1 00:00:12,380 --> 00:00:14,000 I'm Bear Grylls. 2 00:00:15,100 --> 00:00:17,140 I'm gonna show you what it takes to get out alive 3 00:00:17,180 --> 00:00:20,080 from some of the most dangerous places on earth. 4 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,340 I've gotta make it through a week of challenges 5 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:26,460 in the sort of places you wouldn't last a day 6 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:28,440 without the right survival skills. 7 00:00:30,100 --> 00:00:32,060 Now I'm in Iceland, 8 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:36,120 in the stark interior of Europe's least-populated country. 9 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,120 The twin dangers here are extreme heat... 10 00:00:40,160 --> 00:00:41,360 Oh, God, that's hot! 11 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:43,060 ..and extreme cold. 12 00:00:43,100 --> 00:00:45,000 It's getting pretty crazy now! 13 00:00:46,300 --> 00:00:48,240 The landscape is unforgiving. 14 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:51,100 It's a never-ending battle to find enough food. 15 00:00:51,140 --> 00:00:53,220 They suck when it comes to taste. 16 00:00:55,060 --> 00:00:57,460 And the barriers nature throws your way 17 00:00:58,020 --> 00:00:59,120 push you to the limit. 18 00:01:01,140 --> 00:01:02,400 That's a dead end! 19 00:01:08,220 --> 00:01:10,400 This super-truck has been specially adapted 20 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:13,260 to deal with lava flows, snow and ice, 21 00:01:14,180 --> 00:01:15,220 and it's taking me 22 00:01:15,260 --> 00:01:18,240 to a drop-off point high on an active volcano. 23 00:01:18,380 --> 00:01:21,100 Iceland really is a ticking time bomb. 24 00:01:21,220 --> 00:01:24,000 Sat bang on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 25 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:26,340 it's got over 130 volcanic mountains. 26 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,240 And the weather here is just as explosive. 27 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,300 For the survivor, you're really fighting on two fronts - 28 00:01:32,460 --> 00:01:34,340 not only extreme weather, 29 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,380 but also a mass of earthquake and volcanic activity. 30 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:42,320 So that makes Iceland one lethal cocktail. 31 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:44,420 Hundreds of feet below me, 32 00:01:44,460 --> 00:01:47,360 the volcano is gearing up for her next eruption. 33 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,280 But you wouldn't think it from the extreme cold up here. 34 00:01:54,220 --> 00:01:56,120 Well, you can tell we're getting higher - 35 00:01:56,160 --> 00:02:00,040 visibility's right down, the snow's kicked in. 36 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:04,140 I'm not entirely sure how much further we're gonna get in this. 37 00:02:06,300 --> 00:02:09,400 Anyone can buy a trip into Iceland's rugged interior, 38 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:13,460 but what do you do if it all goes wrong, leaving you stranded? 39 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:20,240 My mission is to show you how to survive in the land of fire and ice. 40 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:34,460 Whoo! 41 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:38,240 And that car's out of sight. 42 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:44,000 That's how bad the visibility is and how strong the wind is up here. 43 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,100 And in Iceland, the prevailing wind comes from the coast. 44 00:02:48,140 --> 00:02:50,220 That's where you're most likely to find people. 45 00:02:50,340 --> 00:02:54,260 What we need do is head down, keep that wind into our face. 46 00:02:54,420 --> 00:02:58,060 OK, this one is gonna be a mission. 47 00:03:00,260 --> 00:03:04,140 Within minutes, I'm hit by a biting 50-mile-an-hour gale. 48 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:05,480 It's below freezing here, 49 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,320 but with the windchill, it feels like 20 degrees colder. 50 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,440 A squall like this can stop you in your tracks. 51 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:18,180 Apart from a rope for safety, I've nothing more than you would have 52 00:03:18,220 --> 00:03:21,420 if your Icelandic four-wheel-drive trip ended in disaster. 53 00:03:22,100 --> 00:03:25,040 So no goggles and no insulated jacket. 54 00:03:25,140 --> 00:03:28,060 My visibility is reduced to almost nothing. 55 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:30,440 My body is being drained of precious heat. 56 00:03:31,180 --> 00:03:33,300 This is getting pretty crazy now! 57 00:03:34,140 --> 00:03:37,080 Hardly making any progress into this! 58 00:03:38,060 --> 00:03:40,280 Probably best to try and find somewhere, 59 00:03:40,340 --> 00:03:42,080 a bit of a snow bank, 60 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:44,120 where you can dig in and get out of this wind. 61 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:46,060 Iceland's weather is in constant turmoil. 62 00:03:46,100 --> 00:03:49,060 There's no way of knowing when it will improve. 63 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:50,320 So instead of fighting it, 64 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:52,460 save your energy for when you really need it. 65 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:54,340 Doesn't have to be very deep, 66 00:03:54,420 --> 00:03:58,340 just deep enough to get my body out of this wind. 67 00:04:02,220 --> 00:04:04,400 These conditions show how vital it is 68 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,140 to get to lower, less-exposed ground 69 00:04:07,220 --> 00:04:10,420 where it's easier to find food, water and shelter. 70 00:04:16,380 --> 00:04:18,260 Yeah, that'll do. Come on! 71 00:04:20,060 --> 00:04:23,240 And just something as simple as this could save you. 72 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,100 I'm lying on frozen ground, 73 00:04:26,220 --> 00:04:28,380 but now I'm out of the wind and much warmer. 74 00:04:29,340 --> 00:04:32,180 And that's really what survival is about. 75 00:04:32,260 --> 00:04:35,380 It's about thinking smart and choosing your battles. 76 00:04:36,100 --> 00:04:38,160 You try and take on a squall like that, 77 00:04:38,300 --> 00:04:40,160 you're more than likely gonna lose. 78 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:42,420 Sit it out and let it pass. 79 00:04:50,300 --> 00:04:52,440 As soon the worst of the storm passes, 80 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:55,400 it's time to pick yourself up, dust yourself down, 81 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:57,480 and get going on your way again. 82 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:03,060 I'm travelling with the wind in my face 83 00:05:03,100 --> 00:05:04,280 and it's just got colder. 