A compelling reality TV series on BBC3, where five young British men take on the challenge of a lifetime - to spend four months travelling the world, taking on some of the most deadly creatures and hostile places on the planet. It's narrated by Lauren Laverne and features a pretty cool soundtrack.
They started by travelling high into the Andes to become chagras - the weathered, hard-as-nails cowboys of Ecuador. They did battle with the local, deadly fighting bulls, many of which end up in bullrings across South America. Ben - who primarily defines himself as a principled vegetarian - couldn't cope with the reality of slaughter and steaks for breakfast. After some pathetic blubbing he was quickly relegated to women's work, namely peeling potatoes and digging latrines. Dreadlock sporting new age traveller Reuben, having never answered to any authority in his life, failed to take orders from Gerardo the head chagra, and he too was quickly dropped as being a liability. Easton, a tough talking London fireman was taken off the mountain with altitude sickness leaving Nick, a tough guy actor and super confident extreme swimmer Ross to take the bull by the horns. These two proved to be up to the challenge and ended up in the thick of the rodeo, mixing it up, drinking the local firewater at every opportunity, and herding, roping and branding bulls, eventually winning the respect of Gerardo.
In week 2, the intrepid five continued their epic journey as they travelled to the Siberian arctic to become Evenki reindeer herders, a people who have survived in one of the most hostile locations for thousands of years. Extreme cold was to feature very heavily in everything they did. The Brits arrived in "spring", where the nights are long and the temperature drops to minus fifty. The boys had six days to prove themselves to their trainer for the week, Evenki herder Nikolai. To become Evenki they initially had to learn to control a reindeer sledge, the only reliable form of transport in a place where motor vehicles crack and fuel freezes. If they satisfied Nikolai they would travel out to the herd, making camp in bone-snapping temperatures and attempting to fish through a metre of ice. If they come through it all they faced the ultimate challenge of staying out all night, guarding Nikolai's herd from local wolves.
Veggie Ben failed at the first hurdle again, where in such extreme temperatures protein is the order of the day, with vegetarianism simply not being an option. Whilst everyone else was tucking into raw reindeer brain, Ben could only nibble on apples, which proved to be woefully short of calories for the work that lay ahead. He was given one chance to acquit himself, having to castrate a reindeer with his teeth! He couldn't do it so he was out again. Easton bigged himself up as usual only to fail miserably at driving the reindeer around the test course. He too was not to be trusted in such a hostile environment, where one wrong turn can mean freezing to death in a matter of minutes, and he was out. Reuben was in his element, and with Ross and Nick, they weathered a night outside, successfully guarding the herd from wolves and pasing the challenge. So, two each to Nick and Ross, Reuben with one, and Ben and Easton with none.
In week three, the adventurers headed into the jungle of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula to become cave-divers in a vast network of largely uncharted, pitch-black, underwater tunnels. The Yucatan was once a centre of the Mayan empire, and the openings to this watery underworld were sacred. Deep in one of the caverns, close to an ancient temple, a Mayan graveyard contains suspected victims of human sacrifice. The boys had just six days to prove themselves to their trainer for the week, top cave-diver Sam Meacham. Success meant assisting him in an archaeological expedition to explore this mysterious site. For cave-divers death is an ever-present threat and the boys had overcome extreme claustrophobia, intense scuba diving drills and an ability to never panic.
Ben was able to get something to eat at last, but proved too clumsy and scared in a cave that didn't have any water in it. Getting tangled in the guide line - a serious no-no in cave-diving - was the final straw and he was out. Easton had overcome claustrophobia to become a fireman, but the threat of this resurfacing was ever present and he never looked comfortable. Being able to swim is a key cave-diving skill but Easton failed miserably in the 75 yard swimming test, with Sam and Ross literally having to rescue him from drowning. He was out, but very bitter about it. Reuben's inability to concentrate didn't endear him to the trainer, and mistake after mistake made his position untenable. He walked but was angry. Nick, clearly not an amazing swimmer flew under the radar and was allowed to continue despite failing to complete the swimming underwater breath-holding test. Ross, uber-confident as ever, sailed through the whole thing with ease. It culminated with Ross and Nick taking their own dive in the cavern system, and making it out alive, an achievement in itself. Having successfully completed that, they were allowed to dive with the very foxy Mexican archaeologist, mapping the human remains deep within a cave system. This was absolutely top drawer and respect goes out to Ross and Nick, who are looking like they have what it takes to be called Tough Guys. The other three are looking poor, most notably Ben who really needs to grow some bollocks and get over himself.
