1 00:00:10,140 --> 00:00:13,000 (DRAMATIC MUSIC) 2 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:14,240 I'm Bear Grylls. 3 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,120 I go to some of the most dangerous places on earth 4 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:19,280 to show you what it takes to make it out alive. 5 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:21,300 I've travelled the globe 6 00:00:21,300 --> 00:00:23,180 facing challenges in the sort of places 7 00:00:23,180 --> 00:00:25,460 you wouldn't last a day without the right survival skills. 8 00:00:28,460 --> 00:00:30,140 Oh! 9 00:00:30,140 --> 00:00:34,220 Now I'm in the Mojave Desert, one of the hottest places on earth. 10 00:00:34,220 --> 00:00:37,320 This time we're bringing the worst of the wild to me 11 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:40,420 so I can show you how to survive the most extreme environments. 12 00:00:43,140 --> 00:00:46,180 My team will be giving Mother Nature a helping hand 13 00:00:46,180 --> 00:00:49,020 to make sure conditions are as bad as they can get. 14 00:00:49,020 --> 00:00:51,480 I'm gonna experience the brute force of a flash flood... 15 00:00:51,480 --> 00:00:53,220 (RATTLING) 16 00:00:53,220 --> 00:00:54,460 ..show you that your reactions 17 00:00:54,460 --> 00:00:57,000 are no match for the deadly rattlesnake... 18 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,400 See that? Wham! Like lightning. 19 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,000 ..and take on a massive man-made sandstorm head-on. 20 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,320 It's reading 99 miles an hour! 21 00:01:11,420 --> 00:01:14,060 MAN ON RADIO: What's your altitude as of right now? 22 00:01:14,060 --> 00:01:16,080 Just passed 25,000 feet. Copy that. 23 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:18,260 I'm in the desert to put my body to the test 24 00:01:18,260 --> 00:01:21,080 in one of the harshest environments on the planet. 25 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,320 First I face a freefall from 30,000 feet - 26 00:01:24,320 --> 00:01:27,060 the highest jump I've ever done. 27 00:01:27,060 --> 00:01:29,440 Down on the desert floor temperatures soar into the hundreds, 28 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,280 but up here, it's mind-numbingly cold. 29 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:37,060 OK, we're down to -33 already. It's colder than I expected. 30 00:01:37,060 --> 00:01:39,320 We've still got a lot of climbing to do. 31 00:01:39,320 --> 00:01:44,320 OK, we have about 10 minutes to altitude. 10 minutes to altitude. 32 00:01:44,320 --> 00:01:48,440 The atmospheric pressure as we climb is getting so low 33 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:52,440 that without any air supply, I'd be unconscious within 20 seconds. 34 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:55,260 I have to breathe 100% oxygen 35 00:01:55,260 --> 00:01:59,420 to avoid getting nitrogen bubbles in my bloodstream, which could be fatal. 36 00:01:59,420 --> 00:02:04,160 Last time I was up at 30,000 feet it was on the summit of Everest. 37 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:06,040 Jumping at this altitude 38 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:10,100 is a technique used by special forces for covert insertions. 39 00:02:10,100 --> 00:02:12,400 Mimicking the flight path of commercial jets 40 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:14,180 is an effective concealment 41 00:02:14,180 --> 00:02:17,000 and deploys troops fast without detection. 42 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,420 It's known as 'high-altitude, low-opening', 43 00:02:19,420 --> 00:02:21,200 or 'HALO'. 44 00:02:23,100 --> 00:02:26,200 OK, T-minus two. Two minutes to jump. 45 00:02:27,220 --> 00:02:29,420 The temperature has plummeted to -40. 46 00:02:29,420 --> 00:02:34,300 Exit the plane without my goggles and my eyes would freeze instantly. 47 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:39,200 Down on the desert floor, it's over 100. 48 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:41,180 I'm about to put myself through a temperature change 49 00:02:41,180 --> 00:02:45,180 of 140 degrees in less than five minutes. 50 00:02:46,180 --> 00:02:50,060 I'm wired up so that my team can measure my body stats on my descent. 51 00:02:51,060 --> 00:02:52,320 OK, let's go. 52 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,260 In six seconds, I hit terminal velocity. 53 00:02:56,260 --> 00:02:59,060 It's impossible to fall any faster. 54 00:02:59,060 --> 00:03:00,140 Whoa! 55 00:03:00,140 --> 00:03:02,400 And because the air is thinner at this altitude, 56 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:05,400 I'm falling at just under 200 miles an hour. 57 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:10,380 We're in HALO free fall! That's amazing. 58 00:03:10,380 --> 00:03:12,180 OK, alti check. 59 00:03:12,180 --> 00:03:15,180 26,000 feet and falling fast. 60 00:03:18,260 --> 00:03:21,120 HALO works because of several factors - 61 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:23,020 high downward velocity, 62 00:03:23,020 --> 00:03:25,080 and minimal metal and forward airspeed, 63 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,260 which all serve to defeat the radar... 64 00:03:27,260 --> 00:03:30,300 Wow! That's amazing! 65 00:03:30,300 --> 00:03:33,400 ..making a soldier's entry virtually undetected. 66 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:38,140 6,000.Getting ready to deploy. 67 00:03:38,140 --> 00:03:42,060 5,000. 4,500. I'm waving off, waving off. 68 00:03:42,060 --> 00:03:43,380 And here we go. 69 00:03:43,380 --> 00:03:48,140 As the chute deploys, my speed rapidly reduces to 22 miles an hour 70 00:03:48,140 --> 00:03:50,200 and my body pulls 5 G's. 71 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:52,020 Whoo! 72 00:03:54,380 --> 00:03:57,120 OK, just get my bearings. 73 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:59,020 (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) 74 00:03:59,020 --> 00:04:03,180 Already now I can feel the heat radiating from the desert floor. 75 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:09,400 OK, OK, coming in to 1,000 foot, the downward leg, 76 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:13,320 then we're gonna turn into the wind for the final approach. 77 00:04:17,380 --> 00:04:21,140 OK, want a nice firm flare for landing. 78 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:26,460 And I'm on the ground. Whoo! 79 00:04:28,460 --> 00:04:30,480 Good job. 80 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:37,160 The temperature down here is almost 102 degrees. 81 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,280 It's time to get this flight gear off and get going. 82 00:04:40,280 --> 00:04:44,080 I need to rendezvous with the ground crew at my next location. 83 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:45,360 Ohh. 84 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,160 On the ground and alive. 85 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:52,280 That's always a good start after a HALO jump. 86 00:04:52,280 --> 00:04:55,440 Wow! What a...what a buzz, though. 87 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:58,320 Just very, very cold hands. 88 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:00,380 And that's something I don't often say 89 00:05:00,380 --> 00:05:04,420 in the heat of the day in the middle of a desert. 90 00:05:05,420 --> 00:05:10,040 The Mojave is one of the hottest, most arid places on earth... 91 00:05:11,420 --> 00:05:13,480 ..but we're gonna take it to another level 92 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,180 and make conditions as bad as they can get 93 00:05:16,180 --> 00:05:19,340 to show you how to survive when Mother Nature gets nasty. 