01x05 - First They Have To Catch Us, Then They Have to Pass Us

[bunniefuu]

[Bear Grylls] Previously,

on the World's Toughest Race

the harsh weather conditions of Day 4

[ screams ]

wreaked havoc on the 59 remaining teams

making their way through the 11-day,

671-kilometer race.

We're having a hard time.

but our goal is to just keep moving.

[Grylls] The difficult terrain challenged

every athlete's will to push through pain

and continue the race.

Any time we were hoping

to potentially get back,

has been washed out the window here.

[Grylls] While some teams prevailed

Yoo hoo hoo!

the teams at the back of the pack

struggled to stay in the race.

[ yells out ]

The bilibili was sitting up

on top of the water;

now it's sitting in the water.

We were paddling

as hard as we possibly could,

and still just moving so slow.

So, we were the last one in

under the cutoff last night.

[Grylls] The "dark zone"

of the whitewater rapids

allowed Teams Gippsland Adventure

and Tiki Tour

to catch up to race leaders New Zealand.

[Nathan Fa'avee]

It's a bit of bad luck for us.

By stopping the race,

it brings teams back together

that you had basically got out of sight of.

[Grylls] And after a day

of neck-and-neck racing,

the three teams at the front of the pack

checked in to Camp 3 at Lutu village

for a mandatory 90-minute rest period.

There's a real special rivalry

between Australia and New Zealand.

And we'd just so dearly love

to beat them and Tiki Tour.

Hopefully, they'll start to buckle

towards the end.

[Grylls] At this point, it's anyone's race.

♪♪♪

[Grylls] After stopping at Camp 3

for a mandatory 90-minute rest period,

Team New Zealand

has been trekking along Leg 4

for the past 4 hours,

in an attempt to permanently

separate themselves

from the other frontrunner teams,

who are still sleeping back at camp.

It is nice to be in the lead, because

then you go at your own speed

and, I think mentally, it puts you

in a good headspace as well.

But you've got to be willing

to take some risks, and I think

if we can get away while the

rest of the teams are sleeping,

this could be, like, a

major, major part of the race.

Is it possible we've come off

like, higher upstream?

I guess I feel this is the better option here.

Let's just go.

[Grylls] Covering more than 80 kilometers

in total distance,

Leg 4, the Highland Leg,

begins with a trek from Camp 3

to the base of Vuwa Falls.

It's here that teams must ascend

over 1,000 vertical feet

up the face of the falls,

while navigating over slippery rocks

and through ice-cold water.

This climb is the most physically-demanding

section of the race,

where one false move could be fatal.

If teams can make it to the top of the falls,

they'll be rewarded

with their fourth medallion of the race.

And look, you just get

this incredible view here of the Vuwa Falls,

and the team are going to be coming up

this river valley.

This terrain is brutal underfoot.

And this stage, after almost 60 kilometers

of jungle trekking behind them,

this is gonna break many teams.

Next, a series of bouldering fields

and rope climbs

will lead teams to an 8-kilometer swim

in frigid waters, in the pools

above Vuwa Falls.

From there, teams will paddleboard

16 kilometers

and then begin a 50-kilometer trek

through the highlands of the Silicon Valley

until they reach Camp 4.

♪♪♪

[ Grylls] After completing a 5-hour jungle trek,

traversing the 1,000-foot rope climb

up the face of the falls at night

is a high-stakes, high-reward gamble

that could put New Zealand

in the driver's seat of the race,

if they've got the stamina

to complete this daunting task.

- How's it going?

- Good.

Do you know which of these

is the easier or hard one?

No idea.

All right.

I'd rather climb this one.

[Grylls] Performing this climb in the dark

inflicts a level of sensory deprivation

upon the racers

that makes every aspect

of conquering the terrain

more difficult and more dangerous.

For us to win this race

we sort of look for what our team sort

of calls a "race-winning opportunity."

And the time is now.

We know there's teams

breathing down our neck.

