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My name is Bear Grylls.

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I've served
with the British Special Forces.

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I've climbed
to the summit of Everest

4
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and crossed the frozen oceans
of the Arctic.

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Now, my challenge

6
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is to survive one of the most
treacherous landscapes on Earth,

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Alaska.

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Over a million tourists come here
every year

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and over 500 go missing.

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I am gonna show you
the skills you need to survive.

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This is the coast of Alaska,
just below the Arctic Circle.

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It's extraordinary landscape
is made up of endless coastline,

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deep forests and huge glaciers.

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I am going right
to the top of Alaska.

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It's where mountaineers, hikers
and skiers

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come to enjoy the wilderness,

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but with the thrill comes danger
and every year over 20 people die.

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I am gonna put myself in
a position of a lost skier,

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to show you how to survive
in a wilderness like this.

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Any moment now the pilot is going
to drop me onto the top

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of one of these mountains

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and I'll have to find my own way
back to safety.

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You got about 400 feet
to touchdown,

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100 feet, 50 feet.

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All I have with me are my skis,
my knife,

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a water bottle and a flint.

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A camera crew will follow
my journey.

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17 of the highest mountains in
the U.S. are here in Alaska.

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It's every extreme skier's idea
of heaven.

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With so few people

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and so much space, this is one
of America's true wildernesses.

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Just beautiful,

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being out on these mountains,
amazing.

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The biggest threat
to skiers is avalanche.

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They kill around 40 people
every year in North America.

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One wrong turn

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and the whole mountainside could
come crashing down on you.

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You need to know how
to avoid them.

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The key with avalanches is
to read the snow

40
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and you can use a ski pole in front
of you just to test it

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and to see whether it is compacted
or whether it is in layers

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and what you want is
when you push it in, it's nice

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and consistent.

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But if you push it down

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and it like suddenly
drops a little bit,

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it's a sign that it is in layers
and that's the dangerous stuff.

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Avalanches are often triggered
by inexperienced skiers

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and snowboarders

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who come to enjoy the 40 foot
of virgin snow

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which can often fall here.

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In early 2006
a snowboarder from Anchorage

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triggered a 200 foot wide avalanche
on a slope just like this.

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His body was eventually recovered
three months later.

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He had fallen 1,600 feet.

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I have descended
at least 5,000 feet now

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and at last I'm leaving
the high snow faces behind.

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There is so much rock it's becoming
impossible to ski any further.

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All these skis are going to do
is slow me down.

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I'm better off without them.

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Below me is a glacier,
literally a river of ice

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and like a river,
this glacier flows downhill.

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If I can get to it,

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it should lead me out
of the mountains.

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But to get to the glacier
I need to follow this ridge

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and it's not easy

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and the temperature
is dropping fast.

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Temperatures here in Alaska
can reach as low as minus 60 degrees

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and frostbite is always a danger
in the mountains

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and the bits to watch out
for are your extremities,

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your hands, your feet, your face

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and the signs
that you are getting it

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is that your skin goes
this waxy red colour

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and eventually black

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and I've seen very severe
frostbite on climbers on Everest,

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and it's a really horrible,
painful thing.

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This ridge has led me
to a North-facing slope.

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This gets less sunlight,
so it's still covered in snow.

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I am starting
to wish I still had my skis.

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This weather
is not looking so good.

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Getting caught out in bad weather
can be fatal.

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I need to get down fast,

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but the slope below me
is over 300 foot.

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I could down climb,
but it would take hours.

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Instead,
I'm going to use a technique

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mountaineers call a glissade.

86
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As you slide down,

87
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you slow yourself
by digging in your ice axe.

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I don't have an ice axe,

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so I'm breaking a ski stick in
half instead.

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Really see this cloud now moving in.

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And I can hardly even see
the bottom of this glissade

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and I'm pretty nervous
about doing this.

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This technique is risky,

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but in an emergency
it can save your life.

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If you don't apply enough pressure,
you will fall too fast,

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but push in too hard

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and the stick can get ripped
right out of your hands.

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(SCREAM)

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That was fast.

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I've done a few glissades before,
but never anything that steep

101
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and that long

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and I reckon
I hit 50 miles an hour on that

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and that's like speeding five time.

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I've reached the glacier

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and there are over a 100,000 of
these in Alaska.

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They form the largest reservoir
of fresh water on Earth,

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but the bad news
is they are full of crevasses,

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deep valleys of ice often covered
by layers of snow.

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And the only safe way to travel is
to be roped and in pairs.

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I don't have
a climbing partner,

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so I need to get onto solid ground
as fast as I can.

112
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But my luck is in.

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There is solid ground running
alongside the glacier,

114
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but keeping my footing in these
ski boots is almost impossible.

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They feel more like lead boots,
but I can't stop now.

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Stranded at night up here
could be fatal.

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Oh, look, I see the end
of the glacier

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and...

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Yeah, that's definitely...

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Where it comes out
and that is just such a relief.

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At last I am nearly off the snow
and ice,

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but the glacier still has
one final sting in its tail.

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I have come to a sheer cliff.

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This is literally now the bottom
of the glacier

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and this moraine
is just dropping off

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in this like 40 foot waterfall
and there is no way in these boots

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and without rope I'm going
to make it down this

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and I need another plan.

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I need to get down.
The only question is how.

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I've been dropped into the remote,
icy mountains of Alaska.

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My challenge is
to find my way out,

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but first I have
to get off this glacier.

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My way down is blocked
by a 60-foot waterfall.

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But I think I can see another way.

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There's an ice tunnel
into the glacier.

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This is formed
by melt water streams,

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which run under the ice.

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But this one could lead me out.

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Ice tunnels are extremely
unstable places

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and glaciers can move up
to 60 feet a day.

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Before you go in,
check the ice is solid.