94 00:05:21,140 --> 00:05:24,100 MAN ON RADIO: Foxtrot, 97,000, prepare for landing. 95 00:05:24,100 --> 00:05:25,380 When it gets rough out here, 96 00:05:25,380 --> 00:05:29,120 just keeping yourself alive will become your main goal. 97 00:05:31,180 --> 00:05:33,280 I'm gonna put myself in the direct path 98 00:05:33,280 --> 00:05:36,000 of one of the most fearsome features of the desert 99 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,460 and one that all travellers dread - the sandstorm. 100 00:05:39,460 --> 00:05:44,440 Sandstorms are one of nature's most unpredictable and violent phenomena. 101 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:47,300 They can be miles wide and miles high 102 00:05:47,300 --> 00:05:50,220 and can travel at 120 miles an hour. 103 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,220 The ground crew make their way to a vast empty plain. 104 00:05:57,220 --> 00:05:59,080 Open expanses like this 105 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:01,360 are ideal breeding grounds for sandstorms 106 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:04,440 as winds can whip up unobstructed across the desert floor. 107 00:06:06,100 --> 00:06:09,000 We're gonna use four massive wind machines 108 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:11,440 to basically generate our own sandstorm 109 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:15,460 and show what a terrifying place it can be to be trapped inside. 110 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:20,140 This is gonna be an adventure. 111 00:06:20,140 --> 00:06:24,100 (INDISTINCT CHATTER ON RADIO) 112 00:06:29,280 --> 00:06:32,000 MAN ON RADIO: He's running fine and dandy. 113 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:35,440 I know how tough deserts can be to survive in at the best of times 114 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:38,400 and I've been caught on the edge of a sandstorm before 115 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:41,020 and they can be terrifying. 116 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:48,300 A powerful sandstorm can move millions of tons of sand at a time, 117 00:06:48,300 --> 00:06:50,460 carrying it for hundreds of miles. 118 00:06:51,460 --> 00:06:55,280 They occur when convection currents created by the intense heat 119 00:06:55,280 --> 00:06:57,400 whip across the desert's surface, 120 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:00,160 causing sand and dust to become airborne. 121 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:02,460 They can last for days, 122 00:07:02,460 --> 00:07:06,240 covering everything in their path in a fine layer of suffocating dust. 123 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:09,460 There's only a light breeze here, but not for long. 124 00:07:09,460 --> 00:07:13,340 We're about to create our own perfect storm. 125 00:07:13,340 --> 00:07:16,440 I mean, these are seriously industrial wind machines. 126 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:21,200 You know, 240 horsepower, drive out winds up to 100 miles an hour 127 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:25,100 and basically create a massive hurricane-force sandstorm 128 00:07:25,100 --> 00:07:26,340 heading straight for me. 129 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,020 Are there things I'm nervous about? Yeah, for sure. 130 00:07:32,020 --> 00:07:33,260 You know, I'm about to get sandblasted 131 00:07:33,260 --> 00:07:36,400 by a hurricane-force sandstorm 132 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:41,300 and I guess I'm concerned about just getting completely shredded. 133 00:07:41,300 --> 00:07:44,260 Also, it's super-easy to suffocate in those things 134 00:07:44,260 --> 00:07:47,120 when you're just getting that amount of sand blasted over you. 135 00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:51,020 But also my eyes. You know, I've had quite a lot of sun and wind damage. 136 00:07:51,020 --> 00:07:52,360 The last time I saw the eye surgeon, 137 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:55,160 he basically said, "Change your job 138 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:58,000 "and keep out of the wind and keep out of the sun," 139 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:02,100 so I'm kind of hoping maybe he's not gonna watch this one. 140 00:08:02,100 --> 00:08:03,340 But it'll be good. 141 00:08:03,340 --> 00:08:06,180 We'll get in there, do it and we'll get out, you know? 142 00:08:06,180 --> 00:08:09,120 But there's no doubt that sandstorms are an intimidating thing 143 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:12,060 and that's something you need to take super seriously. 144 00:08:19,020 --> 00:08:23,280 Remember - three clear repeated signals from me, that means stop it. 145 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:25,040 That means I'm getting killed in there. 146 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:27,180 MAN: Copy that. Right, give me five. 147 00:08:27,180 --> 00:08:30,020 I'm gonna show you that with just some basic knowledge, 148 00:08:30,020 --> 00:08:32,080 you can survive this. 149 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:36,000 Just stick close to me when it hits us. 150 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:40,000 Yeah, we're set. MAN ON RADIO: OK, start the engines. 151 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:41,080 (ENGINE REVS) 152 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:44,100 The fans fire up and within seconds, 153 00:08:44,100 --> 00:08:47,300 a choking dust-filled cloud starts to form. 154 00:08:50,460 --> 00:08:55,020 That's a sight that every desert traveller prays he'll never see - 155 00:08:55,020 --> 00:08:57,200 a sandstorm coming right towards you. 156 00:08:57,200 --> 00:08:59,480 But what you can't do is out-run it. 157 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:03,140 These things can be miles wide, travelling at 100 miles an hour. 158 00:09:03,140 --> 00:09:07,060 So you've got to stop, think clearly and act fast. 159 00:09:07,060 --> 00:09:10,340 The biggest danger is suffocation and blindness. 160 00:09:10,340 --> 00:09:14,220 If you're ever unlucky enough to find yourself in this situation 161 00:09:14,220 --> 00:09:16,000 try not to panic. 162 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:17,420 Cover your airways as best you can. 163 00:09:17,420 --> 00:09:22,100 Cotton fabrics like a T-shirt will act as a basic filter. 164 00:09:22,100 --> 00:09:23,340 It won't be perfect, 165 00:09:23,340 --> 00:09:26,080 but if it's all you've got, it's better than nothing. 166 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:32,100 OK, come on. Let's get into it. Let's go. 167 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:40,140 Ohh! 168 00:09:40,140 --> 00:09:44,160 The grit-filled cloud is propelled towards me at hurricane-force speeds. 169 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:53,380 What you don't want to do in this sort of situation 170 00:09:53,380 --> 00:09:55,420 is try and run through it. 171 00:09:55,420 --> 00:09:57,360 These things can last for hours 172 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:01,200 and you'll just end up getting lost and exhausted. 173 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:03,340 You've just got to get your back to the wind, 174 00:10:03,340 --> 00:10:06,340 hunker down and protect your airway. 175 00:10:09,180 --> 00:10:11,240 You're way better off being down here. 176 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:14,420 You're gonna get the biggest sand particles lower down. 177 00:10:14,420 --> 00:10:16,460 Higher up is the fine stuff 178 00:10:16,460 --> 00:10:20,120 and it's the fine stuff that's gonna make you suffocate. 