But first, they've got to catch us

and then they've got to pass us.

If we want to continue to be a champion team

I just think you have to just

suck it up and push on.

I think our team is very good at doing that.

I often think that if I'm suffering,

then so will everyone else be

through the section.

So, it's probably a good thing.

[ grasshopper chirping ]

Come on, Sophie.

♪♪♪

[Grylls] After several hours

of strenuous climbing in the dark,

Team New Zealand finally reaches

the summit of Vuwa Falls.

They've sacrificed getting any rest

to secure their fourth medallion.

Woo hoo! Look what I found! Hee, hee, hee!

[ laughs ]

Pure gold.

[Camera Op] How good did that feel?

We were successful, but yeah, just a bit slower

going than we anticipated, so we're just sort of

hoping to get through and get

a bit of sleep before it got light.

But I suspect we'll be still out there

in the light.

We have to sleep during the day or something.

We'll see what happens.

- Are we doing any more wet stuff?

- Yeah.

Apparently, we've got to be prepared to swim.

We'll basically follow the stream

on upward for another 6 or 7k.

I guess it'll take a while,

given what it was like earlier.

We'll find out.

We're going. Cheers.

[Grylls] 160 kilometers

behind the race leaders,

the teams at the back of the pack

are finishing the jungle leg

as they pull into Camp 2.

[ applause ] Woo hoo!

Ah! Hiya.

Whoa!

- Well done!

- Thank you.

[Grylls] Team Able Abels arrives

ahead of the Day 5 12:30 p.m. cutoff time,

after a gnarly 40-kilometer

mountain bike section.

[Lauren] Cold.

You cold? You need those wet clothes off.

It's cold all of a sudden.

I literally spent like 12 and a half hours

sitting in water.

- Just sitting in water.

- Yeah. Yeah. Bilibili?

- Like, whole body.

- Was the bilibili horrible?

Yeah, I mean, literally, we were treading

so much water.

Teams were passing us,

their entire boat and self

were out of the water.

Like, their feet weren't even in water.

[Lauren] When you're out there by yourself

and you're just grinding away,

it can get really tough.

Camp is such a mental re-boost.

It helps so much.

Physically, mentally, everything.

They're exhausted, and I've told them,

labor and delivery of a baby will be nothing

compared to Eco-Challenge Fiji,

'cause this is so hard.

[ applause ]

[Col VS Malik] Hey, girls.

Well done, well done, well done.

[Grylls] Team Khukuri Warriors has spent

the last 8 hours on bikes,

battling the Fijian jungle to finish Leg 2.

[Tashi Malik] It's been

an incredible journey, but it's been hard.

I mean, Nungshi, me,

and obviously the team,

we got our bikes like one week

before getting here.

We've never done more than 20 or 30 Ks

on a bike,

so we did struggle

because it's so long and far,

but I'm just amazed how everybody's body's

pushing them through right now.

And, yeah, keep progressing

as camps come by.

[ cheering ]

[Grylls] Running on just a few hours' sleep

in the last five days,

Team Onyx reaches Camp 2

in a state of exhaustion.

We made it to Camp 2, however many days

of racing this has been.

It wasn't necessarily any easier

than the first couple days.

It had its own unique set of challenges.

It was a long, long day.

Hey, Doctor Bob.

[Grylls] And finally, Team Stray Dogs,

the oldest team still competing,

arrives in last place,

after biking more than 10 hours.

Welcome to Camp 2.

The cutoffs so far have really tested

this team,

and it's only gonna get more challenging.

Mwah!

[Adrian Crane] Because the course

is difficult and tricky,

we are ending up near the cutoffs.

It's a very fine balance between pushing

your teammates too hard

and backing off so much that

you just aren't making the time.

Because of the ravages of a few extra years,

we are really trying to get each other

through this.

'Cause we know it's easy to break these, uh,

weary bodies of ours, so

We're all kind of, I think, need some sleep.