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There could be over 200 feet
of ice above me

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and at any moment it
could come crashing down.

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Only do this as a last resort.

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I am finding it quite claustrophobic
in this place.

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I do not know if you can kind
of just see around

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but this is not a good place
to be

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and I was almost killed
on a glacier like this on Everest

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where I had a crevasse
give way under my feet

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and...

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It's not bringing back great
memories being in here.

152
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I just want to get out now.

153
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And the further you go in,
the harder it is to go back.

154
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Then I see daylight ahead.

155
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It's my way out.

156
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I have never been so relieved

157
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and finally I'm off the glacier.

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It's just so good
to be out of that glacier

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and just have some open space,

160
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but the best news of all is
that I am going to get these

161
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ruddy boots off.

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That is so nice

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and I'm gonna keep these inners.

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They are not ideal to walk in,

165
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but I'm going to need something
to protect my feet

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in the tougher terrain
that is going to be ahead now,

167
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but there is no way I can walk
another metre in these outer...

168
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Shells.

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The landscape is beginning
to open up

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and I can see
the tree line ahead.

171
00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:11,060
I have been walking
for most of the day

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and I am hungry
and it's now starting to rain.

173
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But at least finally I am almost
in the forest.

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This is good news. I am just seeing
now the clouds clearing.

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I can see it's thick forest
down there,

176
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but also
what looks like a deep gorge

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and there might well be a river at
the bottom of that

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and that's
what I want to be heading for.

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I know that most Alaskan villages
are along rivers

180
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and if I can find one
it should lead me to people,

181
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but first I have to get through
the deep undergrowth.

182
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I can only see a couple
of feet ahead of me now

183
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and it's strangely claustrophobic.

184
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I know this is bear country.

185
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Both black
and brown bears live here.

186
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Brown bears can weight up
to 1,100 pounds,

187
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grow to nine feet tall
and can tear a man apart.

188
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Look, you can actually see

189
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where the bear here has been
scratching along the tree

190
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and this is what they do.

191
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They come along, they scratch

192
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and they rub their back
against it

193
00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:14,440
and you can see actually
where the bear's fur is there

194
00:12:15,220 --> 00:12:17,460
and this is all part of it,
just marking its territory.

195
00:12:23,060 --> 00:12:24,380
A hiker was recently killed here.

196
00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:27,360
When rangers found
the remains of his body,

197
00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:29,320
they discovered bear
blood at the scene

198
00:12:30,020 --> 00:12:31,180
and empty gun shells.

199
00:12:31,260 --> 00:12:32,980
Yo, bear!

200
00:12:33,020 --> 00:12:35,040
The hiker had fired two
shots at the bear,

201
00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:37,340
but that was not enough
to stop the attack.

202
00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:42,220
But big groups rarely get attacked
for one simple reason,

203
00:12:42,380 --> 00:12:45,120
lots of people means lots of noise

204
00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:46,980
and that warns off the bear.

205
00:12:47,220 --> 00:12:49,440
It's when you are alone
that you are vulnerable.

206
00:12:50,420 --> 00:12:53,300
Bears are the most dangerous
when they are surprised

207
00:12:54,100 --> 00:12:57,060
and actually most attacks
happen on hunters,

208
00:12:57,100 --> 00:12:58,400
just because they are
always sneaking around

209
00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:00,240
and that is
why it is really important

210
00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:03,100
when you are on your own
to keep making lots of noise

211
00:13:03,140 --> 00:13:05,020
and let these bears know
that you are here

212
00:13:05,300 --> 00:13:06,460
and it might sound a bit weird,

213
00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:09,320
but I'm doing a lot of wandering
around at the moment going,

214
00:13:09,980 --> 00:13:11,020
Yo, bear,

215
00:13:12,060 --> 00:13:13,240
but just trying to keep them away.

216
00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:15,280
Yo, bear.

217
00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:23,400
Yo, bear.

218
00:13:28,420 --> 00:13:29,340
Yo, bear.

219
00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:34,340
However much noise I make,
I still feel uncomfortable.

220
00:13:36,300 --> 00:13:38,000
This is bear crap

221
00:13:38,140 --> 00:13:41,380
and the good news is
that you can see in this

222
00:13:41,420 --> 00:13:45,240
poo little seeds from berries

223
00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:48,000
and that means there are going
to be berries somewhere

224
00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:49,200
around nearby.

225
00:13:49,380 --> 00:13:52,180
The bad news is it means there
is a bear around somewhere.

226
00:13:52,220 --> 00:13:53,400
This is only about a day old.

227
00:13:55,420 --> 00:13:58,180
I need to get away,
but it's not that easy.

228
00:13:58,980 --> 00:14:00,260
This undergrowth is vicious.

229
00:14:01,020 --> 00:14:02,160
Every step hurts.

230
00:14:03,220 --> 00:14:07,040
This is all devil's club,
which must be the spikiest,

231
00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:09,240
thorniest plant
I've ever come across.

232
00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:11,100
Just look, you can see all
the spikes

233
00:14:11,140 --> 00:14:14,260
all the way along all the stem,
all the way down the stalk,

234
00:14:14,300 --> 00:14:17,380
all the leaves as well,
just covered in it

235
00:14:17,420 --> 00:14:20,120
and when the flowers come out
even they have spikes on it

236
00:14:20,340 --> 00:14:21,260
and the roots

237
00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:24,000
and it's just hell
to walk through.

238
00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:25,980
But for Alaskan natives,

239
00:14:26,020 --> 00:14:28,300
this is one of
the most revered medicinal plants,

240
00:14:28,340 --> 00:14:31,140
just full of loads of good things,
lots of ginseng,

241
00:14:31,180 --> 00:14:34,020
but to walk through it,
it is not good.