179 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:22,020 Stay low. 180 00:10:22,020 --> 00:10:25,480 Wind speeds as powerful as this brings with it windborne debris 181 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:29,060 and with visibility reduced to almost zero, 182 00:10:29,060 --> 00:10:31,420 you're in real danger of being hit. 183 00:10:31,420 --> 00:10:34,360 Finding some sort of shelter is gonna make a huge difference 184 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:36,480 to your ability to endure a sandstorm. 185 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:40,320 (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) Let's go. 186 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:44,000 A rocky outcrop would make an ideal place to hole up, 187 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:45,280 but if that isn't possible, 188 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:48,180 then you've got to adapt to whatever you can find to your advantage, 189 00:10:48,180 --> 00:10:50,420 even the wreckage from an old car. 190 00:10:50,420 --> 00:10:54,240 It may not look pretty, but it will be effective. 191 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:58,400 Instantly it's better out of the wind 192 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:01,380 and out of that sandblasting. 193 00:11:01,380 --> 00:11:03,440 And check this out. 194 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:12,480 That's reading 99 miles an hour, 195 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:17,280 but down here it's down to 37. 196 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:24,100 That is a massive difference and just this could save your life. 197 00:11:25,100 --> 00:11:29,160 Then you've just got to sit and wait it out. 198 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:37,080 This is a battle 199 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:42,300 between your endurance and the wild, 200 00:11:42,300 --> 00:11:45,020 but the reality is 201 00:11:45,020 --> 00:11:48,420 if it keeps going and keeps going, 202 00:11:48,420 --> 00:11:51,260 the desert's gonna win. 203 00:12:03,140 --> 00:12:06,080 I'm putting myself through the temperature extremes 204 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:08,020 of the Mojave Desert. 205 00:12:08,020 --> 00:12:10,180 We've gone from -40 degrees up in the sky 206 00:12:10,180 --> 00:12:13,260 to over 100 on the desert floor. 207 00:12:13,260 --> 00:12:16,440 We've set up one of the most violent and unpredictable phenomena - 208 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:18,320 the sandstorm - 209 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:23,020 to show that with even the most basic materials to hand, you can survive. 210 00:12:23,020 --> 00:12:26,000 There must be nothing more terrifying 211 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:29,040 than being caught in a storm like this. 212 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:33,420 These things can keep blowing for days. 213 00:12:33,420 --> 00:12:38,340 Being under here is definitely gonna extend your survival time, 214 00:12:38,340 --> 00:12:44,060 but the reality is if it keeps going, the desert's gonna win. 215 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:50,060 Eventually even the most violent sandstorm will blow itself out 216 00:12:50,060 --> 00:12:51,460 or simply move on over you. 217 00:12:51,460 --> 00:12:56,360 The only thing you can do is make sure you survive until that happens. 218 00:12:58,180 --> 00:13:03,080 (COUGHS) That's why I hate sand. 219 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:06,080 (SPITS AND GAGS) 220 00:13:09,100 --> 00:13:12,420 God, that would be terrifying, being in that hour after hour, 221 00:13:12,420 --> 00:13:15,440 but, you know, that's what can happen with sandstorms - 222 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:18,240 these things can go on for days. 223 00:13:20,300 --> 00:13:23,400 It's all about protecting your airways. 224 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:26,400 If you lose a few layers of skin and it hurts for a while, 225 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:28,140 that's one thing, 226 00:13:28,140 --> 00:13:29,420 but at least you're alive. 227 00:13:31,380 --> 00:13:35,180 Oh, man. Cup of tea. 228 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:42,260 Now I'm gonna show you how to survive a catastrophic event 229 00:13:42,260 --> 00:13:47,020 which claims on average over 100 American lives every year. 230 00:13:47,020 --> 00:13:48,300 We're gonna re-create 231 00:13:48,300 --> 00:13:51,040 one of the desert's most lethal weapons in its arsenal - 232 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:52,360 the flash flood - 233 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:54,140 and show you what can happen 234 00:13:54,140 --> 00:13:56,460 if you pitch your camp in the wrong place. 235 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:07,380 One danger you don't expect in the desert is water, 236 00:14:07,380 --> 00:14:11,180 but that's why flash floods can be so lethal. 237 00:14:11,180 --> 00:14:14,000 You know, you can have beautiful, clear skies like this, 238 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:15,340 no sign of rain, 239 00:14:15,340 --> 00:14:17,240 but you still get hit by one. 240 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:19,360 You know, you're gonna have a storm 50 miles away 241 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:21,460 and the first you're gonna know about a flash flood 242 00:14:21,460 --> 00:14:24,020 is hearing that roar of like a jet engine, 243 00:14:24,020 --> 00:14:26,180 and then, bam, get hit by the water. 244 00:14:27,220 --> 00:14:30,200 You might look at a riverbed like this 245 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:33,320 and think it's not a bad place to set up camp - 246 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:38,060 there's some shade from the sun, it's cool, flat surface - 247 00:14:38,060 --> 00:14:40,100 but you'd be dead wrong. 248 00:14:40,100 --> 00:14:44,460 This is a riverbed for one reason - because water runs down here. 249 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:53,040 I've spent a lot of my life 250 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:56,060 picking camp sites away from riverbeds, 251 00:14:56,060 --> 00:14:59,000 trying to avoid flash floods, 252 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:02,280 but this time I'm going to show you the devastating consequences 253 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,180 of making a bad decision. 254 00:15:09,460 --> 00:15:12,220 OK, set this about here. 255 00:15:13,380 --> 00:15:16,220 Desert flash floods are especially lethal. 256 00:15:16,220 --> 00:15:21,020 Huge storms can dump massive amounts of rain in a few hours 257 00:15:21,020 --> 00:15:23,260 and because the desert floor's baked rock-hard, 258 00:15:23,260 --> 00:15:26,420 the deluge of water simply runs straight off it. 259 00:15:26,420 --> 00:15:28,980 A rain storm in the high mesa 260 00:15:28,980 --> 00:15:31,040 can send a wall of rock-strewn water 261 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:34,100 onto an unsuspecting camp with no warning. 262 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:37,140 (TRUCK HORN BLARES) 263 00:15:37,140 --> 00:15:40,240 The team set about constructing our own flash flood. 264 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:43,020 They've called in three massive containers 265 00:15:43,020 --> 00:15:46,420 which will be filled with over 24,000 gallons of water. 266 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:51,140 The plan is to open up the container doors 267 00:15:51,140 --> 00:15:53,340 just upstream from where I will be camped. 268 00:15:55,460 --> 00:15:57,220 Once the doors are released, 269 00:15:57,220 --> 00:15:59,420 3,000 cubic feet of water 270 00:15:59,420 --> 00:16:04,040 will be sent down the gully in a few seconds right on top of me. 271 00:16:05,340 --> 00:16:10,040 You've gotta take flash floods seriously 272 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:11,440 and just 'cause you're in a desert 273 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:16,260 where you're not seeing water or even seeing rain 274 00:16:16,260 --> 00:16:20,360 doesn't mean that flash floods are not a danger. 