[ laughs ]

[Grylls] Team New Zealand

is over 100 kilometers ahead

of teams that are just now starting

the Navua River whitewater rapids.

That's a lead of

almost two full days of racing.

As the rafting dark zone opens at 6 a.m.,

the first team to emerge

are the race veteran women

Bula!

Bula bula. Welcome.

Do you know, uh Ah!

What's the name of the village

we're gonna arrive?

It's Waimboni. Waimboni.

Do you know anybody there?

Uh, we've got a family. You've got a

'Cause we're gonna need help there.

Yeah, no worries.

- There's some people down there.

- Thank you.

[Karina] The hospitality of Fijian people,

it was amazing.

They're so genuine, so natural, so happy.

- Bula bula, vinaka!

- Bula.

[Karina] Glad to see you, you know,

and glad to touch your hand,

glad to make you a smile.

They want to help.

They're special people.

Right, see you guys! Bula!

[Grylls] As best friends in college,

first started Eco-Challenge racing in 2002.

This is the only team in the challenge

with three female members.

[Karina] I did this race 17 years ago.

Before, it was just me, you know?

I was a daughter.

Now, I'm a mother.

So, when you're a mother,

things change completely.

[ all exclaiming ]

[Karina] What I want my kids to say about me,

that I was a life eater?

I don't know, that I lived my life

very intensely.

[ speaking Portuguese ]

If you see a rock in the river,

just reach over to the bank and push away.

[Grylls] The fourth member

José, is filling in

for a very important teammate

who couldn't be here

his wife, Cris.

[Shubi] When we used to

Cris, she used to be one of our teammates.

She used to be our coach also.

She taught us how to be strong, you know,

and not complaining about life.

Never.

And four years ago, she passed away,

from cancer.

And it has been a long time

that we are not racing.

And when we had the opportunity

to bring the team back together again

Woo hoo!

there isn't a better chance

to do something for her.

We still have her in our hearts,

and throughout the race,

we're going to remember

her, all the time, for sure.

Woo hoo!

[Grylls] 74 kilometers

back at Camp 2,

teams are starting to depart

for the river leg.

This leg starts with teams mountain biking

over 59 kilometers

of varied and unforgiving terrain,

to reach the starting point

for the river rafting.

[Allison Abel] You feel great,

you feel great, you feel wonderful.

I love you.

Let's rock 'n' roll, b*tches!

I'll be waiting at the next stop!

[Mark Macy] Let's do it!

Team Costa Rica, extraordinary team.

Extraordinary in the sense that

we have the same "pura vida,"

and "pura vida" means "pure life,"

and it means everything is awesome,

everything's joy.

[all] Bula bula!

[Eduardo] We're all friends,

we grew up together,

we're constantly spending times

and adventures together

[ kids cheering ]

we share this passion for being joyful,

for taking on life,

and it's what keeps us going.

I think there's a really strong element

inside of us that binds this team.

[ chirping ]

[Grylls] The first all-African-American team

in Eco-Challenge history, Team Onyx,

is using Camp 2 to rejuvenate themselves

before the next leg.

Up 'til last night, I think we all had

four hours of sleep in four days,

is basically what we've been living on.

So, we just got about 5 hours of sleep.

Outside of that, you can't ask for more.

Five hours doesn't sound like much

when you're at home and you sleep,

but when you do something like this,

five hours is two days' worth of sleep

in one.

So, we're feeling good.

I just found out that we have

a very long trek coming up,

and it's in the mountains,

so, I am so excited.

This is finally my element.

I am extremely proud to be representing

the U.S. in Eco-Challenge Fiji.

Back home, I run as a professional trail

mountain ultra runner.

I've done multiple 100Ks, 50 miles,

50K races.

Now, I, you know, race as an openly g*y man.

But I didn't come out

until I was almost 26 years old.

I've had a big platform to stand on

and just kind of be an advocate

for the LGBTQ community

in the endurance world,

along with the black community,

all people of color,

to show them, like, hey,

get out, be outside,

go do these just awesome experiences

that are out there.