242
00:14:35,180 --> 00:14:37,420
It is claimed the ginseng increases
your strength

243
00:14:37,460 --> 00:14:40,460
and your stamina
and that is just what I need now.

244
00:14:44,060 --> 00:14:46,340
A stream has made a clearing
through the devil's club.

245
00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:49,420
If I am lucky,
this should lead me to a river

246
00:14:49,460 --> 00:14:51,220
and my way through the forest.

247
00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:54,160
It means I can move fast now,

248
00:14:55,020 --> 00:14:57,160
but this wilderness is
so unpredictable.

249
00:14:58,260 --> 00:14:59,400
After several hundred yards,

250
00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:04,100
I come across a major obstacle,
a huge waterfall.

251
00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:08,180
I have a choice, go down it,
or go back into the devil's club

252
00:15:08,220 --> 00:15:10,440
and neither option feels
like a good one.

253
00:15:19,300 --> 00:15:21,400
I am stranded in an Alaskan forest.

254
00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:24,180
I want to make
my way down to the sea,

255
00:15:24,300 --> 00:15:26,980
but there is an obstacle,
this waterfall.

256
00:15:27,380 --> 00:15:30,120
It's over 200 foot
and it's risky,

257
00:15:31,180 --> 00:15:33,000
but I'm an experienced climber

258
00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:35,020
and I'm going to show you how
to get down it.

259
00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:40,160
The most important thing

260
00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:43,360
when you start down here is
to take your time

261
00:15:44,060 --> 00:15:46,200
and so many
accidents happen climbing

262
00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:49,100
as the adrenaline gets going
and you rush it

263
00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:51,980
and I'll tell you, you can get it
right a thousand times,

264
00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:55,060
but you only need one mistake
for it to all go wrong.

265
00:15:58,060 --> 00:16:01,960
These rocks are incredibly slippery
and it's easy to make mistake.

266
00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:03,320
To make it down,

267
00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:06,120
I'll need
to follow some basic climbing rules.

268
00:16:07,140 --> 00:16:09,080
Let the legs take the pressure.

269
00:16:09,260 --> 00:16:12,080
You know, so many people try
and always climb with their arms

270
00:16:12,260 --> 00:16:15,080
and your arms give out.
Your legs are much, much stronger

271
00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:18,100
and just use your arms
to steady you

272
00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:19,360
and to balance you.

273
00:16:26,260 --> 00:16:27,440
There's loads of loose rocks,

274
00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:30,160
so I have to test every handhold.

275
00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:35,140
The force of
the water now about halfway down

276
00:16:35,180 --> 00:16:36,440
is making it much harder.

277
00:16:36,980 --> 00:16:40,220
It's like trying to down climb
whilst giving someone a piggyback.

278
00:16:42,260 --> 00:16:43,100
Okay.

279
00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:51,160
The final bit is almost vertical.

280
00:16:51,340 --> 00:16:53,960
This freezing glacier water
is a torrent

281
00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:55,340
and it's pushing me down hard

282
00:16:56,060 --> 00:16:58,220
and the cold is making
it much worse.

283
00:17:06,340 --> 00:17:07,440
(WATER SPLASHING)

284
00:17:12,020 --> 00:17:12,320
(SIGHS)

285
00:17:14,360 --> 00:17:17,200
This water is just so cold.

286
00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:20,000
My hands were going so numb out
there,

287
00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:22,160
I could hardly hold on.

288
00:17:23,420 --> 00:17:25,380
Well, I tell you what,
looking back up that,

289
00:17:26,300 --> 00:17:28,260
that is much steeper than

290
00:17:28,300 --> 00:17:30,440
I ever thought it was going
to be when I started down it.

291
00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:32,260
(SIGHS)

292
00:17:35,220 --> 00:17:38,180
It is light nearly 24 hours
a day here in the Summer.

293
00:17:38,380 --> 00:17:41,120
You wouldn't know it,
but it's already 10 at night.

294
00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:45,020
I've been walking for hours
and hours and I need to rest.

295
00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:46,960
I have to build a shelter

296
00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,060
and then light a fire
to dry my clothes.

297
00:17:49,340 --> 00:17:51,080
In a survival situation,

298
00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:53,180
it is vital to keep your morale up

299
00:17:53,220 --> 00:17:56,040
and for me there
is nothing better than a fire.

300
00:17:56,960 --> 00:18:00,140
There are nearly six million acres
of forest in Alaska

301
00:18:00,420 --> 00:18:03,220
and much of it is covered in spruce
and alder,

302
00:18:03,260 --> 00:18:05,420
both of which are great
for building shelters.

303
00:18:06,180 --> 00:18:07,960
To build a shelter
I'm going to need

304
00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:10,420
like 10 or so of these alder
saplings

305
00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:13,400
and the best way of cutting these is
to bend it over

306
00:18:14,220 --> 00:18:17,140
until you see the stressed out of it

307
00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:19,420
and then when those fibres
are under stress

308
00:18:19,980 --> 00:18:24,180
you can just shear it with a knife
and it will cut through.

309
00:18:26,340 --> 00:18:27,240
That's fine.

310
00:18:28,300 --> 00:18:30,440
You can recognise an alder
by the leaves.

311
00:18:30,980 --> 00:18:32,100
They are serrated

312
00:18:32,140 --> 00:18:34,080
and they grow alternatively up
the stem

313
00:18:34,380 --> 00:18:36,960
and I am using the spruce
for the roof.

314
00:18:38,120 --> 00:18:41,340
What I am making here is
what's called a half dome shelter

315
00:18:42,060 --> 00:18:45,080
and if I push that end in here

316
00:18:46,060 --> 00:18:47,960
and then bring these two together

317
00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:52,260
and then what you do is just start
to interweave it.

318
00:19:02,180 --> 00:19:05,260
To waterproof it, you start at
the bottom then move up,

319
00:19:05,340 --> 00:19:07,340
putting one layer on top
of the one below.