275 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:26,140 Only recently 16 people were killed in the United States 276 00:16:26,140 --> 00:16:27,460 by one flash flood. 277 00:16:27,460 --> 00:16:29,420 They reckon about six inches of water, 278 00:16:29,420 --> 00:16:32,000 that's enough to take a man of their feet, 279 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:36,100 and two foot of water will move a whole SUV. 280 00:16:36,100 --> 00:16:39,160 There's an awful lot more than two foot of water in here 281 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:41,460 and we've got three of them. 282 00:16:42,460 --> 00:16:45,460 Don't underestimate flash floods. 283 00:16:45,460 --> 00:16:48,360 OK, guys, this is set, ready to go. 284 00:16:51,460 --> 00:16:55,120 80% of flash floods occur later in the evening 285 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:59,180 just when you're likely to be asleep and in your camp. 286 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:03,360 Nick and Ross, you're my emergency backup for this, alright? 287 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:06,180 The big danger for me is when that water gets released, 288 00:17:06,180 --> 00:17:09,980 little rocks like this getting thrown very fast down here. 289 00:17:09,980 --> 00:17:12,000 You get hit by that, you're in trouble, alright? 290 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,360 So, Nick, let's have you here. Ross, further down. 291 00:17:15,360 --> 00:17:20,020 If I start to really tumble and go, stop it, alright? 292 00:17:20,020 --> 00:17:21,260 OK. 293 00:17:27,300 --> 00:17:30,000 I'll just set this camera going as well. 294 00:17:33,380 --> 00:17:35,260 MAN ON RADIO: Stand by. 295 00:17:44,380 --> 00:17:46,380 MAN 2 ON RADIO: Bear, how you doing there? You good? 296 00:17:46,380 --> 00:17:48,040 Yeah, happy. 297 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:51,280 Well, sort of, when you're about to be hit by a flash flood. 298 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:57,460 Just curl up in a ball and wait for the impact. 299 00:17:58,460 --> 00:18:00,200 I'm not sure whether 300 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:02,180 it's worse knowing when it's gonna come or not. 301 00:18:03,420 --> 00:18:06,020 OK, guys, I'm set. 302 00:18:06,020 --> 00:18:08,040 Container one. 303 00:18:10,460 --> 00:18:13,000 As each door is opened, 304 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:15,200 it dumps more and more water down the narrow gully. 305 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:17,080 Container two. 306 00:18:20,180 --> 00:18:21,440 Container three. 307 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:24,240 With all three released, 308 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:27,320 90 tonnes of water surge towards my tent. 309 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:30,400 (WATER ROARS) 310 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:42,320 The force of the water instantly rips out the tent pegs 311 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:45,180 and launches me and the tent down the riverbed. 312 00:19:05,340 --> 00:19:08,340 In seconds, the tent is swept 100 feet down the gully. 313 00:19:08,340 --> 00:19:12,220 Only then can the safety team jump in. 314 00:19:12,220 --> 00:19:14,420 Bear? You alright, Bear? 315 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:19,460 OK, I'm good. 316 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:23,280 I'm good. 317 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:26,980 I'm OK, but that was closer than I would have wanted. 318 00:19:29,100 --> 00:19:32,220 It did hit with a huge amount of force. 319 00:19:32,220 --> 00:19:36,040 You know, I've had a few close calls before with white water 320 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:39,000 and it's given me a healthy respect for the power of it. 321 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,240 I've actually got a friend who had to fish out from a river 322 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:45,220 the bodies of a mother and her two kids 323 00:19:45,220 --> 00:19:49,100 and they had been hit by a big flash flood in their SUV 324 00:19:49,100 --> 00:19:53,060 and the vehicle had actually been taken 30 miles downstream. 325 00:19:54,060 --> 00:19:56,100 Choose your overnight spot carefully. 326 00:19:56,100 --> 00:19:58,080 Always have an escape route planned 327 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:01,060 and learn to recognise the signs of where water has flowed. 328 00:20:01,060 --> 00:20:05,320 Pitch your camp up out of a riverbed and never in it, 329 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:07,300 even if it's bone-dry. 330 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:14,340 Kind of a sober reminder, isn't it - don't camp in riverbeds. 331 00:20:15,360 --> 00:20:18,120 Now I'm gonna get up close and personal 332 00:20:18,120 --> 00:20:21,420 with one of the Mojave's real heavyweights - the rattlesnake - 333 00:20:21,420 --> 00:20:24,440 to experience firsthand its deadly strike. 334 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:27,280 See that? Wham! Like lightning. 335 00:20:37,120 --> 00:20:40,420 I'm used to taking on the toughest environments, 336 00:20:40,420 --> 00:20:42,160 but this time my team are here 337 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:45,020 to make sure that I face nature at her very worst. 338 00:20:51,060 --> 00:20:55,440 The most deadly animal in this desert is the rattlesnake 339 00:20:55,440 --> 00:21:01,160 and we're on our way to find out just what makes them so deadly. 340 00:21:02,300 --> 00:21:05,360 We're heading straight for prime rattlesnake country 341 00:21:05,360 --> 00:21:09,140 and we're bringing with us some highly specialised equipment. 342 00:21:09,140 --> 00:21:12,280 You only have to ask the people out here on the land 343 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:15,400 how seriously they take the threat of rattlesnakes. 344 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:17,380 The reason they're so deadly 345 00:21:17,380 --> 00:21:20,320 is the speed at which they can inject their venom. 346 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:22,440 Their strike is faster than the human eye. 347 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:26,080 (RATTLING) 348 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:29,140 The western diamondback is a really aggressive animal 349 00:21:29,140 --> 00:21:31,240 and becomes angered quickly. 350 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:33,300 Their trademark rattle is a warning to others 351 00:21:33,300 --> 00:21:37,340 that they're about to strike or if they feel threatened. 352 00:21:37,340 --> 00:21:41,200 Normally the crew are used to working with these pretty small cameras, 353 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:43,160 but this time we've got this specialist one. 354 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:46,040 The reason for that is we want to try and record 355 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:49,180 the speed that a rattlesnake strikes at. 356 00:21:49,180 --> 00:21:50,960 It's unbelievably fast. 357 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:54,340 You know, the time from the strike to bite and then recoil 358 00:21:54,340 --> 00:21:56,240 can be under half a second 359 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:58,960 and that's faster than the human eye can see 360 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:01,240 so this is gonna help us. 361 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:10,260 Before I start showing you just how fast these snakes can strike, 362 00:22:10,260 --> 00:22:14,080 just gonna stick these snake boots on 363 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:17,380 and also these chaps. 