Get another medallion.

- I'm ready for this.

- [Clifton] Yes.

[ laughs ]

[Grylls] Just outside of Namuamua village,

Team Able Abels must navigate the first

of a few river crossings

located along the mountain bike trail.

[ frog singing ]

Dad, what are we doing?

I just think we should walk in a a line.

- Then stop.

- So, I am stopping.

I'm just trying to make a hole

so you guys can get through those boulders.

Being a captain

and being a father on the same team

is like a razor's edge.

You can just grab onto the bike

or me, my arm, but we go, okay?

There's really a conflict here, in terms of

looking out for the safety of my daughters

as a father,

versus making choices as a team,

as to, do we go forwards the river,

or do we go around,

do we look for a better spot?

- Almost there.

- Okay.

Almost there.

I care about them more than I would

a normal racer.

They're my own blood.

I feel a humongous amount of pressure,

in terms of when I'm gonna push them

and have them push through adversity or not,

and I'm gonna look out for them

before I want to go find a checkpoint.

[Dan] What's up, ladies?

Next is a b*tch of a climb.

Every mountain has a summit.

It doesn't last-- Every climb has a top.

It doesn't last forever. All right?

- Yeah.

- [ laughs ]

[ Ashley laughs ]

- Sure.

- She says with a bit of a tone.

- [ laughs ]

- Just a smidge.

[Grylls] Not far from Team Able Abels,

Team Khukuri Warriors are having

their own issues

with the mountain bike section.

[ cow moos ]

I just want to get past this bike section.

And then I'm rolling. [ laughs ]

I'm not very fond of mountain biking

going uphill.

Going down is crazy, 'cause you're flying.

But, yeah, just pulling this thing up

with a lot of weight on you

Ah.

We are We just keep taking

one step at a time, I suppose.

Keep the breathing going.

Don't want to die here, so

Yeah, keeping that pace

and maintaining it for the next leg too.

[Grylls] So, below me are the Khukuri twins

from India.

And they represent

all those brave women in India

who are fighting for gender equality.

This is their first World's Toughest Race,

and it's definitely been a struggle for them.

But they're still in,

and they are still fighting.

Yay!

[ horse whinnies ]

[Grylls] 130 kilometers to the northwest,

at the Gaganura Falls,

Team New Zealand is finishing

the final section of the ropes course.

After more than 8 hours of navigating

slippery rocks and ice-cold water,

it has proven a monumental task

for these endurance race veterans.

I haven't done an adventure

race in the last four years.

My husband Nick and I had two children.

And then I stepped back and took on

a new role as being a mom,

and that is hard, you know?

Changing your own identity and, you know,

losing that sort of independence.

Before kids, I could train

whenever I wanted to.

Now, when I am out training,

I spend most of the time thinking about

how I need to hurry up

and get back home again.

There's a lot of guilt that goes on,

and in terms of preparing myself

for the task, it has been really hard.

I'm racing with three super strong,

super talented guys,

and I have a lot of doubt in my ability

to complete the race

to a level that I would be satisfied with.

That wasn't that long ago

that I was sitting on the couch,

you know, breastfeeding.

How's it going?

Getting a bit tired.

But, uh, yeah

it's just taking a lot longer

than what we expected.

And hoped.

I know, just like, gonig up very slimy rocks,

and you can't really see that much at night.

How far do you think you're ahead?

No idea. No idea, actually.

Could be a few hours, but they

would've had some sleep, so

we've just pushed on without any.

Anyway, we're pretty much at

the top of the ropes stuff, and

the tape leads us to here,

and we've got to go that way.

Well Shall we get swimming?

Get this over with?

Oh, really?

[ Nathan laughs ]

Awesome.

My favorite early-morning pastime.

The jungle looks pretty much impenetrable.

Well, if we're swimming,

I'm gonna take this off.

[Nathan] You're just gonna brave the cold.