320
00:19:09,340 --> 00:19:11,060
And then I need fire.

321
00:19:13,180 --> 00:19:15,220
I always carry a flint
to light a fire.

322
00:19:16,100 --> 00:19:18,400
Normally, this willow down
makes excellent kindling,

323
00:19:19,140 --> 00:19:21,200
but it's damp,
so lighting this fire

324
00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:22,360
is going to be a struggle.

325
00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:27,280
And that's used up half of it.

326
00:19:28,120 --> 00:19:29,220
The first failed attempt.

327
00:19:40,180 --> 00:19:41,160
And that's a relief.

328
00:19:43,060 --> 00:19:45,280
Black bears kill
fewer people than grizzlies,

329
00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:47,340
but in 90 percent of their attacks,

330
00:19:47,380 --> 00:19:50,000
they literally stalk humans as prey.

331
00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:52,380
Many locals carry a gun.

332
00:19:53,120 --> 00:19:56,380
If you haven't got one,
your only option is to grab a stick

333
00:19:56,420 --> 00:19:58,160
and try to jab it in the eyes.

334
00:20:00,260 --> 00:20:02,200
Your body has an internal clock,

335
00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:04,100
which makes you sleep
when it's dark

336
00:20:04,140 --> 00:20:05,420
and wake when it's light,

337
00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:09,040
so in a place like this where it's
only dark for four hours,

338
00:20:09,120 --> 00:20:11,220
a full night's sleep
is gonna to be difficult

339
00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:14,280
and then of course there are
the bears.

340
00:20:18,020 --> 00:20:20,080
It's about 02:00 a.m. and...

341
00:20:21,220 --> 00:20:22,140
I could just hear,

342
00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:24,340
hear something rustling
around out.

343
00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:27,060
See, can you hear this?
Listen, listen.

344
00:20:28,360 --> 00:20:30,300
Whether it's a moose
or whether it's a bear...

345
00:20:33,220 --> 00:20:35,300
I am just hoping
that I have got a fire going

346
00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:37,360
that they will be put off by that.

347
00:20:38,100 --> 00:20:42,380
(WATER DROPLETS)

348
00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:46,080
I hope whatever it is it will leave
this Bear alone.

349
00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:58,400
It's dawn on my second day
stranded in Alaska.

350
00:20:59,300 --> 00:21:02,060
It's now 05:00 a.m.
and it's already light.

351
00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:04,380
I am awake and I am cranky.

352
00:21:05,020 --> 00:21:06,160
Yeah, it's still raining.

353
00:21:11,120 --> 00:21:12,380
And I'm getting a bit cheesed up.

354
00:21:16,140 --> 00:21:17,360
But I think that's all right,
when you have been,

355
00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:19,260
wet all night.

356
00:21:21,340 --> 00:21:23,200
I think you're allowed to be a bit
cheesed up.

357
00:21:24,220 --> 00:21:27,320
I am going to carry on following
the stream that I found yesterday.

358
00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:30,120
I have seen a river at the bottom of
the valley

359
00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:32,000
and that's where I need to get to.

360
00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:35,320
Now, I have found it.
This is great news.

361
00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:38,020
This river will take me
to the coast

362
00:21:38,220 --> 00:21:41,020
and that's where most people
can be found in Alaska.

363
00:21:43,420 --> 00:21:45,940
But following the river isn't easy.

364
00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:48,200
Lots of smaller streams flow into it

365
00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:50,160
so I am constantly forced
to cross them.

366
00:21:51,100 --> 00:21:51,980
Cold.

367
00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:58,260
Fast flowing this,

368
00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:05,100
and these glacial rivers
are deceptively fast and cold.

369
00:22:11,260 --> 00:22:14,000
It is really important
to stay facing upstream

370
00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:16,000
so you can
fight against the flow.

371
00:22:26,120 --> 00:22:27,180
(BIRDS CHIRPING)

372
00:22:27,220 --> 00:22:29,940
After several miles,
the river widens.

373
00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:31,340
I must be nearing the coast.

374
00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:48,040
At last the sea,

375
00:22:48,940 --> 00:22:51,080
and I have always known
that reaching this coastline

376
00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:55,100
is going to give me
my best chance of finding help.

377
00:22:56,300 --> 00:23:00,220
It's just that I could go 500 miles
in that direction

378
00:23:00,260 --> 00:23:04,040
and 500 miles in that direction
and still find no one,

379
00:23:05,120 --> 00:23:06,980
so it's just trying to work out
which way...

380
00:23:07,980 --> 00:23:08,320
To go.

381
00:23:13,980 --> 00:23:16,160
I have come out into one
of the many small inlets

382
00:23:16,260 --> 00:23:18,060
that dot the Alaskan coastline.

383
00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,040
My best chance of rescue

384
00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:23,940
is to be spotted by one
of the many small fishing boats

385
00:23:23,980 --> 00:23:25,060
that fish this area.

386
00:23:32,060 --> 00:23:34,160
Hey, look at this, look.
It is a dead Salmon

387
00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:36,240
and look,
there is another one over there.

388
00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:37,280
This is great news.

389
00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:40,060
It means that Salmon are using this
to run upstream

390
00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:41,200
and this is what they do.

391
00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:44,260
They will return from often like up
to 200 miles out to sea,

392
00:23:44,300 --> 00:23:46,400
they will find the exact same river
that they were born,

393
00:23:46,940 --> 00:23:50,240
even the same tributary,
return to it, lay their eggs

394
00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:51,280
and then they will die.

395
00:23:54,020 --> 00:23:56,320
The river is packed with king
and pink Salmon.

396
00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:01,980
I haven't got a fishing line
with me,

397
00:24:02,120 --> 00:24:04,280
so I need to find another way
of catching one.