364 00:22:17,380 --> 00:22:20,180 If I've learnt anything over the years 365 00:22:20,180 --> 00:22:24,320 it's a healthy respect...for snakes. 366 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:29,000 OK, we're set. 367 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,240 (RATTLES) 368 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:37,400 OK, we've got a western diamondback rattlesnake here. 369 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:44,000 And these guys kill more people in the US than any other snakes. 370 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:48,120 You hear that rattle and that's just telling me to back away, 371 00:22:48,120 --> 00:22:49,360 he's mad. 372 00:22:49,360 --> 00:22:52,180 But they'll inject a haemotoxic venom 373 00:22:52,180 --> 00:22:56,980 that will literally turn your muscles into soup. 374 00:22:58,380 --> 00:23:00,120 (RATTLES) But look. 375 00:23:00,120 --> 00:23:04,440 Watch how fast his strike is against my boot here. 376 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:07,180 Strikes often occur 377 00:23:07,180 --> 00:23:09,120 when unsuspecting hikers step on a rattlesnake 378 00:23:09,120 --> 00:23:11,440 or disturb it in a clump of vegetation. 379 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:16,280 See that? Wham! Like lightning. 380 00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:18,420 If I hadn't got snake boots on, 381 00:23:18,420 --> 00:23:22,240 I'd now have a ticking time bomb to the grave 382 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:26,120 unless I got medical help very fast. 383 00:23:26,120 --> 00:23:28,280 Filmed at 1,500 frames a second, 384 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:31,440 you can see that once the snake has made the decision to strike, 385 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:34,240 the head rears, the fangs are unsheathed 386 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:36,160 and even before striking my boot, 387 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:39,300 those fangs are delivering their lethal dose of venom. 388 00:23:42,300 --> 00:23:46,440 If that strike had hit flesh, I'd now be in big trouble. 389 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:48,960 The sensation is said to be like 390 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:52,000 two hot hypodermic needles puncturing the skin, 391 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:55,000 instantly followed by excruciating pain 392 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:58,280 and spontaneous bleeding from where the fangs have penetrated. 393 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:03,120 And though my reactions are fast, they're no match for this rattler. 394 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:06,340 From decision made and back again, 395 00:24:06,340 --> 00:24:09,160 the whole process takes just under half a second, 396 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:10,400 but in that time, 397 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:12,140 the brain has just received 398 00:24:12,140 --> 00:24:13,380 the message that you're in danger 399 00:24:13,380 --> 00:24:15,040 and it's another full second 400 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:16,320 before you can react. 401 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:20,120 Without the right protection, it would be too late. 402 00:24:20,120 --> 00:24:23,060 OK, I need you guys to stand back a bit 403 00:24:23,060 --> 00:24:27,300 and we're gonna release him and let him go back to the desert. 404 00:24:28,300 --> 00:24:31,220 But don't let this stop you enjoying the desert. 405 00:24:31,220 --> 00:24:34,280 Just use caution if you're out hiking in back country 406 00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:36,300 and keep to the trails. 407 00:24:36,300 --> 00:24:38,260 Wear a good pair of boots and trousers 408 00:24:38,260 --> 00:24:40,960 and scan the ground just ahead of you. 409 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:46,300 If you do come across a rattlesnake, 410 00:24:46,300 --> 00:24:50,100 try to keep a safe distance and leave it well alone. 411 00:24:50,100 --> 00:24:53,440 Most bites occur when they're being handled or harassed. 412 00:24:55,100 --> 00:24:58,440 Rattlesnakes are not the only venomous creatures in the Mojave. 413 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:02,040 And one of the deadliest can strike with no warning. 414 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:05,360 Just 'cause they're small, don't underestimate them. 415 00:25:05,360 --> 00:25:08,000 These are the ones to watch out for. 416 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:31,180 I'm in the vast arid expanse of the Mojave Desert. 417 00:25:32,180 --> 00:25:35,000 I've shown you how even with the fastest reactions, 418 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:37,140 you cannot outrun a rattlesnake. 419 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:42,120 But these are not the only animals you'll be sharing the desert with. 420 00:25:42,120 --> 00:25:45,400 Nightfall brings new challenges for the survivor. 421 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:47,180 You're gonna have to think smart 422 00:25:47,180 --> 00:25:51,260 to outwit the desert's most opportunistic scavenger - the coyote. 423 00:25:52,360 --> 00:25:56,160 You know, really anywhere around here will do. 424 00:25:56,160 --> 00:26:01,140 Just want to keep your food away from your camp and off the ground 425 00:26:01,140 --> 00:26:03,300 and just because you're sleeping in the desert 426 00:26:03,300 --> 00:26:07,960 doesn't mean that other animals and predators are. 427 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:12,000 Out here, you're getting loads of coyotes 428 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:16,120 and they're scavengers and they're smart 429 00:26:16,120 --> 00:26:18,200 and they've got a good sense of smell 430 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:22,160 so if you've got a surplus of food they're gonna sniff it out. 431 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:23,400 So look. 432 00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:26,400 Something simple like this, three sticks into a tripod, 433 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:31,220 and then you can hang any surplus food up out of the way. 434 00:26:32,220 --> 00:26:36,340 I've got two infra-red motion-sensor cameras here. 435 00:26:36,340 --> 00:26:38,200 What I'm gonna do is set these up 436 00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:42,240 and see if anything's gonna try and come and get this. 437 00:26:48,940 --> 00:26:51,140 OK, let's leave that. That's set. Come on. 438 00:26:51,140 --> 00:26:52,940 You should aim to keep your rations 439 00:26:52,940 --> 00:26:55,100 at least 50 feet from where you're sleeping. 440 00:26:55,100 --> 00:26:56,420 It may seem a hassle, 441 00:26:56,420 --> 00:26:59,340 but there are bigger predators out there than the coyote 442 00:26:59,340 --> 00:27:01,080 like the mountain lion. 443 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:04,000 The last thing you want to do is attract them to your camp. 444 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:07,080 I reckon out of all of the environments 445 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:10,380 the desert's probably my favourite one to spend the night out in. 446 00:27:10,380 --> 00:27:14,040 You know, it's not pouring down with rain. That's pretty unlikely. 447 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:15,320 It's nice and cool. 448 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:19,940 You also get these amazing clear skies at night. 