the odds
in my favor, though,

by laying as many traps
as possible.

You want something that's got
a natural track to it

That they use regularly,

But also you want something
that acts as a choke point,

I.e. They can't go
anywhere else.

They have to get funneled
through a gap.

And the first thing you want
to do is just tie it really well

Around the base
of one of these bushes.

And then what I need is
just a couple of little branches

To act as supports
for the noose.

You want this to be
about a hand's height

Off the ground
and about a fist width.

And then, hopefully,
a hare that will use this run,

Come along,
head through this,

And then just get snagged.

the sun is setting
and the light fading,

but I know
from bitter experience

that the odds are against me
getting hare

for breakfast tomorrow.

i've got the only shelter
for miles.

and with my fire
to keep me warm,

it's time to settle in
for a night on the steppe.

I think the magic
of places like this

Is that everything slows down

And life becomes
much more raw.

And those things
that keep you going in life

Suddenly become
much more prominent.

And for me, certainly, that's --

My christian faith
is a big part of that,

And it's helped me through
so many difficult

And often quite lonely times.

And for me, that's my backbone,
I think.

i've spend the night sheltering
under a boulder

on the patagonian steppe.

last night was 2 degrees
below freezing,

and now I really need
to get warm.

My dad always used to say,

"Once a year,
try and watch the sunrise."

We didn't always manage.
But that's just wonderful.

And what I've got here is
just what's called paramela.

And this only grows
here on the steppe.

And it kind of looks
a bit like a mini fern.

But it's really sticky,

And that's why you can tell
it's paramela.

But the locals will use this
as a really good cold remedy.

And what I'm gonna do is just
use it to make a cup of tea.

Whoa! Man, that --
it's hot.

i want to get going
and see if I've got a hare.

This would be
like christmas morning.

I'm really hoping
there's gonna be a nice present

In one of these snares.

but this time it seems
the hares have outsmarted me.

No luck with this one,
either.

Although, look -- you can see
hare droppings nearby,

Which means
they obviously do use this run.

But just not last night.

It looks like I'm not
having hare for breakfast.

All right. Okay.

i'm on the patagonian steppe,

where the vicious winds
flay your skin

and the sun fries you.

i'm at the mercy
of the elements

more than
I've ever felt before.

Just like skin-shredding --
this wind.

even the smallest amount
of shelter here is a godsend.

I'll just take two minutes.

It's just nice
to get out of that wind.

And this calafate bush

Is really the only thing
that grows here

That's going to offer you
any sort of protection.

In fact, gauchos still today
will sleep under these bushes

As a form of shelter.

You can actually eat
the little flowers off this.

In summertime,
this whole bush

Would just be covered
in berries.

But at the moment,
it's pretty scant pickings.

Just a little flower.

It's gonna give
a bit of moisture

And probably about


But 1 1/2 quite tasty calories.

the steppe is crossed with
streams of glacial meltwater.

the best bet is to aim
down for the valleys --

the fast way or the bear way.

Whoo-hoo!

That's how to get down
the scree slope.

these streams carry rain and
snowmelt from the high steppe

into the valleys below.

[ Slurping ]

That's nice.

best of all,
the water is clean and pure.

Really, finding a river
like this through the steppe

Is just like striking gold.

if you follow the streambed,

you're more likely
to find food as well.

i'm going to keep foraging
along the valley floor

for anything I can find.

Here we go.

I think these are
little macachin shoots,

And they're pretty weeny.

Look.
See if you can see this.

If you dig down, you'll get
this little bulb on the end.

Bummer is, is that it's spring,

And they're only just starting
to grow.

By summertime, these would be
like small potatoes.

But at the moment,
I'm not holding out much hope

For a huge feast.

it doesn't look like much,

but macachin is packed
with moisture and carbohydrate.

You need to have
the steady hands of a surgeon

To avoid cutting into the roots
of these.

Look at this.

It's always a bit of a lottery,

Whether you get a tiny,
little one or one like this.

And that's delicious.

it's not exactly a feast.

but if you know where to look
and what to look for,

you can find food here.

one of the keys of survival
is to keep water close by.

if you can find a stream
and follow it,

you've got a good chance
of finding people.

patagonia has pushed me
to my limits.

i've endured snow and ice,
wind and sun.

but it's left
a deep impression on me.

This is the same place,
this shoreline,

The indians would have
roamed across

For thousands of years --

And also that those early
explorers like darwin

Would have seen.

And really, for me,
there's something --

There's something very moving

Just about this whole ancient
and such unchanged land.