398
00:24:13,980 --> 00:24:15,320
I'm making a spear out of wood.

399
00:24:16,060 --> 00:24:18,980
I found a tree where
the branches fork out in a V

400
00:24:19,060 --> 00:24:21,080
about four foot along the main stem.

401
00:24:21,940 --> 00:24:24,960
The first step is to clear all
the other shoots

402
00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:26,960
and then break off
the two branches

403
00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:29,000
and cut them into sharp points.

404
00:24:30,260 --> 00:24:32,260
These will puncture the tough skin
of the fish

405
00:24:32,420 --> 00:24:35,380
and keep it pinned down
while I grab it with my hands.

406
00:24:36,980 --> 00:24:39,160
Making my spear only took
about 10 minutes,

407
00:24:39,300 --> 00:24:42,320
but catching a fish
could take an awful lot longer.

408
00:24:43,180 --> 00:24:45,420
There must be thousands of Salmon
in this pool down here,

409
00:24:46,120 --> 00:24:48,340
but it is too deep for me
to be able to spear one,

410
00:24:48,380 --> 00:24:51,300
but I reckon if I can spook them
and drive them up into the shallows

411
00:24:52,140 --> 00:24:53,280
then I will have a good chance.

412
00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:05,300
My tactic is working.

413
00:25:05,340 --> 00:25:07,340
The fish are going just
where I need them.

414
00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:13,180
I can see just loads
and loads of them there

415
00:25:13,220 --> 00:25:15,060
and they are in about six inches
of water

416
00:25:15,340 --> 00:25:18,120
and the key is just for me
to approach

417
00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:20,140
from downstream very steadily.

418
00:25:20,940 --> 00:25:23,240
One of the Salmon's main predators
are Eagles,

419
00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:25,120
which swoop in from above

420
00:25:25,360 --> 00:25:27,960
so the fish are highly sensitive
to shadows.

421
00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:30,320
If they see mine, they will be off.

422
00:25:31,260 --> 00:25:33,360
I am waiting
for the perfect opportunity.

423
00:25:34,060 --> 00:25:37,180
As I stand motionless the fish start
to come closer,

424
00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:40,080
but they always seem
to be just out of my reach.

425
00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:43,200
And they say that key
for fishing is patience.

426
00:25:44,220 --> 00:25:46,400
I am probably the least patient
person you will ever meet.

427
00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:50,020
Now, I am going to take
a more aggressive approach.

428
00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:05,200
(GROANING)

429
00:26:07,020 --> 00:26:08,140
I had it. It was like,

430
00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:11,160
that was so close.

431
00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:18,420
I got him.

432
00:26:20,320 --> 00:26:21,060
Come here.

433
00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:24,000
(GROANING)

434
00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:26,380
And this one is going
to be a cracker.

435
00:26:33,060 --> 00:26:35,260
I've got him pinned through
the gills on either side here

436
00:26:35,980 --> 00:26:37,320
and I have got
my finger right through

437
00:26:37,360 --> 00:26:39,940
where I have speared him
at the back

438
00:26:42,020 --> 00:26:43,080
to keep a hold of him

439
00:26:44,100 --> 00:26:44,420
and...

440
00:26:46,140 --> 00:26:49,240
You can eat these things straight
out of the river like that.

441
00:26:57,040 --> 00:27:00,400
That is like the freshest,
Alaskan, Salmon.

442
00:27:02,140 --> 00:27:03,200
You can possibly have.

443
00:27:04,140 --> 00:27:05,300
I've always liked Sushi.

444
00:27:06,060 --> 00:27:08,040
And in the local Iyak communities.

445
00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:11,380
The annual fish runs with a primary
food source for the entire year.

446
00:27:12,220 --> 00:27:14,100
Fish are packed full of protein.

447
00:27:14,300 --> 00:27:16,200
And the scales are small on
the Salmon.

448
00:27:16,360 --> 00:27:20,140
So you can eat the skin as well as
it contains high levels of fat.

449
00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,020
Just what my body needs
to keep moving,

450
00:27:23,220 --> 00:27:25,400
It's been two days now,
since I had a square meal

451
00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:28,240
and I'm going to take
full advantage of this feast.

452
00:27:35,360 --> 00:27:37,040
I might be out of the forest,

453
00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:39,320
but I know that
I am still surrounded by bears.

454
00:27:40,100 --> 00:27:42,100
They come down here to fish.

455
00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:46,020
Hey, look at this, look.

456
00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:49,260
This is why you have got
to be so careful around here.

457
00:27:49,300 --> 00:27:52,300
Look, you can see where,
where a bear has obviously come down

458
00:27:53,120 --> 00:27:55,340
and plunked his
fat backside down here

459
00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:58,220
and started to feast on this Salmon.

460
00:27:58,980 --> 00:28:01,080
But amazingly you actually see,
look, the imprint

461
00:28:01,980 --> 00:28:03,060
of where he has been

462
00:28:03,100 --> 00:28:06,320
and actually you can see the bit
that is eaten is all the belly fat

463
00:28:06,360 --> 00:28:07,960
and the eggs and the guts.

464
00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:09,400
That is the most fat
and protein rich

465
00:28:10,020 --> 00:28:11,240
and then it just leaves
the rest of it

466
00:28:12,120 --> 00:28:14,380
and this is why you have got to be
so careful out here.

467
00:28:20,260 --> 00:28:21,320
It's early evening

468
00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:23,400
and I've got to find
a place to rest.

469
00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:27,300
Caves are readymade shelters,

470
00:28:27,980 --> 00:28:31,300
but they are often already occupied
by wildlife, including bears.

471
00:28:34,300 --> 00:28:37,180
This one is so shallow
that I know it's safe

472
00:28:37,380 --> 00:28:39,200
and it is a perfect place to stop.

473
00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:43,280
The high walls mean that nothing
can sneak up on me from behind.

474
00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:54,000
I need all the rest I can get now,
as I have no idea what lies ahead.

475
00:29:07,220 --> 00:29:10,040
Now, I am on the coast,
there is an abundance of food,

476
00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:12,080
especially on the beach at low tide.

477
00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:19,060
This rock here is just covered
in these mussels

478
00:29:19,100 --> 00:29:21,960
and this is a great source of food,
I am going to get a load of this

479
00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:26,360
and then cook it up later
and this is actually, you know,

480
00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:30,080
part of the staple diet of
a lot of local Alaskan tribes.

481
00:29:31,180 --> 00:29:33,400
Shellfish should always
be cooked properly first,

482
00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:35,140
so I need fire.

483
00:29:36,020 --> 00:29:38,200
Old man's beard grows on
the branches of trees

484
00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:39,400
and it burns easily

485
00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:42,000
but I need to find wood as well.

486
00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:45,960
Yeah, this is the sort
of dead wood that I want.

487
00:29:46,100 --> 00:29:48,320
Wood that is dead on the ground
is often covered in moss

488
00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:50,020
and is really damp,
but this is great

489
00:29:50,060 --> 00:29:54,400
this is off the ground
and it's dry and it should crack

490
00:29:55,140 --> 00:29:57,120
and a good way of telling
if wood is good for burning

491
00:29:57,160 --> 00:29:58,140
if you hear that crack,

492
00:29:58,180 --> 00:30:01,260
it sort of sounds like the crackle
when it's actually burning on fire

493
00:30:01,300 --> 00:30:03,380
and that is a good sign
that it's good wood for burning.

494
00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:07,980
With no pan to cook them in,

495
00:30:08,160 --> 00:30:10,940
I have surrounded the muscles
with two layers of seaweed.

496
00:30:11,260 --> 00:30:13,180
And this effectively
like steams them

497
00:30:13,980 --> 00:30:16,000
and this should take
about 10 minutes to cook.

498
00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:20,040
When you're collecting them,
tap the mussels.

499
00:30:20,340 --> 00:30:22,960
If they don't close,
they are already dead,

500
00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:26,200
so leave them, but once cooked,
they should be open.

501
00:30:27,980 --> 00:30:29,100
Wow, those really are good.

502
00:30:36,100 --> 00:30:37,240
Now, I'm on the coast,

503
00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:39,960
it's worth trying
to signal any passing boats.

504
00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:45,220
I've got such good visibility
all the way out to sea here

505
00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:47,220
and it is definitely worth,

506
00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:50,280
while I am here,
getting a signal fire going

507
00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:53,180
and all I am doing is building
this back up again

508
00:30:54,980 --> 00:30:57,300
and then I'm going
to put on top of it

509
00:30:59,140 --> 00:31:03,140
a load of evergreen branches
and these will smoke.

510
00:31:05,980 --> 00:31:06,260
And...

511
00:31:08,180 --> 00:31:12,080
If anyone is passing
they might well see this.

512
00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:17,000
It's vital to create white smoke

513
00:31:17,040 --> 00:31:20,140
to contrast with the dark background
of the trees behind me.

514
00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:27,000
But nature is conspiring against me.

515
00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:30,320
You will notice here the smoke is
not rising very well into the air.

516
00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:33,120
It actually looks as if it
is getting pushed down

517
00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:36,180
and that is a sign that low pressure
might well be on its way,

518
00:31:36,980 --> 00:31:38,180
so even though it is
beautiful blue skies

519
00:31:38,220 --> 00:31:42,100
at the moment,
it might well be getting much worse.

520
00:31:44,060 --> 00:31:45,380
No luck on spotting any boats,

521
00:31:46,040 --> 00:31:48,200
so I've got to just carry on
and keep moving.

522
00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:51,940
But it's tough going.

523
00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:55,340
The shoreline constantly swells in
and out of these deep bays.

524
00:32:03,220 --> 00:32:06,140
Hey, look at this, look, look.
See those cabins?

525
00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:08,360
I can almost guarantee
you there is going

526
00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:11,160
to be somebody living in that,
a fisherman or something

527
00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:13,380
and I think I made it.

528
00:32:22,300 --> 00:32:25,240
If there are people here,
I could be on my way home.

529
00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:27,360
Hello?

530
00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:33,960
Hello?

531
00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:46,000
Oh, man.

532
00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:47,960
Look at this.

533
00:32:50,380 --> 00:32:54,020
But the paths are overgrown
and the building is a shambles.

534
00:32:54,920 --> 00:32:56,980
Alaska has a history of boom
and bust.

535
00:32:57,380 --> 00:33:00,220
The coastline is littered
with disused gold mines,

536
00:33:00,260 --> 00:33:04,060
tinning factories
and from what I can see, old lodges.

537
00:33:05,260 --> 00:33:07,380
I am sure at one time
this place would have been bustling

538
00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:10,300
with trekkers,
but today it's deserted.

539
00:33:22,260 --> 00:33:24,040
It's not quite the luxury

540
00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:27,400
log cabin I was after full
of cookies and sandwiches.

541
00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:32,040
It's not even a roof
to shelter under.

542
00:33:33,360 --> 00:33:34,380
Yeah, but I will tell you what,

543
00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:37,980
if I ever find my way back
to this place

544
00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:42,100
this is a view you want
to build your house looking at.

545
00:33:42,140 --> 00:33:46,140
Look at that, just beautiful over
the mountains, the glacier.

546
00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:48,060
Amazing.

547
00:33:50,360 --> 00:33:53,040
Seeing that glacier
has given me an idea

548
00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:54,200
and it could be my way out.

549
00:33:54,980 --> 00:33:58,140
These coastal glaciers
are notorious tourist hotspots

550
00:33:58,180 --> 00:34:00,180
and there might
well be a tour boat there,

551
00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:02,180
but it looks miles away

552
00:34:02,380 --> 00:34:04,940
and I've got a long walk
ahead of me.

553
00:34:10,260 --> 00:34:12,200
Hey, look at this. Brilliant.

554
00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:18,960
This is great, look.

555
00:34:23,160 --> 00:34:25,920
This could well be the key
to me getting out of here

556
00:34:26,260 --> 00:34:27,360
if this thing floats.

557
00:34:34,380 --> 00:34:39,140
One of the core lessons of survival
is to be open to every opportunity

558
00:34:39,380 --> 00:34:41,980
and this boat provides me with one.

559
00:34:43,380 --> 00:34:46,940
I just need a paddle
and this spade will do the job.

560
00:34:50,240 --> 00:34:51,200
The boat is old

561
00:34:52,100 --> 00:34:53,280
and the sea is full of ice.

562
00:34:54,100 --> 00:34:56,100
It's a decision I may regret.

563
00:35:04,280 --> 00:35:06,180
I am in an old boat
I have just found

564
00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:09,120
and I am slowly working
my way along the coastline.

565
00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:16,340
On foot it could take me days
to walk around these

566
00:35:16,380 --> 00:35:18,000
endless craggy inlets.

567
00:35:21,040 --> 00:35:23,240
Old boats, though, are often a risk.

568
00:35:25,240 --> 00:35:27,960
But at the moment
it's my best option.

569
00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:32,180
There is a story of a father
and his teenage kids

570
00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:34,900
who ran aground in a winter storm

571
00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:38,140
and they waited 10 days
for rescue but it never came

572
00:35:38,340 --> 00:35:41,020
and the father then made
the very difficult decision

573
00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:43,020
to leave his teenage girls,

574
00:35:43,140 --> 00:35:45,200
whilst him and his son went off
to look for help

575
00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:48,020
and they eventually found
an old log cabin,

576
00:35:48,220 --> 00:35:51,080
but there was no signs of life
and the storm then came in

577
00:35:51,120 --> 00:35:54,040
and it was six days
before the weather broke

578
00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:57,080
and he assumed his daughters
would have been killed.

579
00:35:58,020 --> 00:36:00,140
But when it did break,
they found an old skiff,

580
00:36:00,920 --> 00:36:02,020
managed to repair it

581
00:36:02,140 --> 00:36:04,900
and used that to get back
to his daughters,

582
00:36:04,940 --> 00:36:06,980
who amazingly were still alive

583
00:36:07,020 --> 00:36:09,260
and then a day later
they were all rescued.

584
00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:20,160
As I continue,
I come across a bay full of sea ice

585
00:36:21,320 --> 00:36:23,940
and as I go on, the ice thickens.

586
00:36:26,240 --> 00:36:28,260
Soon ice blocks are all around me.

587
00:36:30,260 --> 00:36:32,080
They may look magnificent.

588
00:36:32,260 --> 00:36:35,920
But they can cause serious damage
to even a large boat

589
00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:38,120
In 1989,

590
00:36:38,160 --> 00:36:42,120
The Exxon Valdez
a 33,000 tonnes oil tanker

591
00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:43,380
went to ground in Alaska.

592
00:36:43,920 --> 00:36:46,140
While trying to avoid,
just such icebergs.

593
00:36:48,220 --> 00:36:51,020
Just amazing this place.

594
00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:53,980
I tell you,
out of all the places I've been.

595
00:36:54,020 --> 00:36:58,140
I don't think I've ever seen Alaska
it's so extraordinary.

596
00:36:58,180 --> 00:37:00,220
And just thousands of these little,

597
00:37:00,940 --> 00:37:02,980
you know, icebergs
just floating around.

598
00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:06,300
And all of theses would
have disappeared off these glaciers

599
00:37:06,340 --> 00:37:09,200
at a tumbling down into the sea.

600
00:37:09,360 --> 00:37:13,920
And some of these bits of ice it
could be up to 5,000-years-old.

601
00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:18,140
And it's just,
an amazing landscape to be in.

602
00:37:19,980 --> 00:37:24,020
You can only ever see the tip of an
iceberg as 90 percent is submerged.

603
00:37:24,980 --> 00:37:27,940
As ice melts faster when it comes
into contact with water,

604
00:37:28,060 --> 00:37:30,100
eventually the bergs
become top heavy

605
00:37:30,240 --> 00:37:32,240
and roll, often violently.

606
00:37:40,360 --> 00:37:41,300
I am a bit worried because

607
00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:44,380
all of this ice is beginning
to close in a bit now

608
00:37:45,120 --> 00:37:48,080
and it is so disorientating trying
to work out where you are,

609
00:37:48,260 --> 00:37:51,060
just because all of these things
move with the current

610
00:37:51,940 --> 00:37:55,000
and what looks like
a gap one minute then suddenly

611
00:37:55,040 --> 00:37:56,900
like closes up in front of you.

612
00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:02,260
It's just so hard to get through
this stuff. It's like rock.

613
00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:08,200
And you can see how much damage
these things can do

614
00:38:10,300 --> 00:38:13,900
and I do not know how well this
little skiff is holding up here.

615
00:38:15,220 --> 00:38:16,980
This thing is taking in water
as well.

616
00:38:21,100 --> 00:38:22,220
I don't like
this at the moment.

617
00:38:32,260 --> 00:38:35,380
The constant banging into the ice
is taking it's toll on the boat

618
00:38:36,020 --> 00:38:38,140
and freezing water is seeping in.

619
00:38:40,260 --> 00:38:41,920
If you see that spit of land,

620
00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:43,360
all that gravel over there?
That is where I need to go.

621
00:38:44,340 --> 00:38:46,360
The camera crew
are in protective clothing.