449 00:27:19,940 --> 00:27:22,940 But what you've also got to understand - 450 00:27:22,940 --> 00:27:25,040 if you're gonna sleep out in the desert 451 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:28,200 you're gonna share your camp site with a load of critters. 452 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:32,320 And if you don't believe me, you can take the torch... 453 00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:37,140 It's not only got the white light. It's also got this UV black light. 454 00:27:38,140 --> 00:27:41,280 I can almost guarantee you, use that to look around - 455 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:43,340 we're gonna find a load of things. 456 00:27:43,340 --> 00:27:46,040 What this UV black light does 457 00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:51,240 is reflect the keratin in the exoskeleton of any scorpions. 458 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:53,980 They really glow up. You'll see them. 459 00:27:53,980 --> 00:27:56,280 There we go. You see that glowing? 460 00:27:56,280 --> 00:27:58,100 That's a desert hairy scorpion. 461 00:27:58,100 --> 00:28:03,020 That's one of the most common scorpions in these deserts. 462 00:28:03,020 --> 00:28:05,180 Gonna put some gloves on. 463 00:28:05,180 --> 00:28:07,380 They're not gonna give you a deadly sting, 464 00:28:07,380 --> 00:28:13,420 but if you're at all susceptible to stings and stuff like that as I am - 465 00:28:13,420 --> 00:28:16,320 had it before in Mexico, a bee sting - 466 00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:19,140 you've got a real danger of going into anaphylactic shock 467 00:28:19,140 --> 00:28:20,980 so it's worth just wearing your gloves. 468 00:28:26,340 --> 00:28:28,080 And look. 469 00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:32,040 You can just see the way his exoskeleton shines out there. 470 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:34,020 You know, it really glows up bright. 471 00:28:34,020 --> 00:28:37,400 And that's the stinger on the end there - tip of his tail. 472 00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:39,220 But the really nasty scorpions 473 00:28:39,220 --> 00:28:42,360 are actually the smaller ones, the bark scorpions, 474 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:45,060 and there are just loads and loads of those around. 475 00:28:45,060 --> 00:28:47,020 Come on. Let's go and find some of those. 476 00:28:54,300 --> 00:28:57,360 Oh, look. That's a bark scorpion. 477 00:28:57,360 --> 00:29:01,060 It's probably a third of the size of that desert hairy one, 478 00:29:01,060 --> 00:29:03,380 but this guy's way more potent. 479 00:29:03,380 --> 00:29:06,040 If you get stung by one of these guys, 480 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:10,200 you're gonna have 72 hours of just excruciating pain, 481 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:12,420 kind of like being tasered. 482 00:29:12,420 --> 00:29:15,420 Scientists today still don't really understand 483 00:29:15,420 --> 00:29:21,180 how such a small stinger and a small amount of venom can be that potent. 484 00:29:21,180 --> 00:29:24,240 Just 'cause they're small, don't underestimate them. 485 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:27,000 These are the ones to watch out for. 486 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:32,300 And what are we? 15, 20 foot from the camp and we're seeing these. 487 00:29:32,300 --> 00:29:34,200 Look. Here's another one here. Look. 488 00:29:35,260 --> 00:29:37,080 But it is a reality. 489 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:40,960 If you're gonna sleep out here, you're gonna be near scorpions 490 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:43,980 and they're gonna like nice warm places, 491 00:29:43,980 --> 00:29:45,300 little crevices they can get under, 492 00:29:45,300 --> 00:29:48,380 whether that's your body or a roll mat. 493 00:29:48,380 --> 00:29:51,420 And the key is to stay near your fire. 494 00:29:51,420 --> 00:29:55,320 Scorpions aren't gonna like fire, and that's your protection. 495 00:30:08,180 --> 00:30:11,320 I'm enduring the searing summer heat of the Mojave Desert. 496 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:14,200 I've taken on a lethal flash flood 497 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:16,920 and shown that no matter where you may camp, 498 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:18,940 you'll never be alone. 499 00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:24,380 Now I want to see if the camera traps I set up last night 500 00:30:24,380 --> 00:30:27,960 have picked up any activity around my food stash. 501 00:30:28,980 --> 00:30:33,000 So I've got the footage back from these motion-sensor cameras. 502 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:34,240 Let's have a look at this. 503 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:38,360 It's been triggered a few times. Let's watch this one. 504 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:42,100 Actually, look, there you go. Visitors. 505 00:30:42,100 --> 00:30:45,320 That's a coyote having a sniff around. 506 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:50,060 He can smell the food, but he can't reach it. 507 00:30:51,140 --> 00:30:54,060 Actually, hang on. He's having a pee on my stick as well. 508 00:30:54,060 --> 00:30:55,960 (CHUCKLES) 509 00:30:55,960 --> 00:30:59,380 You know, the thing is these coyotes, they're smart scavengers 510 00:30:59,380 --> 00:31:04,980 and as a survivor your job is to outsmart them, 511 00:31:04,980 --> 00:31:07,940 which in this case has worked well. 512 00:31:07,940 --> 00:31:10,040 We've still got the food. 513 00:31:12,060 --> 00:31:16,120 All the animals I've encountered are adapted to their environment. 514 00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:21,260 Out here in searing temperatures we are not, but we're smarter. 515 00:31:21,260 --> 00:31:23,340 The deadliest threat to you in the desert 516 00:31:23,340 --> 00:31:25,360 isn't a rattler or a bark scorpion, 517 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:27,180 it's the lack of water 518 00:31:27,180 --> 00:31:30,220 and knowing how to find it will save your life. 519 00:31:31,380 --> 00:31:35,060 Every hour out here is punishing. 520 00:31:35,060 --> 00:31:37,240 Using state-of-the-art telemetry, 521 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:41,360 I'm gonna measure my vital signs as I go on the search for water. 522 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:47,160 OK, this is about four pints of water here, 523 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:49,260 but in the desert in the heat of the day, 524 00:31:49,260 --> 00:31:52,200 just walking - not running, not working that hard - 525 00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:55,140 you're gonna burn up at least that. 526 00:31:55,140 --> 00:31:58,260 So I'm gonna go out for about an hour, see what water I can find 527 00:31:58,260 --> 00:32:01,200 and we'll see if we can make up the difference. 528 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:02,940 My body's core temperature 529 00:32:02,940 --> 00:32:06,180 is regulated by a set of mechanisms that fire into action 530 00:32:06,180 --> 00:32:09,220 the moment you have to operate in extreme conditions. 531 00:32:11,180 --> 00:32:14,220 Desert survival is so tough. 532 00:32:14,220 --> 00:32:16,040 It's just a constant battle 533 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:20,180 between trying to source as much water as you're losing out here. 534 00:32:20,180 --> 00:32:21,920 By producing sweat, 535 00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:24,960 my body is able to cool my skin temperature through evaporation. 536 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:28,980 My heart beats faster and sends blood to the extremities 537 00:32:28,980 --> 00:32:31,180 to regulate my core temperature. 