[Grylls] Team New Zealand has been trekking

and climbing all night,

and at this point, sleep deprivation

will definitely affect their ability

to navigate this section of the course.

For the next 8 kilometers,

they must swim and trek

through these bone-chilling waters,

where the water temperature hovers

at 58 degrees Fahrenheit.

This is the most brutal part of Leg 4.

Once teams hit the piercing water,

the dense jungle serves as a barricade that

keeps them submerged for most of the route.

If they can reach this bit,

get out of the water,

push on to that next checkpoint,

it's gonna really be like downhill

towards the end of this race.

But, realistically, this cold jungle water

at this elevation,

we're gonna see teams quitting

in terms of morale

and just not being able to go any further.

Eight and a half kilometers

behind Team New Zealand,

Team Gippsland of Australia

is in second place,

as they charge up

this treacherous 500-meter climb.

We're good, and we're

feeling good, so keep going.

We have a great rivalry,

Australia and New Zealand.

But last night, we chose to

take quite a long four-hour sleep.

Now, we're gonna catch back up to the lead

and, um, yeah, knock off the Kiwis.

I know that ledge is pretty

good, but it can be slippery.

[Kathryn Preston] Yeah, yeah.

I noticed the same thing.

[Grylls] Climbing during daylight hours

after a good night's rest

appears to be helping them narrow

the distance behind Team New Zealand.

But Vuwa Falls isn't called

the Widow Maker for nothing.

One slip on this, and it's over.

A little bit more, keep going!

I'm racing with my wife, Kathryn Preston.

We've been racing together

for probably 10 or 12 years now.

Kathryn is one of the strengths of our team.

She's a real hidden talent

that not a lot of people know of.

[Rob] Go, go, go!

She's one of the strongest athletes

in the sport.

[Grylls] But even for the best climbers,

the wet, slippery, near-vertical boulders

of Vuwa Falls

present a supreme test

of both strength and skill.

Three more meters!

More to go!

Just trying to move efficiently ourselves

is the idea.

[Grylls] Tight on the heels

of Team Gippsland,

Team Canada has moved into third place.

They're optimistic about overtaking

the Australians,

but Vuwa Falls has cursed

these Eco-Challenge veterans in the past.

Hey, not bad.

The top of Vuwa Falls, that's exactly

where our team dropped out in 2002.

We were doing reasonably well,

but we contracted a jungle foot rot

on our feet.

It became so painful that we had to drop out,

and it was crushing.

It was kind of like it is now.

It was a very big part of our lives,

and, you know, we really wanted it

to work out.

We just took a couple of wrong turns,

and lost a few places,

so, it's a bit disappointing.

Progress was pretty slow

because of the slipperiness of the rocks.

I think Tom suddenly thought

we might have missed

the turnoff to get up to the Highlands.

So, we went back down

probably for about 20 minutes.

And then realized, actually, we probably

hadn't missed it and went back up again.

[ laughs ] So, that was another 40 minutes

just like that, gone.

[Grylls] 100 kilometers

back at the Navua River

the veteran members of Team Costa Rica

are facing their most intense moment

of this entire challenge.

Her comeback, I don't know if you know this,

it's important to say,

Veronica died and was brought back to life

in a competition,

a rafting section of a competition.

I came into this challenge with a

lot of fears, because, years ago

I drowned and was resuscitated

in an adventure race.

So, when I get to the rafting portion

I'm like, "Oh my God, I'm so scared."

All right, you in the front. Veronica, you get

in the middle or sit close to here next to me.

That way, you're within my reach, and we'll have

Gerhard and Sergio in front paddling strong.

[Eduardo] Veronica's attitude

is extraordinary.

She is unique in the sense

that she is so adaptable.

She's always willing to do her best

and try to help us

in any way, and that characteristic

is very special in a team,

because you're gonna adapt to

what everybody is feeling at some point.

I tell Eduardo

"I don't know what I'm going

to do if the boat flips

because I will panic."

And he tells me, "Everything will be fine."

And then the moment passes, and you realize

maybe that's why you're there. To be resilient.

To overcome obstacles

throughout your total life.

[ all yelling in Spanish ]

¡Pura vida!

The payoff in adventure

racing is more excitement.

So, I will always want more of it.

[Grylls] 104 kilometers back,

only one team remains at Camp 2.

Team Onyx is the absolute last team

to depart.

Every other team's already left Camp 2

and begun the river leg,

which starts off with

a demanding mountain bike section.

The biggest challenge, I think,

was just all the mishaps that were happening.

One of the recent sections where we had

the bilibili started to sink.

And so, we lost 2 hours.

But we're still charging.

We're still together.

So, we were looking forward to this section

where it was on land mostly

and showing people we could do it.

Woo hoo!

[ all yelling in excitement ]

[Clifton] That's a great pace, guys.

Great pace.

[ laughing ]

[Coree] Leaving Camp 2 going to Camp 3,

you had 25, 30 miles

of big roads in the mountains.

You have these great views,

really steep uphills.

So, I was really excited for that,

'cause I felt that our team

can make up a lot of time,

since we have a lot of strong runners

and hikers and cyclists on the team.

Ooh!

Bula.

Loving the hills, loving the jungle.

Panting like a panther.

Get to the top with everyone.

Some, you walk.

Some, you ride.

Some, you scream downhill.

Woo woo woo woo woo!

Yeah!

Woo!

[Grylls] Leaving Camp 2,

teams must first complete

a hilly, 68-kilometer mountain bike trail

through the jungle,

and this ascends over 1,750 meters

in elevation.

And just the scale of this jungle.

I mean, these teams are like tiny

The people are literally like

tiny little pinpricks.

You know, and just, if you set

a normal person down in this

and said, "Go 5 kilometers,"

99% of the world's population

would be broken.

Recent rains combined with heavy traffic

from the lead teams

that have already passed through

have transformed this red volcanic clay

into a muddy, red muck.

[Eroni Takape] I'm a cyclist.

And I'm an ultra marathon runner,

but Eco-Challenge really is

the toughest race in the world.

[Grylls] The soupy red sludge is pushing

first-time Eco-Challenge competitors

Mad Mayrs to their limits.

[Tyson Mayr] This is a hill that never ends.

It's about 34, 35 degrees.

Humid as hell.

Coming up to probably

a 9,000-meter elevation in total

of what we've done.

That's just on this leg,

so including the last 24 hours,

we're well over 10,000.

This just hurts.

And it's hot.

[ Courtney breathing heavily ]

They said seven, eight hundred worth

of incline for this leg.

They didn't talk about the mud, though.

Good work, team!

What did I think of

the "mountain biking" section? Um

We were kind of hoping to do it, you

know, considering that eight hours, so

we're on our way to try and beat a dark zone

at the whitewater rafting,

so, you have to get there

before a certain time,

otherwise, you're locked out

until the next morning.

But it looks like we won't make it, so

Ow

- [Elijah] You good?

- There'll be more suffering. I'm sure of it.

Let's go home. No, I'm kidding. Let's finish.

Let's do it.

[Shane] Mace, can you believe it?

There's mud here.

[ laughs ] Yeah.

This is the Eco-Challenge way.

[Grylls] Below us now is Team Endure,

and you can't help but be moved

by their incredible story.

And, you know, Mark is one of the pioneers,

one of the old school of this sport.

And he's recently been diagnosed

with Alzheimer's,

and this really is probably going to be

his last race.

Travis, his son, who's one of

the fittest guys out there,

he's given up his chance to try and win this

to race alongside his father.

Watch this, guys. Watch that. Bamboo.

[Travis] Mountain biking uphill,

Dad is in his element.

He is just a badass dude who can handle

just about everything.

Dad, pause for a second.

I'll unjam behind that wheel.

Yeah, that's bad.