84 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:09,140 Iceland's glaciers and ice caps cover more than 4,500 square miles, 85 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:12,100 and the wind's blowing straight off one. 86 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:17,180 You've always gotta be careful on glaciers - 87 00:05:17,220 --> 00:05:18,480 lots of hidden crevasses. 88 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:22,260 It's always made more difficult when you don't have crampons. 89 00:05:23,420 --> 00:05:27,240 In this case, there's a simple, very effective solution. 90 00:05:27,280 --> 00:05:29,120 Put your socks outside your boots 91 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:31,440 and you'll have much more grip on the ice. 92 00:05:32,220 --> 00:05:35,160 If you can, rope yourself to a climbing partner. 93 00:05:36,460 --> 00:05:39,360 That way, if one of you goes into a crevasse, 94 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:41,440 the other should be able to hold him. 95 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,140 OK, big fella, you're not going anywhere. 96 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:50,160 On Everest, my life was saved by one of my best buddies 97 00:05:50,260 --> 00:05:54,340 who was on the end of the rope when I went down a crevasse, 98 00:05:55,380 --> 00:05:57,280 and that's taught me a healthy respect 99 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:00,320 for glaciers and big, deep crevasses. 100 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:09,220 OK, keep this line nice and tight. 101 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:12,240 One of us goes down, we don't want any slack on it. 102 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:14,460 A crevasse is like an icy tomb. 103 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:17,320 As you breathe out, you slip further in. 104 00:06:17,460 --> 00:06:19,180 Then as you lose heat, 105 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:22,380 the ice freezes around you, sealing your fate. 106 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:25,080 Yeah, all these sort of holes... 107 00:06:25,300 --> 00:06:28,400 You know, if this was covered by snow like that, 108 00:06:29,140 --> 00:06:32,000 you wouldn't see that hole till you stood on it. 109 00:06:32,100 --> 00:06:35,300 This loose snow gives way, and you're gone. 110 00:06:39,340 --> 00:06:41,380 OK, that's where we wanna be heading - 111 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:45,100 just to the edge of the glacier down there. 112 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,420 Try and work our way down this stuff. 113 00:06:53,060 --> 00:06:55,300 My improvised crampons are working well. 114 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:57,100 My progress isn't elegant, 115 00:06:57,180 --> 00:07:00,020 but it's getting me where I want to go. 116 00:07:04,100 --> 00:07:07,120 OK, that's where we need to get to - down there. 117 00:07:08,280 --> 00:07:11,360 And look, we'll make an ice bollard round this. 118 00:07:12,140 --> 00:07:16,020 The rope will go over that, we'll cut a channel to rappel off. 119 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:27,140 If you're stranded without proper equipment, 120 00:07:27,220 --> 00:07:29,420 this is the next best thing. 121 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:31,360 Wrap both strands of the rope 122 00:07:32,020 --> 00:07:34,340 between the legs and up over the shoulders. 123 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:38,160 If you don't have a climbing partner to slow your descent, 124 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:41,320 you can lower yourself using your body as a friction device. 125 00:07:47,180 --> 00:07:49,300 As long as I keep a firm hold on the rope, 126 00:07:49,380 --> 00:07:52,060 I'm in complete control of my descent. 127 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:57,340 Whoo! 128 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:00,480 Once down, I simply pull on the rope to retrieve it. 129 00:08:01,420 --> 00:08:05,080 On terrain like this, I know I'm gonna need it again. 130 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:09,280 Off the glacier. 131 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:11,180 Got the rope back. 132 00:08:11,340 --> 00:08:14,020 I should be able to make some better progress now. 133 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:22,340 The food, water and shelter that are crucial to survival 134 00:08:22,420 --> 00:08:24,440 all lie below the snowline. 135 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:28,160 Try and pick up the pace a bit now. 136 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:33,140 But getting there brings with it a fresh set of dangers. 137 00:08:34,340 --> 00:08:36,120 Steady here. 138 00:08:38,180 --> 00:08:40,380 It looks significantly warmer where I'm heading, 139 00:08:41,220 --> 00:08:43,220 and not just because it's out of the wind. 140 00:08:43,380 --> 00:08:44,420 OK. 141 00:08:46,420 --> 00:08:49,180 So there, you see all the steam rising off this? 142 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:51,340 This whole area is geothermic. 143 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:55,260 You know, the glacier's one set of dangers, 144 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:58,060 but there's a whole new set of them. 145 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:01,020 OK, let me go first down this. 146 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:06,100 OK, it's good. 147 00:09:11,460 --> 00:09:12,380 Beautiful. 148 00:09:13,060 --> 00:09:16,040 That's the stuff you don't wanna be going into. 149 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:20,260 Iceland sits on a massive fault line 150 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:23,300 that stretches all the way down to the south Atlantic. 151 00:09:24,060 --> 00:09:27,260 Geologically, it's one of the most unstable places on earth. 152 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:32,100 The volcano I'm working my way down is one of 130 in the country. 153 00:09:33,140 --> 00:09:35,260 Man, check the steam coming out of this! 154 00:09:37,340 --> 00:09:38,400 Oh! 155 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:40,380 Basically, what happens is 156 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:43,480 the rainwater seeps down through the rock, 157 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:46,480 hits the magma, gets super-heated, 158 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:50,320 and then shot out as this boiling-hot steam. 159 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:55,260 That's how Iceland can heat 90% of their homes with geothermal. 160 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:57,260 Oh, God, that's hot. 161 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:01,280 OK, follow me, stay close, and watch where you're treading. 162 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:08,300 God, look, the mud's actually boiling here. 163 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:12,120 And that would be a nasty way to go. 164 00:10:12,380 --> 00:10:15,420 Never get out of that. It's just too slippery, all this edge. 165 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:21,060 I've picked my way through a hellish cauldron of sulphurous fumes, 166 00:10:21,100 --> 00:10:23,280 but ahead, even more dangers await me, 167 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:27,180 places where one slip could be fatal. 