538 00:32:31,180 --> 00:32:35,280 You know, even though it's so hot and we're walking around, 539 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:38,100 I'm not really sweating that much 540 00:32:38,100 --> 00:32:41,360 'cause as soon as I sweat, this wind just dries it. 541 00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:45,020 So then what happens - your body sweats some more 542 00:32:45,020 --> 00:32:49,120 and that's why you start to lose so much fluids. 543 00:32:57,240 --> 00:33:00,100 Gonna dig a still here, get a shovel in. 544 00:33:00,100 --> 00:33:03,180 I'll make just a simple solar still. 545 00:33:06,040 --> 00:33:09,120 What I'm gonna do is line the bottom of this with plastic. 546 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:12,060 Also you've got to bear in mind 547 00:33:12,060 --> 00:33:16,120 that you use up a certain amount of energy to dig that pit. 548 00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:17,940 It also requires that you have 549 00:33:17,940 --> 00:33:21,120 at least something that can improvise as plastic sheeting, 550 00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:25,320 whether it's a jacket or whatever. 551 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:27,980 I'm just gonna pee into this. 552 00:33:29,140 --> 00:33:33,160 If I collect the pee in the bottom like this, cover it with plastic, 553 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:36,240 that's gonna get hot in there, the pee's gonna evaporate 554 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:40,120 and that water then is gonna be drinkable. 555 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:45,140 Just weight this plastic down with some sand 556 00:33:45,140 --> 00:33:48,340 and then we'll just put a few stones in the middle 557 00:33:48,340 --> 00:33:53,300 so as the pee evaporates, it's gonna drip down into the cup. 558 00:33:54,300 --> 00:33:56,140 OK, see what else we can find. 559 00:33:56,140 --> 00:33:58,200 You can improvise a solar still 560 00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:01,100 from discarded plastic or even your jacket. 561 00:34:01,100 --> 00:34:03,000 Let's get up into those canyons. 562 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:06,040 Rocky gullies will give you your best chance of finding water, 563 00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:07,920 which will have collected in run-off pools 564 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:11,120 or been protected from evaporation under the shade of rocks. 565 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:15,320 Actually, look. 566 00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:18,060 It's probably quite a good place to find water down here. 567 00:34:19,060 --> 00:34:24,280 Natural funnel for all the rainwater down the rock to collect down here. 568 00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:27,920 And actually under here's gonna be the most shade 569 00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:30,220 and water's gonna last the longest. 570 00:34:30,220 --> 00:34:32,280 Let's have a good dig down under this. 571 00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:34,020 The sand traps rain run-off 572 00:34:34,020 --> 00:34:39,080 and because it's always in the shade, it doesn't evaporate as quickly. 573 00:34:39,080 --> 00:34:43,300 Yeah, see - all of this is really damp sand. 574 00:34:43,300 --> 00:34:45,040 The challenge, though, 575 00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:48,320 is always extracting the water out of the sand. 576 00:34:55,260 --> 00:34:58,280 OK, just gather all this up. 577 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:03,940 And then just twist it. 578 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:09,100 There we go. Getting some drips out of the bottom of that now. 579 00:35:16,280 --> 00:35:19,160 You know, it's not much, but it's something. 580 00:35:22,220 --> 00:35:26,200 Even a few drops of sandy water is precious out here. 581 00:35:26,200 --> 00:35:27,960 Knowing where to find it 582 00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:30,320 is something you can only learn with experience and patience. 583 00:35:30,320 --> 00:35:32,060 Once you've attuned yourself, 584 00:35:32,060 --> 00:35:33,300 you can head straight for places 585 00:35:33,300 --> 00:35:36,000 that give you the best chance of finding water. 586 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:37,400 OK, let's keep moving on. 587 00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:48,160 Now I'm heading back to the solar still I made 588 00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:50,340 to see if I can collect any more water there. 589 00:35:52,120 --> 00:35:55,020 Yeah, you can see that evaporation taking place 590 00:35:55,020 --> 00:35:57,220 on the underside of the plastic here. 591 00:36:02,180 --> 00:36:05,380 OK, probably about half an inch of water in there. 592 00:36:07,020 --> 00:36:09,080 Really, it's not much, 593 00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:14,040 but the good thing about stills is that once you've dug them once, 594 00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:16,300 you can keep reusing them 595 00:36:16,300 --> 00:36:19,980 and as long as you've got enough plastic 596 00:36:19,980 --> 00:36:22,340 you can actually then dig multiple stills 597 00:36:22,340 --> 00:36:25,200 and that's how you start to get enough water 598 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:28,120 to have at least a chance at surviving out here. 599 00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:33,140 OK, let's get back. Let's see how much we've got here. 600 00:36:35,040 --> 00:36:39,120 My core temperature has risen to just below 101 degrees. 601 00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:40,360 If I dehydrate further, 602 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:43,160 my body's ability to sweat will reduce. 603 00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:45,340 After that, it's a chain reaction. 604 00:36:45,340 --> 00:36:48,360 My core temperature will rise fast into the danger zone 605 00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:52,960 and if it goes above 104 it could be fatal. 606 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:58,040 So between all the techniques I've used to collect water... 607 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:02,920 ..this is how much I've managed to gather. 608 00:37:05,180 --> 00:37:09,300 OK, so you can see there how much I've collected. 609 00:37:09,300 --> 00:37:14,140 And bear in mind I had to work a bit for that, had to be ingenious, 610 00:37:14,140 --> 00:37:16,940 and that's how much I've ended up with. 611 00:37:16,940 --> 00:37:20,160 But that's how much I used up - 612 00:37:20,160 --> 00:37:23,360 probably twice the amount I managed to gather - 613 00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:28,040 and that is why desert survival is so hard. 614 00:37:30,060 --> 00:37:32,960 The stark truth is that your survival in the desert 615 00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:36,120 is dominated by the constant search for water. 616 00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:39,200 Knowing where to find it can prolong your survival. 617 00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:41,280 Your priority every single day 618 00:37:41,280 --> 00:37:45,340 is to find as much as you can and get yourself back to safety. 619 00:37:56,920 --> 00:37:58,320 I'm showing you how to survive 620 00:37:58,320 --> 00:38:01,100 the furnace-like heat of the Mojave Desert. 621 00:38:01,100 --> 00:38:04,060 I've endured the hell of a man-made sandstorm 622 00:38:04,060 --> 00:38:06,120 and shown that when it comes to water, 623 00:38:06,120 --> 00:38:08,380 you're always gonna be fighting a losing battle. 