622
00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:49,200
I am not. At first it's a trickle,

623
00:38:49,340 --> 00:38:51,140
but soon it's gushing in.

624
00:38:51,380 --> 00:38:54,220
It looks like my only option
is to swim.

625
00:39:00,220 --> 00:39:01,340
This thing is just going now.

626
00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:04,280
But first I have got
to take some clothes off,

627
00:39:04,320 --> 00:39:06,140
or they're gonna really
weigh me down.

628
00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:08,140
It completely goes.

629
00:39:09,920 --> 00:39:11,280
Don't sink yet, don't sink yet.

630
00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:16,300
It is just that tiny little bit
of buoyancy keeping it up.

631
00:39:17,200 --> 00:39:20,020
I've got about 200 metres I reckon

632
00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:22,020
to reach the shore,

633
00:39:23,020 --> 00:39:23,380
but this thing,

634
00:39:24,980 --> 00:39:27,900
this thing is on its last leg,
just that buoyancy at the back.

635
00:39:34,260 --> 00:39:37,040
The shock of hitting this
water makes me gasp

636
00:39:37,260 --> 00:39:40,100
and the danger is sucking
in a big lung full of air

637
00:39:40,240 --> 00:39:41,180
and water

638
00:39:41,300 --> 00:39:43,040
and that's how people drown.

639
00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:55,100
My heart rate has gone through
the roof

640
00:39:55,220 --> 00:39:57,040
and I am beginning
to hyperventilate.

641
00:39:57,260 --> 00:40:00,160
In some people
this can induce a heart attack.

642
00:40:04,260 --> 00:40:05,920
Oh, man.

643
00:40:13,220 --> 00:40:15,080
I am going to get
this cotton off.

644
00:40:16,180 --> 00:40:18,960
Cotton literally sucks the heat out
of your body.

645
00:40:19,220 --> 00:40:20,360
It's a killer when wet.

646
00:40:21,080 --> 00:40:23,120
If you get soaked
in a cotton t-shirt

647
00:40:23,160 --> 00:40:25,260
and a pair of jeans
in conditions like this,

648
00:40:25,300 --> 00:40:27,160
you need to get them off fast.

649
00:40:27,200 --> 00:40:29,140
You will survive longer naked.

650
00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:31,360
And this stuff is all glacial water

651
00:40:32,180 --> 00:40:35,200
and sea water freezes
at a much lower temperature

652
00:40:35,240 --> 00:40:36,940
than normal water,

653
00:40:36,980 --> 00:40:39,260
so effectively
that's like colder than ice.

654
00:40:42,380 --> 00:40:44,900
My fingers and toes are so numb.

655
00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:46,960
I need to get
the blood flowing back.

656
00:40:56,140 --> 00:40:58,340
My jacket has stayed dry
in the backpack

657
00:40:58,380 --> 00:41:00,140
and this will save me.

658
00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:12,940
Oh, look, this is open sea

659
00:41:13,140 --> 00:41:16,980
and this is what this whole glacial
bay drew me into

660
00:41:17,020 --> 00:41:19,980
and this is good. I can just see
for miles all the way

661
00:41:20,140 --> 00:41:21,920
up and down the
coastline here

662
00:41:22,160 --> 00:41:23,960
and now I'm just going
to take stock

663
00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:28,220
and try and warm up a bit on some
of these rocks

664
00:41:29,300 --> 00:41:34,040
and not move anywhere
until I just get dry

665
00:41:34,380 --> 00:41:35,920
and properly warm.

666
00:41:37,940 --> 00:41:40,180
I reckon
this is a perfect spot to wait.

667
00:41:41,140 --> 00:41:43,240
Fishing boats,
as well as tourist boats,

668
00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:45,020
often sail into these inlets

669
00:41:45,280 --> 00:41:47,360
and it is not hard
to see why people come.

670
00:41:50,260 --> 00:41:51,180
It's beautiful.

671
00:41:56,020 --> 00:41:59,040
I wait and wait,
but nothing appears on the horizon.

672
00:41:59,380 --> 00:42:02,940
I am heading off further down
the beach to see what I can find.

673
00:42:03,240 --> 00:42:05,160
If I have
to spend another night here

674
00:42:05,200 --> 00:42:07,020
I will need food and shelter.

675
00:42:13,920 --> 00:42:15,240
But just when
I have given up hope,

676
00:42:15,940 --> 00:42:17,380
I hear the distant sound
of an engine.

677
00:42:18,220 --> 00:42:19,240
Hey look, look.

678
00:42:20,140 --> 00:42:20,920
Hey...

679
00:42:23,980 --> 00:42:25,060
There is a boat out there.

680
00:42:25,280 --> 00:42:27,140
I just hope
they are looking this way.

681
00:42:28,120 --> 00:42:30,000
It will be gone in
a matter of minutes

682
00:42:30,040 --> 00:42:32,060
and with no way
of lighting a signal fire,

683
00:42:32,100 --> 00:42:33,380
I need to rely on movement

684
00:42:33,920 --> 00:42:36,160
and a bit of luck
to attract their attention.

685
00:42:39,320 --> 00:42:41,060
He is turning.
He is turning.

686
00:42:42,160 --> 00:42:42,940
Hey.

687
00:42:45,360 --> 00:42:46,280
They have seen me.

688
00:42:47,020 --> 00:42:48,060
I am on my way home.

689
00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:51,340
This has been
an incredible journey,

690
00:42:52,060 --> 00:42:55,100
from harsh mountain peaks
to these icy seas.

691
00:42:56,060 --> 00:42:59,260
Alaska is a place we can truly
come close to nature

692
00:43:00,200 --> 00:43:02,940
and that for me is
its real magic.

693
00:43:10,940 --> 00:43:12,940
Subtitle caption by ZestCorp