168 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:40,280 I'm in Iceland, where I've faced 50-mile-an-hour storms 169 00:10:40,380 --> 00:10:43,000 and a hair-raising descent from a glacier. 170 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:46,380 Now I'm in a deadly cauldron of geothermic activity. 171 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:55,220 And if you're in any doubt whether it's boiling water, check that out. 172 00:10:57,060 --> 00:11:00,240 If you had any food, you could actually cook it in that. 173 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:02,400 At least it's nice and warm. 174 00:11:03,060 --> 00:11:04,380 Just feel that heat. 175 00:11:05,380 --> 00:11:08,200 The water spewed out here is rich in minerals, 176 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:10,300 which form a thin and brittle crust, 177 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:13,200 so I need to pick my way through carefully 178 00:11:13,380 --> 00:11:16,100 to avoid becoming a boil-in-the-bag Bear. 179 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:20,460 This is no place to hang about. 180 00:11:21,260 --> 00:11:24,120 There's no food, shelter or drinking water. 181 00:11:24,340 --> 00:11:28,260 Your best bet is to get to lower ground and, ultimately, the coast. 182 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:37,180 Look, you can see a river at the bottom of the valley here. 183 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:42,240 You know, in Iceland, glacial rivers are gonna lead you to the coast. 184 00:11:43,140 --> 00:11:44,420 Let's get down. 185 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:00,360 As I approach the valley bottom, the grass becomes visible. 186 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:04,280 The geothermal heat from the volcano has melted most of the snow. 187 00:12:08,140 --> 00:12:11,340 The earth may be warmer, but the air is still bitingly cold 188 00:12:11,420 --> 00:12:13,460 and hypothermia is a real threat. 189 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:15,160 As you get colder, 190 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:18,180 the brain is forced to work below optimum temperature. 191 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:24,060 There's just this continual cold wind and drizzle. 192 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:27,000 And it's pretty draining, to be honest. 193 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:31,360 Your ability to make good decisions suffers. 194 00:12:32,380 --> 00:12:35,360 In extreme cases, hypothermia can lead to coma 195 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:37,460 and, ultimately, death. 196 00:12:40,100 --> 00:12:42,260 Look, you see the bubbles coming up there? 197 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:49,320 That's boiling, but this bit is glacial and freezing. 198 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:54,080 Sounds a bit crazy, but I'm just wondering whether I might be able 199 00:12:54,140 --> 00:12:56,400 to divert some of the cold water into here, 200 00:12:56,440 --> 00:13:02,100 dig it out a bit, and create a natural kinda hot tub, really. 201 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:08,460 Even the effort of building this hot tub is warming me up. 202 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:12,240 I love things like this, 203 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:15,260 just 'cause I can see this is gonna totally work. 204 00:13:15,340 --> 00:13:19,100 All I've gotta do is plug a few of these leaks with some moss, 205 00:13:20,060 --> 00:13:23,160 create a bit of an outflow this end 206 00:13:23,340 --> 00:13:26,020 so I've got water running in and running out, 207 00:13:26,140 --> 00:13:31,120 and that now is a really nice bath temperature. 208 00:13:31,300 --> 00:13:35,160 And show me a man who doesn't like a hot bath when they're cold and wet. 209 00:13:35,380 --> 00:13:37,160 OK, let's do this. 210 00:13:40,020 --> 00:13:43,160 Right, into nature's hot tub. 211 00:13:44,340 --> 00:13:46,340 Start off here where it's cold. 212 00:13:46,380 --> 00:13:48,240 As I edge forward... 213 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:52,280 ..this is actually way too cold. 214 00:13:53,020 --> 00:13:56,360 So, what I can do is dam this back up again, 215 00:13:57,020 --> 00:14:00,300 stop that outflow, and then this is gonna build up. 216 00:14:01,380 --> 00:14:02,320 And... Ooh! 217 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:04,180 Ooh, I found a bit that's really hot. 218 00:14:04,420 --> 00:14:06,340 Yeah, now that's plugged again, 219 00:14:06,980 --> 00:14:10,140 I can just feel this bit getting nice and warm. 220 00:14:11,420 --> 00:14:12,320 Ahh! 221 00:14:13,060 --> 00:14:15,240 As long as you don't sit on the boiling-hot vent. 222 00:14:19,020 --> 00:14:19,980 Oh... 223 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:21,400 Oh, man. 224 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:25,400 That is absolute heaven. 225 00:14:32,460 --> 00:14:34,220 People have often died 226 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:37,100 because they've failed to spot the onset of hypothermia. 227 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:38,460 It's getting a little hot again now. 228 00:14:39,060 --> 00:14:42,040 It's safe to say now I'm well out of danger. 229 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:45,080 I love the fact that I can just adjust the temperature 230 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:49,000 by letting a bit of flow of cold water back in. 231 00:14:53,980 --> 00:14:58,120 And you could just completely sit out a storm like this. 232 00:14:59,180 --> 00:15:01,300 You know, it could be -40 out there, 233 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:05,040 and the only person who's gonna be alright 234 00:15:05,380 --> 00:15:07,360 is old muggins in here. 235 00:15:09,060 --> 00:15:11,300 I'm rewarmed and rejuvenated. 236 00:15:12,460 --> 00:15:17,020 And that's why most of the battle for survival is won up here. 237 00:15:17,340 --> 00:15:20,460 Think smart and keep your morale up. 238 00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:35,020 I've been dropped high on a glacier in Iceland. 239 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:38,400 My mission - to show you how to survive and get down to the coast. 240 00:15:39,140 --> 00:15:41,160 I'm on the lookout for food and shelter, 241 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:42,960 but my morale has been boosted 242 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:45,400 by an improvised hot tub in a geothermal pool. 243 00:15:51,020 --> 00:15:53,260 That natural bath worked well. 244 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:57,180 I think if you can get your body warm and then keep moving, 245 00:15:57,220 --> 00:16:00,060 you've got a fighting chance of keeping the cold away. 246 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:03,040 There's nothing geothermic about this area. 247 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:05,020 Got snow on the ground. 248 00:16:05,160 --> 00:16:06,360 You know, back up there, 249 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,340 you've got the geothermal heat from the ground to melt the snow. 250 00:16:10,020 --> 00:16:11,260 Definitely colder here. 251 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:13,260 And the wind down the valley. 252 00:16:14,220 --> 00:16:16,180 Try and keep the pace up, keep moving. 253 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:26,080 This river is your route out of the high ground. 254 00:16:27,220 --> 00:16:30,280 It also provides a constant supply of drinking water. 255 00:16:30,980 --> 00:16:33,000 You know, just 'cause you're cold and wet 256 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:35,180 doesn't mean you're not gonna get dehydrated. 257 00:16:35,220 --> 00:16:38,200 You gotta keep the fluids going in whenever you can. 258 00:16:40,100 --> 00:16:42,040 Up here, you can be pretty sure 259 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:44,020 there are no animals to contaminate it. 260 00:16:45,100 --> 00:16:47,280 About as pure as you're ever gonna find. 261 00:16:50,100 --> 00:16:51,080 OK, let's keep going. 262 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:53,420 Following the river means your feet are constantly soaked. 263 00:16:54,100 --> 00:16:57,000 Prolonged exposure to the damp can bring on an infection 264 00:16:57,140 --> 00:16:59,400 soldiers in the First World War called trench foot. 265 00:16:59,980 --> 00:17:01,220 Your flesh literally rots. 266 00:17:01,340 --> 00:17:04,360 Look, that's the first trees I've seen in Iceland. 267 00:17:07,100 --> 00:17:10,180 And that means I can start a fire. 268 00:17:11,120 --> 00:17:12,440 Wood is scarce here. 269 00:17:13,140 --> 00:17:15,180 Much of it has been ripped out for fuel 270 00:17:15,220 --> 00:17:18,440 and to make way for grazing, a process started by the Vikings. 271 00:17:19,100 --> 00:17:20,380 Might be able to get up this bit. 272 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:24,260 That led to erosion of the topsoil, so very little grew back. 273 00:17:24,420 --> 00:17:27,120 It's worth making the most of what you do find. 274 00:17:27,220 --> 00:17:30,000 Look, there's a bit of a cave over the other side. 275 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:31,160 See that? 276 00:17:32,440 --> 00:17:34,400 Probably get across on the few branches 277 00:17:35,020 --> 00:17:37,220 at the top of the gully there as well. 278 00:17:37,340 --> 00:17:38,260 Look. 279 00:17:39,300 --> 00:17:41,380 For people caught in survival situations, 280 00:17:41,420 --> 00:17:44,040 this is often where accidents happen - 281 00:17:44,100 --> 00:17:48,020 when body and mind are sluggish because they're tired, wet and cold. 282 00:17:48,180 --> 00:17:50,080 Just how much of it is living 283 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:52,440 and how much of these branches are dead. 284 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:55,260 However tired you are, never cut corners. 285 00:17:55,380 --> 00:17:58,120 That one is definitely dead. 286 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:00,320 And look, it's a long way down. 287 00:18:02,140 --> 00:18:04,320 But this one, that looks pretty living. 288 00:18:04,360 --> 00:18:06,300 It's got buds on the end, you know? 289 00:18:20,020 --> 00:18:22,280 This needs every ounce of concentration, 290 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:24,100 and a bit of luck. 291 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:28,180 OK. And this is the point that I don't want a branch to break. 292 00:18:36,060 --> 00:18:37,960 OK, good. I'm across. 293 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:45,300 Watch out on this ledge. 294 00:18:50,180 --> 00:18:52,340 Oh, you're gonna love this. Come on, check this out. 295 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:55,960 It's really deep, this cave. 296 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,360 There's good natural protection from the weather in here. 297 00:19:00,120 --> 00:19:02,240 About the only dry thing I've seen all day. 298 00:19:03,100 --> 00:19:05,040 OK, let's get some firewood. Come on. 299 00:19:08,120 --> 00:19:10,420 This will be a great source - silver birch. 300 00:19:11,180 --> 00:19:12,960 Get the bark off this. 301 00:19:13,060 --> 00:19:14,380 Literally, just peel it off. 302 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:19,000 And the great thing about birch bark, 303 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:21,300 'cause it's got so many oils packed into it, 304 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:25,360 it'll take a spark even when it's soaking wet. 305 00:19:26,300 --> 00:19:31,260 Try and fluff all this birch bark up as much as you can... 306 00:19:32,380 --> 00:19:35,400 ..and then that should take a spark. 307 00:19:38,300 --> 00:19:40,060 Come on, take. 308 00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:43,040 There we go. 309 00:19:43,980 --> 00:19:47,220 There have been so many times I've relied on birch bark, 310 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:50,120 one of the best things for getting fires going 311 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:51,420 when it's this wet. 312 00:19:52,060 --> 00:19:54,140 And that's why I can now relax. 313 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:55,980 It's amazing. 314 00:19:56,020 --> 00:19:57,180 As soon as you see that flame... 315 00:19:57,360 --> 00:20:00,220 ..instantly feel better. 316 00:20:02,100 --> 00:20:03,420 Now to sort out my feet. 317 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:06,440 If left untreated, fungal infections like trench foot 318 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:09,040 can lead to gangrene and amputation. 319 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:11,120 Drying them out is a priority. 320 00:20:12,340 --> 00:20:14,320 Look, everything's starting to steam. 321 00:20:15,340 --> 00:20:17,100 It's a good sign. 322 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:19,420 Nothing beats a good fire. 323 00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:23,020 It's not long before I'm warmed through, dried off, 324 00:20:23,260 --> 00:20:25,020 and got a brew going. 325 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:27,220 Look. 326 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:32,020 Having a pee, and saw a worm just coming to the surface. 327 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:36,440 'Cause I reckon if there's one, there's gonna be more. 328 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:41,100 Go and find a load of worms, and that is gonna be supper. 329 00:20:41,260 --> 00:20:42,200 OK. 330 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:48,960 Yes, wet weather and pee 331 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:51,360 are gonna help bring them to the surface. 332 00:20:51,980 --> 00:20:53,200 Another one. 333 00:20:57,100 --> 00:20:58,160 That'll do. 334 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:00,040 Let's get them cooked. 335 00:21:02,420 --> 00:21:07,000 Boil those up and that will get rid of any bacteria that's inside them. 336 00:21:07,140 --> 00:21:08,440 That's a good thing to do. 337 00:21:11,980 --> 00:21:12,960 It's kinda one of those ones 338 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:16,040 you don't know whether to have them one at a time and savour them 339 00:21:16,260 --> 00:21:18,380 or to have them all munched together. 340 00:21:20,180 --> 00:21:22,980 I think we'll go one at a time. 341 00:21:36,420 --> 00:21:40,380 The only thing going for them is they're warm and nutritious, 342 00:21:41,140 --> 00:21:43,420 but they suck when it comes to taste. 343 00:21:47,120 --> 00:21:49,280 It's actually worth, just whilst I've got a fire, 344 00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:51,000 doing a bit of preparation, 345 00:21:51,140 --> 00:21:53,420 so if I need a fire later on, its gonna be much easier. 346 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:56,240 So I've got some grass that's drying out. 347 00:21:56,980 --> 00:21:58,200 That's gonna be good tinder. 348 00:21:59,020 --> 00:22:01,280 One of the things that Icelandic people used to do 349 00:22:01,420 --> 00:22:04,360 to help them with fire is make what's called a char cloth. 350 00:22:04,420 --> 00:22:07,040 And it's basically a bit of natural material 351 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:09,020 they'd really dry out and cook. 352 00:22:09,140 --> 00:22:10,420 So no moisture in it at all. 353 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:12,980 And therefore, when they put a spark to it, 354 00:22:13,100 --> 00:22:15,340 it would go into a really good long-lasting ember. 355 00:22:15,420 --> 00:22:18,220 And, you know, you can use anything for that - a bit of cotton. 356 00:22:18,420 --> 00:22:22,240 And all you need to do is stick it in your cup - it's obviously empty - 357 00:22:22,980 --> 00:22:24,180 put it over the fire, 358 00:22:25,260 --> 00:22:27,960 stick something on top of it to starve it of oxygen 359 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:29,200 so it doesn't burst into flames, 360 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:32,000 and then just leave it for a bit. 361 00:22:34,980 --> 00:22:36,400 About 20 minutes should do it. 362 00:22:45,260 --> 00:22:46,420 OK, then. 363 00:22:47,260 --> 00:22:49,100 See that bit of cloth that's dark? 364 00:22:49,300 --> 00:22:52,280 That will take a spark very easily. 365 00:22:56,360 --> 00:22:57,400 And there you go. 366 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:03,180 I've got a long-burning ember that's just gonna keep burning away. 367 00:23:03,260 --> 00:23:06,400 Stick that into dry grass and I'd have fire. 368 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:10,060 Look, bit of oxygen, it's going on its own. 369 00:23:13,300 --> 00:23:16,080 Keep that nice and dry in an inside pocket. 370 00:23:16,300 --> 00:23:18,980 It means, when I need it, I've got fire. 371 00:23:20,300 --> 00:23:23,120 Now to conserve energy for what lies ahead. 372 00:23:25,060 --> 00:23:26,300 The river gets wilder. 373 00:23:27,140 --> 00:23:28,220 I get wetter. 374 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:33,000 But is it leading to safety, or away from it? 375 00:23:33,980 --> 00:23:35,340 That's a dead end! 376 00:23:55,200 --> 00:24:00,180 My Icelandic odyssey has pitted me against fire and ice. 377 00:24:00,260 --> 00:24:02,380 The obvious route to the coast and safety 378 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:05,120 follows the course of a mountain river. 379 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:11,320 OK, just follow this down. 380 00:24:12,980 --> 00:24:15,120 I don't wanna hang around long in this, though. 381 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:16,400 See this gorge? 382 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:18,260 Prime flash flood territory. 383 00:24:18,340 --> 00:24:21,060 That water level, when it's raining like this, 384 00:24:21,100 --> 00:24:22,240 can rise very fast. 385 00:24:23,220 --> 00:24:25,280 Work our way along and down. Come on. 386 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:30,240 In this narrow, steep-sided gorge, if there were a flood, 387 00:24:30,360 --> 00:24:32,220 the river would rise before you could 388 00:24:32,260 --> 00:24:34,160 climb to safety or anchor yourself. 389 00:24:35,300 --> 00:24:37,400 Keep out of it as much as you can. 390 00:24:40,260 --> 00:24:43,080 The water's flowing straight off a glacier. 391 00:24:43,260 --> 00:24:45,220 It's barely above freezing, 392 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:49,340 and it's rapidly draining the heat from my body. 393 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:52,340 Never stops raining in this country! 394 00:24:53,420 --> 00:24:55,100 Here in the mountains, they can get 395 00:24:55,140 --> 00:24:58,060 over 15 feet of snow and rain in a year. 396 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:01,220 It's all taking the line of least resistance to the coast, 397 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:04,340 and following it is a quick, but risky, option. 398 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:07,100 Big waterfall! 399 00:25:08,260 --> 00:25:11,000 OK, we're gonna need to have to rappel off this. 400 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:13,400 Try and find an anchor point. 401 00:25:15,120 --> 00:25:17,080 Might be able to use this, look. 402 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:20,960 Should have enough rope, I think, for this. 403 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:24,320 Starting to get very cold right now. 404 00:25:25,120 --> 00:25:27,300 The technique is the same as I used on the glacier. 405 00:25:27,340 --> 00:25:29,400 Place a loop of rope over a bollard. 406 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:33,280 That way, once I'm at the bottom, I can pull on one end to retrieve it. 407 00:25:33,360 --> 00:25:35,180 Going to be strong enough, that. 408 00:25:36,360 --> 00:25:39,420 Then both strands wrapped around my body create friction. 409 00:25:39,980 --> 00:25:43,220 This technique works well, but requires nerves of steel. 410 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:46,980 The glacier rappel I did was dry. 411 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:49,360 Back there, I could get a good grip on the rope. 412 00:25:53,940 --> 00:25:57,420 Here, the freezing-cold water stings my eyes and numbs my hands. 413 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:02,360 Keeping any sort of grip on the line is a nightmare 414 00:26:03,020 --> 00:26:05,260 and seeing solid footholds almost impossible. 415 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:20,060 Gotta get the rope back! 416 00:26:21,360 --> 00:26:23,360 If you're gonna commit yourself like this, 417 00:26:24,020 --> 00:26:26,960 you need to be confident that you can keep moving forward. 418 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:29,280 There's only just enough of it in that. 419 00:26:30,300 --> 00:26:32,080 It's quite a long old way. 420 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:43,000 But I'm burning up energy just to keep hypothermia at bay, 421 00:26:43,260 --> 00:26:46,000 and those calories need to be replaced. 422 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:53,000 The average man burns 2,500 calories a day. 423 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:56,040 In a situation like this, you can double that. 424 00:26:56,260 --> 00:26:59,960 That's equivalent to fuelling up with over a hundred apples. 425 00:27:00,220 --> 00:27:03,240 If you're putting next to nothing in, you've gotta think about 426 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:06,100 the most energy-efficient way of making progress. 427 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:13,260 You need to be a little bit careful 428 00:27:13,300 --> 00:27:16,220 following rivers like this through gorges. 429 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:19,160 You've gotta weigh up the alternatives. 430 00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:21,380 You know, out there in the high mountains, 431 00:27:22,060 --> 00:27:23,420 it's crazy winds, a lot of snow. 432 00:27:24,060 --> 00:27:26,080 That's gonna burn up valuable energy. 433 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:28,180 The problem with a cave like this 434 00:27:28,220 --> 00:27:30,280 is knowing whether there's a way out at the other end. 435 00:27:30,420 --> 00:27:33,380 As long as we see a bit of daylight, let's follow this. 436 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:43,060 At the moment, I've still got that shimmer of light. 437 00:27:43,220 --> 00:27:45,020 Can you see? It's straight down there. 438 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:46,960 Let's get down to that bit. 439 00:27:50,100 --> 00:27:53,140 Tunnels like this are carved out by glacial melt water. 440 00:27:53,220 --> 00:27:55,160 I'm just following where it leads. 441 00:27:57,260 --> 00:27:59,080 Come river left. 442 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:10,940 That's a dead end! 443 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:12,980 Keep going river right. 444 00:28:13,120 --> 00:28:16,300 At this point, with a 30-foot waterfall blocking any retreat, 445 00:28:16,380 --> 00:28:18,240 it's all about steady nerves. 446 00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:21,220 Panic now, and you might never make it out alive. 447 00:28:32,980 --> 00:28:34,220 I'm in Iceland... 448 00:28:35,020 --> 00:28:37,140 ..where I've rappelled down a 30-foot waterfall, 449 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:39,920 but I've reached a dead end. 450 00:28:42,260 --> 00:28:44,000 Now I'm backtracking, 451 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:47,160 looking to take an alternative route through this cave system. 452 00:28:58,980 --> 00:29:01,100 It's opening right up out there. 453 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:04,980 You know, that's what I love about the wild - 454 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:08,980 you never really know what you're gonna encounter. 455 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:11,300 But you've gotta keep that pioneer spirit, 456 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:13,400 be prepared to take a few risks, 457 00:29:14,140 --> 00:29:17,120 but also be adaptable if it doesn't work out. 458 00:29:17,260 --> 00:29:20,280 But this is good. It's taken us right through the rock. 459 00:29:25,020 --> 00:29:27,360 Rivers can present a real threat to the survivor, 460 00:29:28,180 --> 00:29:30,300 but they can also be your best resource - 461 00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:33,960 a great source of water and food. 462 00:29:34,980 --> 00:29:37,140 There are trout in these rivers all year round. 463 00:29:37,220 --> 00:29:40,160 If you can spot one under the banks, they can be caught, 464 00:29:40,220 --> 00:29:42,220 even if you don't have a rod and line. 465 00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:44,300 I'm tickling trout. 466 00:29:44,340 --> 00:29:48,240 You know, it's not a black art that people often think it is. 467 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:50,340 You don't actually tickle them at all. 468 00:29:51,060 --> 00:29:53,160 You just bring your hand in very gently 469 00:29:54,340 --> 00:29:59,000 and you're just slowly shifting the fish in towards the bank. 470 00:30:00,180 --> 00:30:02,200 And then when you get him close enough, 471 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:07,180 you just push him against the bank, hold him and pull him out. 472 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:10,360 As the trout works the stream looking for food, 473 00:30:11,060 --> 00:30:14,320 it will hide from its own predators under overhanging banks like this. 474 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,940 And then I should be able to bring him out nice and slowly. 475 00:30:17,980 --> 00:30:18,260 Look. 476 00:30:19,220 --> 00:30:21,040 You just need patience. 477 00:30:21,380 --> 00:30:24,140 And in a river like this, that's gonna be fine 478 00:30:24,180 --> 00:30:27,100 just to bite the head off that and eat it raw. 479 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:34,180 Take the guts out, give it a rinse... 480 00:30:37,140 --> 00:30:39,020 ..and that's fine to eat. 481 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:43,980 That is just what I wanted. 482 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:48,400 There are only about 130 calories in this trout, 483 00:30:48,940 --> 00:30:50,180 but every little helps. 484 00:30:54,060 --> 00:30:55,100 Good. OK. 485 00:30:55,180 --> 00:30:57,160 Keep nibbling that on the way down. 486 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:05,040 Iceland is constantly being reshaped. 487 00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:07,100 If it's not volcanoes and earthquakes, 488 00:31:07,300 --> 00:31:09,360 it's erosion and the effects of the weather 489 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:11,340 that keep tearing the earth apart. 490 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:14,240 Looks like a huge rockfall. 491 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:16,360 Half the canyon's just collapsed in there. 492 00:31:19,180 --> 00:31:23,000 And the river seems to be running straight under it. 493 00:31:23,180 --> 00:31:24,140 Look. 494 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:31,260 Yeah, that is not the way to go. 495 00:31:32,140 --> 00:31:36,920 The problem is the side of the canyon is looking very steep. 496 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:38,000 Look. 497 00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:43,080 This huge scar shows where the land just collapsed. 498 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:46,180 There's no vegetation on it, 499 00:31:46,300 --> 00:31:49,060 which means there's nothing to bind the soil together 500 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:50,400 and create handholds. 501 00:31:54,020 --> 00:31:57,020 Look, this is what I mean. Look, try grabbing hold of that. 502 00:31:57,260 --> 00:31:59,360 I can use this, though. 503 00:32:03,220 --> 00:32:06,180 Make a couple of little mini axes 504 00:32:06,220 --> 00:32:10,120 that I can just drive into this soft moss. 505 00:32:12,340 --> 00:32:15,240 Couple of those in, pull myself up. 506 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:16,320 OK. 507 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:19,320 Sometimes, survival throws up limited options, 508 00:32:20,260 --> 00:32:22,100 but if you do have to take a risk, 509 00:32:22,180 --> 00:32:25,020 make sure you do all you can to minimise the dangers. 510 00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:27,940 Just use these like ice axes - 511 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:31,100 kicking in with my toes, driving in with my hands. 512 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:40,240 Working my way up and out of this canyon. 513 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:49,940 Things I've really learnt in the wild - 514 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:53,180 just give yourself that extra 10% margin for error. 515 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:56,160 You know, you never know when something you grab 516 00:32:56,340 --> 00:33:00,240 is just gonna give way, like all of this stuff. 517 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:05,160 OK, it's good. 518 00:33:10,060 --> 00:33:13,320 Abandoning the river means needing a new way of direction finding. 519 00:33:16,220 --> 00:33:18,920 But that might be easier said than done. 520 00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:21,300 Nightmare terrain this stuff. 521 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:23,120 There's high ground ahead. 522 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:26,180 It should offer a vantage point to get your bearings. 523 00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:30,180 There's no terrain in Iceland that's easy. 524 00:33:30,940 --> 00:33:34,280 You're either on glaciers or canyons 525 00:33:35,180 --> 00:33:38,220 or these short birch forests like this. 526 00:33:38,260 --> 00:33:40,160 But this is about as high as anything grows 527 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:42,400 just 'cause it all gets battered by the wind. 528 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:45,920 Right now, it's an ill wind that blows. 529 00:33:45,960 --> 00:33:47,360 There's a bad smell in the air. 530 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:49,920 Smell something round here, though. 531 00:33:50,280 --> 00:33:52,160 Definitely something rotten. 532 00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:56,180 Oh, look, carcass here. 533 00:33:56,280 --> 00:33:59,240 But you've got to examine every opportunity for food. 534 00:34:01,220 --> 00:34:04,240 Oh, yeah, that's an arctic fox. 535 00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:07,200 Pretty stinky, though. 536 00:34:07,300 --> 00:34:10,220 These guys were actually here long before the Vikings. 537 00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:14,360 The arctic fox originally came from Greenland on drift ice. 538 00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:17,340 Look, there's a bit of blood there. You know, but that's the thing. 539 00:34:17,380 --> 00:34:19,140 You get injured out here, 540 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:23,080 the environment and the elements are gonna have you. 541 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:25,980 Yeah, there's nothing on there for us. 542 00:34:26,020 --> 00:34:27,020 Come on. 543 00:34:32,340 --> 00:34:37,220 Now the final push to high ground, and at last, a view. 544 00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:41,160 Look, you can see the terrain massively levels off now. 545 00:34:43,100 --> 00:34:46,060 Here on the plains, the river meanders to the sea. 546 00:34:46,260 --> 00:34:50,120 Following every twist and turn would take you miles out of your way. 547 00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:54,040 Instead, take a bearing on the coast and move in a straight line. 548 00:34:59,020 --> 00:35:01,300 Trying to find a good point to get across the river. 549 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:05,000 This water is gonna be freezing-cold. 550 00:35:06,300 --> 00:35:10,000 Probably as good a point as any here - under the rapids. 551 00:35:10,360 --> 00:35:12,160 But you can get swept off your feet 552 00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:14,940 in as little as just six inches of water. 553 00:35:15,100 --> 00:35:17,260 OK, once I'm stripped off, we need to move, right? 554 00:35:17,300 --> 00:35:18,920 We need to go fast for this. 555 00:35:20,220 --> 00:35:23,080 So I'm putting my clothes into my pack to keep them dry 556 00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:25,100 no matter what happens. 557 00:35:25,220 --> 00:35:27,100 Time to face the music. 558 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:40,300 I'm in Iceland to show you how to survive 559 00:35:40,340 --> 00:35:42,100 and how to get to the coast. 560 00:35:42,380 --> 00:35:44,940 Following a glacial river is a good method, 561 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:46,160 but now on the plains, 562 00:35:46,200 --> 00:35:49,260 it becomes a meandering barrier that would take you miles off course. 563 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:52,260 This calls for the direct approach 564 00:35:54,060 --> 00:35:56,360 I'm putting my clothes into my pack to stay dry 565 00:35:56,900 --> 00:35:58,300 in case I fall over midstream. 566 00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:00,220 OK, let's go. 567 00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:08,960 You wanna face upstream so you can see what's coming towards you, 568 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:11,140 face the full force of that flow. 569 00:36:11,940 --> 00:36:13,200 And shuffle your feet. 570 00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:15,900 You wanna avoid crossing your feet over. 571 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:19,120 That's when the force of the water hits you and trips you. 572 00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:27,220 Wow, that is cold! 573 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:31,940 I'm just hoping it doesn't get up to the Queensberries! 574 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:39,160 Stinging cold on the legs, though. 575 00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:50,160 Cold legs. 576 00:36:51,060 --> 00:36:52,920 But they're gonna dry. 577 00:36:53,020 --> 00:36:54,280 I'll have warm kit on. 578 00:36:54,380 --> 00:36:57,040 In a few minutes, I'll be good to go again. 579 00:36:59,380 --> 00:37:02,960 I'm out of the river, and facing a new obstacle. 580 00:37:03,020 --> 00:37:05,060 Just crazy, this place. 581 00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:10,180 Beneath the moss is a lava field formed by an ancient eruption, 582 00:37:10,320 --> 00:37:13,160 and it presents a whole new set of dangers. 583 00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:16,340 Just very, very easy to lose your bearings on this. 584 00:37:16,980 --> 00:37:20,000 It just all looks the same. 585 00:37:23,020 --> 00:37:25,220 You need to be a bit careful walking on this. 586 00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:29,260 But if you're cold, as you would be after a river crossing, 587 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:32,920 that can dull your instincts and make matters way worse. 588 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:35,020 You need to get warm. 589 00:37:37,140 --> 00:37:40,100 Actually, what we might be able to do with this 590 00:37:41,280 --> 00:37:43,900 is use this as an insulation. 591 00:37:44,060 --> 00:37:48,140 If you look at it, it's bone-dry, really light. 592 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:52,040 It's exactly how a down jacket works. 593 00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:56,060 Lots of light natural fibres, trapped pockets of air. 594 00:37:56,240 --> 00:38:00,040 It's that insulated air that keeps you warm. 595 00:38:00,280 --> 00:38:03,000 And this is really what I love about survival. 596 00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:05,300 You know, you don't need to have all of the gear, 597 00:38:05,900 --> 00:38:10,020 you just need the will and the determination to improvise, 598 00:38:10,220 --> 00:38:11,260 be a genius, 599 00:38:11,900 --> 00:38:16,040 and come up with cool ways of using what nature's already given you. 600 00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:20,340 It might not be raining, but it is still very cold. 601 00:38:20,380 --> 00:38:25,240 There's that cold wind coming off the glacier in the background. 602 00:38:25,300 --> 00:38:28,320 Near the glacier itself, katabatic winds occur. 603 00:38:28,900 --> 00:38:30,140 The ice cools the air, 604 00:38:30,220 --> 00:38:32,140 then the denser cold air flows downhill 605 00:38:32,180 --> 00:38:33,980 under the force of gravity. 606 00:38:34,160 --> 00:38:37,280 It's amazing. I can really feel that working. 607 00:38:39,180 --> 00:38:41,180 Can't do up my waist belt, though. 608 00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:42,360 Let's go. 609 00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:46,080 And when you're warm, you can make clear decisions. 610 00:38:46,220 --> 00:38:49,320 If you can't see your destination, in this case the coast, 611 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:52,220 keep your starting point, in this case the glacier, 612 00:38:52,300 --> 00:38:54,000 directly behind you. 613 00:38:56,060 --> 00:38:59,060 Eventually, the lava field comes to an end. 614 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:02,260 In its place, bare volcanic sand. 615 00:39:05,060 --> 00:39:06,920 Well, that's the sea. 616 00:39:09,160 --> 00:39:11,300 Pretty wild-looking as well. 617 00:39:11,900 --> 00:39:15,280 And we can't go any further south than this. 618 00:39:15,900 --> 00:39:17,320 There's no sign of habitation. 619 00:39:17,920 --> 00:39:19,320 Towns are few and far between, 620 00:39:19,940 --> 00:39:22,340 so your final choice is which way to go. 621 00:39:22,980 --> 00:39:26,900 Most of the population of Iceland is in the south-west. 622 00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:29,360 So we need to go this way. Come on. 623 00:39:31,060 --> 00:39:35,020 And once you've made your decision, don't dwell on whether it was right. 624 00:39:37,980 --> 00:39:40,100 Look, there's some birds feeding off something. 625 00:39:42,300 --> 00:39:45,300 If there's food for them, there might be food for me. 626 00:39:45,340 --> 00:39:48,320 Whatever it is, it looks big enough for all of us. 627 00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:50,920 I smell it from here! 628 00:39:51,980 --> 00:39:54,260 Huge rotting carcass of a whale! 629 00:39:56,040 --> 00:39:59,040 But absolutely massive! 630 00:39:59,220 --> 00:40:01,360 Once, a sperm whale carcass like this 631 00:40:01,940 --> 00:40:04,200 would've been a massive bounty for local people. 632 00:40:04,900 --> 00:40:07,220 In fact, the Icelandic word 'hvalreki' 633 00:40:07,260 --> 00:40:10,280 means both 'beached whale' and 'jackpot'. 634 00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:13,260 As you see, it's started to putrefy. 635 00:40:13,960 --> 00:40:16,080 Kinda sunk into the sand. 636 00:40:16,260 --> 00:40:19,320 It would've provided lantern oil, bones for tools, 637 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:23,360 skin for clothing and boat hulls, as well as food. 638 00:40:24,120 --> 00:40:26,140 Check out the size of this tail. 639 00:40:27,380 --> 00:40:28,360 God. 640 00:40:30,240 --> 00:40:34,160 We're in the worst place here, downwind of it. Just the stench! 641 00:40:41,120 --> 00:40:42,940 Look at this place. 642 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:47,340 Kinda no wonder I'm the only person around here. 643 00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:52,260 The likelihood of anyone finding you is pretty remote. 644 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:55,340 Faced with over 3,000 miles of coastline, 645 00:40:55,920 --> 00:40:57,340 you just have to trust your instincts 646 00:40:57,380 --> 00:40:59,160 are taking you the right way, 647 00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:02,200 but you should be ready to seize any opportunity. 648 00:41:05,020 --> 00:41:06,160 See that? 649 00:41:07,140 --> 00:41:08,940 That's a plane wreck. 650 00:41:11,240 --> 00:41:13,220 This plane wreck would be a godsend, 651 00:41:14,900 --> 00:41:17,280 a place where you could get in out of the wind and light a fire, 652 00:41:18,240 --> 00:41:21,200 both for warmth and as a signal that others might see 653 00:41:21,320 --> 00:41:23,320 long before you see them. 654 00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:30,060 Forward planning could save your life. 655 00:41:30,220 --> 00:41:32,180 There's nothing here to take a spark, 656 00:41:32,320 --> 00:41:36,100 but I did make that char cloth just for a situation like this. 657 00:41:36,260 --> 00:41:38,040 Tuck this out of the wind 658 00:41:38,220 --> 00:41:41,140 and, hopefully, this should go with a spark. 659 00:41:50,340 --> 00:41:52,000 Now for the tinder - 660 00:41:52,040 --> 00:41:54,980 the dried grass I collected at the cave. 661 00:41:58,900 --> 00:42:00,100 (SIGHS) OK. 662 00:42:01,080 --> 00:42:03,380 A fire like this might attract people to you, 663 00:42:03,960 --> 00:42:05,320 but you should always keep an eye out 664 00:42:05,920 --> 00:42:09,100 and be ready to give a clear signal if you see signs of life. 665 00:42:14,320 --> 00:42:17,260 There's the last of the setting sun over Iceland, 666 00:42:18,200 --> 00:42:23,120 so at least that confirms going in the right direction - west. 667 00:42:36,140 --> 00:42:37,240 (SIGHS) 668 00:42:37,920 --> 00:42:39,980 Crazy day. (SNIFFS) 669 00:42:40,140 --> 00:42:43,080 So nice to have shelter from that wind. 670 00:42:46,080 --> 00:42:48,980 I'm definitely not gonna be leaving Iceland with a suntan, 671 00:42:49,020 --> 00:42:50,100 that's for sure. 672 00:42:51,100 --> 00:42:53,280 As the sun sets, my fire will become 673 00:42:53,320 --> 00:42:56,000 more and more visible to the outside world. 674 00:42:57,960 --> 00:42:59,320 Keep this fire stoked up. 675 00:43:03,280 --> 00:43:06,320 And the gathering darkness reveals a welcome sight. 676 00:43:06,980 --> 00:43:09,260 Suddenly, I can see the beam of a lighthouse. 677 00:43:09,300 --> 00:43:10,300 Come on. Go. 678 00:43:10,380 --> 00:43:13,320 Civilisation is right there on the horizon. 679 00:43:13,940 --> 00:43:14,340 Whoo! 680 00:43:15,140 --> 00:43:16,380 Iceland's lethal cocktail 681 00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:19,140 of volcanic heat and glacial cold 682 00:43:19,180 --> 00:43:20,260 has tested me. 683 00:43:21,120 --> 00:43:23,080 Its terrain has been unforgiving, 684 00:43:23,160 --> 00:43:24,340 the weather unrelenting, 685 00:43:24,380 --> 00:43:26,080 and the stark environment 686 00:43:26,120 --> 00:43:27,320 has presented little food. 687 00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:30,060 But by sticking to the most basic of techniques, 688 00:43:30,140 --> 00:43:33,080 I've shown you it is possible to survive here. 689 00:43:34,280 --> 00:43:36,200 To share my favourite moments from the show,