- [ laughs ]

- What's the matter with it?

It's just got a little dirt.

Being out here with my dad,

I kept thinking of this memory

of when I was a kid,

every night, Dad and I would walk

into the woods, taking our dogs for a walk.

You know. Darkness in the woods.

[ voice breaking ] And I was a kid,

and I just remember thinking

[ sniffs ]

"How can-- how can Dad not be afraid,

walking around here in the dark in the woods?

We got bears, we got mountain lions.

How can he not be afraid?"

[ sniffs ]

And I would reach into his pocket

and grab his hand,

and I would get this feeling of,

"It's gonna be okay.

I'm here with my dad,

and it's gonna be okay."

[ sniffs ]

The good news is, there's a shower

at the end of this somewhere.

I can't tell you how many times,

whether it was me or a teammate

or most likely, some random person

in a race, you know,

at a transition area or something,

they're struggling

and they're not going to make it through,

and they want to stop,

and Mark Macy goes over there

and talks to 'em

- You okay, Trav?

- I'm good.

[Mark] You got to do it.

It's either do it or go home.

That's our choice.

and, boom, they're back up

and they make it through,

and they get to the finish line,

and they find him,

and they say, "Thank you, Mark,

for getting me here."

[Dannelle] Good job, Mace.

And "I'm a better person

'cause I kept going."

[Travis] Good job, guys.

Good job, guys.

[Grylls] Back at the start

of the mud section,

Team Able Abels reaches Checkpoint 15.

[woman] How's it going?

[Lauren] Woo hoo!

So, this next mountain bike section

is basically bilibili squared.

- Just an FYI.

- What?!

It's like peanut butter,

and you're gonna want to be carrying

The whole way?

A lot of it.

One of the teams said it took them

like 10 hours.

Those are, like

Those are good lead teams, right?

- Those are like

- It's all good.

We're done at 10 tonight, then we

Yeah. You'll be fine.

Then you'll have lots of sleep.

- [Dan] Yeah. We're good.

- [Lauren] Okay, Ash, we've got to hustle.

I don't understand why you're just, like,

always so, such a drill sergeant.

Because you move in slow motion.

[ Dan laughs ]

[Lauren] Like, when we get cut,

you're gonna feel really shitty

about being such a brat.

- Yeah? You think so?

- Alright.

[woman] I feel like I'm sitting

in a station wagon

- on the way to vacation with you guys.

- [ Ashley laughs ]

- You have no idea.

- I'm-- poor Fletcher.

Bilibili squared.

That's a great and a horrible way of putting it.

[ Dan laughs ]

[Grylls] 150 kilometers from the teams

at the back of the pack,

race frontrunners Team New Zealand

have finally reached dry land

and are headed towards Checkpoint 22.

After almost 13 hours of navigating

the treacherous terrain along Leg 4,

the decision to push through the night

with zero sleep

has negatively affected this team's pace.

And spending the last few hours

in the freezing waterways of the jungle

has lowered their body core temperatures

to dangerously low levels,

and physically now, they are struggling.

Welcome to checkpoint. What's up, guys?

We have a warming tent for you.

- We have food, so

- Cool.

[Grylls] Emergency doctors with supplies

are standing by in a warming hut

at Checkpoint 22

to assess each team's ability

to continue the race

after completing the incredibly difficult

trek through the freezing waters.

You get seriously cold there at night.

There are blankets if anybody

wants to grab a blanket.

We are just at the midway stage of a long trek.

And we basically spent the last

not quite a day, but close

in and out of waterways.

And we've just been getting

increasingly cold,

and having to swim quite long distances

with packs and things.

And the rocks are just so incredibly slippery.

You can't even stand up on

them or walk on them.

So, it's been really, really taxing.

Really, really slow going.

And we've all gotten quite cold along the way.

But very, very grateful

for my steaming hot cup of coffee.

[ laughs ] Pleased to be here

and put on some warm, dry clothes.

[Grylls] This is a huge test right now

for Team New Zealand.

They are completely drained,

but they have to find the strength

to push on.

If they can't, the teams chasing them

may catch them very soon.

Having already conquered Vuwa Falls,

Team Gippsland, in second place, is now only

a few kilometers behind New Zealand

and is attacking the near-freezing waters

of the creek pools

that stand between them and the warming hut

at Checkpoint 22.

You were so hot just a moment ago,

and now, you're swimming with your pack

through these

never-ending pools of freezing cold

water, which we didn't expect in Fiji.

And we just wanted to keep

moving well and limit our mistakes.

But we have to just keep pushing and

keep pushing all the way to the finish line.

♪♪♪

[ shell sounding ]

[Grylls] 100 kilometers back,

which is over 40 hours of racing,

teams are making their way

to the Navua River,

to begin rafting 30 kilometers

of class-3 rapids.

[ trilling ]

Team Curl in the house!

Gray. Gray's cute. I like this.

[Grylls] Light-hearted Santa Cruz surfers

Team Curl

are progressing through this challenge

with their own unique motivation.

Uh, rafting. First time together.

We're toying with this dynamic of, like,

how competitive do we want to be?

And also, of course we wanted to finish,

but more importantly, I think

we just wanted to experience

what is Eco-Challenge in Fiji.

Ohh. Look at that.

Wow. You must really love your job.

- [ laughs ]

- I have the best job.

I get to see really, really gross feet.

We decided we're gonna do it our way,

which means having fun

and just encourage each other

with slapstick humor.

Winning hearts and minds.

Okay. I'm putting your filthy ball of dirt

up here next to you.

Dirt bag!

This looks like wow.

Whew!

- Alright.

- Alright, let's get wet.

Whew!

[ all howling ]

[Steven] It's been fun to be a part

of Team Curl.

Like, curly hair just in itself is weird.

Like, every day you wake up,

and you don't know what you're gonna have.

Sometimes I have a Q-tip on my head,

and sometimes I have, like, long,

like, surfer hair.

I never know who I'm gonna be

when I wake up.

I think all the curly people out there know

exactly what I'm talking about.

And if you don't, go get a perm.

Ee-hee!

[Grylls] 100 kilometers ahead,

Team Gippsland is finally completing

the near-freezing creek pools.

[Grylls] Oh, my God. Good job.

You legends.

That's a brutal leg, isn't it?

And cold in that water.

That is a brutal leg you've just done.

You know what?

You've just broken the back of this.

If you do that, you can see this home now.

You're number two,

but you can catch 'em.

A hundred percent.

You can catch these guys.

Well done. Respect.

Respect. You are amazing.

What a remarkable lady.

I do that for you. Come with me.

[Grylls] So, this is a huge moment for them.

You know, to come out of that length

of jungle trek and the climb and the water,

brutal, brutal, hardest part of the course.

And to get here, this is just a checkpoint

and a warming station,

they've got a bag of dry gear, some food,

some hot water, make it into a coffee,

and they'll be here minutes,

and then they're gone.

[Kathryn] All right. Rob, we're all going

to sign that together.

[Man] Good luck, guys.

[Kathryn] Yeah.

[Grylls] Just 14 kilometers

outside of Camp 2,

leading up to the Navua River

whitewater rapids,

Team Onyx is making slow progress.

[ all calling out ]

Nice, guys!

[ laughs ]

Bula!

Cliff's a heavier guy, so he's usually

coming up from the back, so,

on bigger hills, we'd wait

a couple of minutes,

and he'd show up and then start off again.

[ camera clicks ]

Here you go.

The waiting part wasn't unusual for us.

He shouldn't be that far back.

You know, he might be 3 minutes, 4 minutes.

Are you worried?

Holy cow, this is Something's not right.

It's been 10 minutes or so.

Let's go back and check.

[ groans ]

[ groans ]

Ah!

[Grylls] We've got a team down!

A team is down!

♪♪♪

[ roaring ]