Next week, they're off to join the boys of the Jaminawa tribe in the Brazilian Amazon to endure six days of a jungle initiation to become men. To succeed they must follow the rules of Jaminawa shaman Carlito, who has taught generations of boys the secrets of the jungle the hard way. If the Brits are to emerge from the jungle as Jaminawa men they will have to do everything Carlito demands of them. It means taking strong hallucinogenic brews to enter the spirit world, involves hunting for crocodile and sacrificing a snake to obtain its secrets, and finally going through a trial-by-pain to atone for the snake's death. So far Ben and Easton have failed every task and this time they simply have to man-up. But since Nick conned his way through to the end of their previous challenge, the group of adventurers haven't exactly been best of friends.
This is proving to be sweet TV and comes highly recommended. Ross and Nick to win.
In week 2, the intrepid five continued their epic journey as they travelled to the Siberian arctic to become Evenki reindeer herders, a people who have survived in one of the most hostile locations for thousands of years. Extreme cold was to feature very heavily in everything they did. The Brits arrived in "spring", where the nights are long and the temperature drops to minus fifty. The boys had six days to prove themselves to their trainer for the week, Evenki herder Nikolai. To become Evenki they initially had to learn to control a reindeer sledge, the only reliable form of transport in a place where motor vehicles crack and fuel freezes. If they satisfied Nikolai they would travel out to the herd, making camp in bone-snapping temperatures and attempting to fish through a metre of ice. If they come through it all they faced the ultimate challenge of staying out all night, guarding Nikolai's herd from local wolves.
Veggie Ben failed at the first hurdle again, where in such extreme temperatures protein is the order of the day, with vegetarianism simply not being an option. Whilst everyone else was tucking into raw reindeer brain, Ben could only nibble on apples, which proved to be woefully short of calories for the work that lay ahead. He was given one chance to acquit himself, having to castrate a reindeer with his teeth! He couldn't do it so he was out again. Easton bigged himself up as usual only to fail miserably at driving the reindeer around the test course. He too was not to be trusted in such a hostile environment, where one wrong turn can mean freezing to death in a matter of minutes, and he was out. Reuben was in his element, and with Ross and Nick, they weathered a night outside, successfully guarding the herd from wolves and pasing the challenge. So, two each to Nick and Ross, Reuben with one, and Ben and Easton with none.
Ben was able to get something to eat at last, but proved too clumsy and scared in a cave that didn't have any water in it. Getting tangled in the guide line - a serious no-no in cave-diving - was the final straw and he was out. Easton had overcome claustrophobia to become a fireman, but the threat of this resurfacing was ever present and he never looked comfortable. Being able to swim is a key cave-diving skill but Easton failed miserably in the 75 yard swimming test, with Sam and Ross literally having to rescue him from drowning. He was out, but very bitter about it. Reuben's inability to concentrate didn't endear him to the trainer, and mistake after mistake made his position untenable. He walked but was angry. Nick, clearly not an amazing swimmer flew under the radar and was allowed to continue despite failing to complete the swimming underwater breath-holding test. Ross, uber-confident as ever, sailed through the whole thing with ease. It culminated with Ross and Nick taking their own dive in the cavern system, and making it out alive, an achievement in itself. Having successfully completed that, they were allowed to dive with the very foxy Mexican archaeologist, mapping the human remains deep within a cave system. This was absolutely top drawer and respect goes out to Ross and Nick, who are looking like they have what it takes to be called Tough Guys. The other three are looking poor, most notably Ben who really needs to grow some bollocks and get over himself.
This is proving to be sweet TV and comes highly recommended. Ross and Nick to win.
Recent Comments