624 00:38:10,260 --> 00:38:12,040 Sooner or later in the wild, 625 00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:14,160 you're gonna come across big natural obstacles, 626 00:38:14,160 --> 00:38:17,060 whether it's rivers, waterfalls or cliffs, 627 00:38:17,060 --> 00:38:21,380 and your survival might well depend on your ability to get across them. 628 00:38:21,380 --> 00:38:25,900 We're now heading to some of the most formidable climbing 629 00:38:25,900 --> 00:38:27,900 in all of America. 630 00:38:30,260 --> 00:38:34,300 This massive sandstone range was formed millions of years ago. 631 00:38:34,300 --> 00:38:36,080 As sediment lithified 632 00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:39,900 and tons of mud and minerals compacted over millennia, 633 00:38:39,900 --> 00:38:43,960 the ancient ocean floor turned to forest and then to desert, 634 00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:46,260 giving the rocks their distinctive banding. 635 00:38:46,260 --> 00:38:48,160 The presence of water and animals 636 00:38:48,160 --> 00:38:52,000 has attracted man to these mountains for thousands of years. 637 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:55,240 Today, it's a magnet for climbers and trekkers. 638 00:38:56,240 --> 00:38:59,080 But in this sort of environment, without the right preparation, 639 00:38:59,080 --> 00:39:02,020 it's all too easy to get into trouble fast. 640 00:39:02,020 --> 00:39:07,120 All of this is actually some of the most spectacular climbing. 641 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:10,220 When you start getting amongst it, it can be intimidating. 642 00:39:10,220 --> 00:39:13,980 It's that whole thing of rubbing noses with the rock face. 643 00:39:13,980 --> 00:39:17,080 When you get close to it, you start to pick out lines, 644 00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:21,120 like even this sort of seam running up here is climbable. 645 00:39:21,120 --> 00:39:22,960 OK, let's get prepped. 646 00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:27,340 The climb I'm gonna undertake is an almost sheer face. 647 00:39:27,340 --> 00:39:30,340 It should only be attempted by experienced climbers. 648 00:39:30,340 --> 00:39:34,200 OK. Let's set up a way of trying to climb up this. 649 00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:37,040 The Mojave is not a place for the faint-hearted. 650 00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:41,220 Every year, people come out here unprepared for the severe conditions. 651 00:39:41,220 --> 00:39:45,380 If you get stranded, dehydration and heatstroke will follow. 652 00:39:45,380 --> 00:39:47,120 It's early morning 653 00:39:47,120 --> 00:39:49,180 and the temperature is around 100 degrees. 654 00:39:49,180 --> 00:39:53,080 As I climb and the sun rises, that temperature will rocket. 655 00:39:53,080 --> 00:39:56,920 Worse still, these red rocks reflect heat back out. 656 00:39:56,920 --> 00:39:59,940 It can be as much as 10 degrees hotter on the face. 657 00:40:00,980 --> 00:40:03,340 Alright, we're gonna put a heart monitor on you today. 658 00:40:03,340 --> 00:40:05,900 The team will be collecting data remotely 659 00:40:05,900 --> 00:40:07,360 through a device attached to my chest 660 00:40:07,360 --> 00:40:10,180 which will record my heart rate, skin temperature 661 00:40:10,180 --> 00:40:11,920 and how many calories 662 00:40:11,920 --> 00:40:13,180 I'm burning every minute. 663 00:40:13,180 --> 00:40:14,940 Heat and exhaustion 664 00:40:14,940 --> 00:40:16,320 are the main factors to consider 665 00:40:16,320 --> 00:40:19,060 when taking on a climb like this in the Mojave, 666 00:40:19,060 --> 00:40:20,960 and keeping your energy levels high 667 00:40:20,960 --> 00:40:23,160 and making sure you're hydrated is essential. 668 00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:26,280 OK, that's set. 669 00:40:26,280 --> 00:40:28,140 If you're solo climbing, 670 00:40:28,140 --> 00:40:31,900 the points of protection you place in the seam are your lifeline. 671 00:40:31,900 --> 00:40:33,980 You're not attached to any safety line above, 672 00:40:33,980 --> 00:40:36,900 but remember, if you do come away from the face, 673 00:40:36,900 --> 00:40:39,000 you'll fall twice the distance - 674 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:40,280 first to your last anchor 675 00:40:40,280 --> 00:40:45,160 and then the same distance again from that point, if the anchor holds. 676 00:40:45,160 --> 00:40:47,240 Certainly getting a bit steeper up here. 677 00:40:48,240 --> 00:40:52,160 The seam has run out now. It's just me and the rock face. 678 00:40:52,160 --> 00:40:55,320 Half way through the climb, I now have two challenges - 679 00:40:55,320 --> 00:40:58,160 finding suitable cracks to place my protection... 680 00:40:58,160 --> 00:41:00,300 OK, that's good. 681 00:41:00,300 --> 00:41:04,380 ..and dealing with the muscle fatigue that is building in my arms and legs. 682 00:41:04,380 --> 00:41:11,160 Get a lot of lactic acid build-up when you're climbing 683 00:41:11,160 --> 00:41:15,960 just 'cause your forearm muscle's always working hard. 684 00:41:15,960 --> 00:41:17,220 But actually good climbing 685 00:41:17,220 --> 00:41:21,180 is about using your legs rather than your arm power. 686 00:41:27,080 --> 00:41:29,340 It's always a good idea when you can as well 687 00:41:29,340 --> 00:41:32,040 to keep your arms below your shoulder height. 688 00:41:32,040 --> 00:41:35,140 What happens when you start climbing with your hands always up here 689 00:41:35,140 --> 00:41:38,000 is that the blood's always draining out of it 690 00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:40,900 and you're gonna get that lactic build-up... 691 00:41:40,900 --> 00:41:43,160 ..lactic acid build-up faster. 692 00:41:43,160 --> 00:41:47,160 The further I climb, the more my muscles become fatigued. 693 00:41:47,160 --> 00:41:51,100 It's a condition where the muscles' performance is reduced. 694 00:41:52,220 --> 00:41:55,040 My body rapidly starts to burn through calories, 695 00:41:55,040 --> 00:41:57,940 and I can feel the pain start to rise in my arms and legs. 696 00:41:57,940 --> 00:42:00,380 Resting on the climb is essential. 697 00:42:07,300 --> 00:42:10,140 OK. That protection in... 698 00:42:11,220 --> 00:42:13,200 Arm burn. 699 00:42:15,360 --> 00:42:17,180 OK, we're almost up this now. 700 00:42:20,300 --> 00:42:23,380 Sometimes I just wish I was one of these people who... 701 00:42:23,380 --> 00:42:26,900 ..never minded heights. 702 00:42:26,900 --> 00:42:30,200 You're on a high, exposed rock face. 703 00:42:30,200 --> 00:42:35,180 It's probably 300 or 400 foot down to the valley bottom there. 704 00:42:35,180 --> 00:42:38,000 And you just need to get it right always. 705 00:42:43,940 --> 00:42:45,980 If you're surviving in the wild, 706 00:42:45,980 --> 00:42:48,140 you're constantly faced with stark choices, 707 00:42:48,140 --> 00:42:50,100 and they don't come much bigger than this. 708 00:42:53,100 --> 00:42:56,920 Are you gonna go round an obstacle or over it? 709 00:42:56,920 --> 00:43:00,020 And those are decisions only you can make. 710 00:43:02,140 --> 00:43:04,940 OK, that's the top. 711 00:43:04,940 --> 00:43:07,100 Heart rate's still high, 712 00:43:07,100 --> 00:43:09,200 but now it's not from fear. 713 00:43:09,200 --> 00:43:12,120 Now it's just from elation. Phew! 714 00:43:12,120 --> 00:43:13,360 Good climb. 715 00:43:15,280 --> 00:43:17,200 Let's finish this. 716 00:43:17,200 --> 00:43:19,340 Deserts can be such dangerous places, 717 00:43:19,340 --> 00:43:21,980 and if you come unprepared, 718 00:43:21,980 --> 00:43:23,240 they will spit you out. 719 00:43:23,240 --> 00:43:25,000 The Mojave has been 720 00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:26,380 an unforgiving test for me, 721 00:43:26,380 --> 00:43:28,380 but I wouldn't have it any other way. 722 00:43:29,380 --> 00:43:32,940 Wahoo! 723 00:43:35,260 --> 00:43:38,060 To share my favourite moments from the show, visit: