03x03 - Ireland

[bunniefuu]

i'm bear grylls.

i'm gonna show you what it
takes to get out alive

from some of the most dangerous
places on earth.

Whoo!

i've got to make it through
a week of challenges

in the sort of places
you wouldn't last a day

without the right
survival skills.

this time I'm in the west
of ireland...

...where I'll be
fighting my way

along the storm-battered
shore...

This is a forbidding,
forbidding coastline.

...taking on the tough terrain
of the moors...

...and going neck-deep in a bog
in search of a square meal.

i'm off the west coast
of ireland.

to my right lie towering


and to my left
the vast atlantic ocean.

It's open sea all the way

From here to the eastern
seaboard of the united states --

Nearly 3,000 miles.

And all of this area is known
as the wrecking coast.

And looking at these cliffs,
you can see why.

prevailing winds blow huge
swells over from the caribbean.

the wrecks of thousands
of ships litter these shores.

And that's where I'm going.

When the captain gives me
the green light,

I'm off this boat.

And then I'll be like
any shipwrecked sailor

Trying to make his way
in to the shore.

the big challenge will be
to make it there safely.

in these cold
atlantic waters,

this onset of hypothermia
is never far away.

all I'm taking with me are
a few basic survivor tools,

and my camera crew
is coming with me.

At this speed,
if you jump but get it wrong,

You're gonna get injured.

What I'm gonna do, though,
is use a technique

From the special forces called
a fast-boat insertion.

And it effectively makes you
like a human bouncing ball.

Coming up to drop zone!

Okay, go!

i've been dropped more
than a kilometer offshore.

all of a sudden,
I feel very alone.

[ Exhales sharply ]

That took the wind
right out of me.

Okay.

Let's start the swim in.

The first thing that hits you
about this water

Is that it's cold.

You know,
this is north atlantic,

And we've just come out
of a long, cold winter.

So I want to get
into shore quick.

this water is only


cold enough to k*ll you
in 2 hours.

safely through the open water,
I hit my next challenge --

a solid wall of rock,
and I can see no way up.

I need to find some place
just to be able to get out.

Let's see.

the sheer rock faces
look impossible to get up.

then ahead, I see a small ledge
and what looks like a way out.

Well, that's nice to get out
of that cold water.

And it looks like I should be
able to work my way

Along the rocks here.

Whoa.

Almost back in.

Slippy -- these rocks.
Just watch your footing.

i need to get to the top
of the cliff.

only then will I be
out of harm's way.

a local man was recently hit
by a freak wave

and dragged unconscious
off the rocks near here.

his body was later recovered
further down the coast.

this really is no place
to be stuck for too long.

Just wait here a sec.
Let's have a look up here.

the best thing to do
is keep moving

and hope for a break
in the cliffs.

but no break comes.

the ledge runs out,
and I'm stopped in my tracks.

That's a dead end.

Kind of running out of --
running out of options here.

There's just cliffs everywhere.

And really my only choice,
as much as I hate it,

Is just to get back
into this water

And try further on around.

But you need to be a bit careful
of doing these high jumps.

Anything over 25 foot,

You can seriously
injure yourself.

There was a british guy k*lled
only a few days ago.

He jumped like this,
couldn't see the bottom.

But look how you can see it's
nice clear water down there.

As long as I'm beyond this bend.

Okay. I'll go first.

[ Shouts ]

from above, the water looked
at least 20 foot deep --

more than enough to make
the jump safe.

now the crew can follow me in.

Guys, jump!

Nice one.

these limestone cliffs
look impenetrable,

but limestone often has lines
of weakness,

which you can use to get out
of the water and onto dry land.

I can see daylight
through there,

And that might well lead me
through and up.

Let's give it a look.

You need to be a little bit
careful in these sort of places.

You can see where the high-tide
mark goes through here,

And we do not want to get
trapped under these.

[ Spitting ]

And they're quite
claustrophobic --

These sea tunnels.

We're literally swimming
straight through the cliff.

I know this is gonna be a way --
a way out of here.

it's great to be
on solid ground.

now the next part
of my challenge can begin.

the best way to find people,
settlements, and food

will be to head
along the coast.

the way north is blocked
by the brutal terrain,

so the best option
is to head south.

You need to be
a little bit careful

On the edge
of some of these cliffs.

There's quite a drop down here.

And you need to be careful

How you're moving around
these places.

And watch your footing.

eventually, the cliffs give way
to more broken terrain.

now I can get down
to the shoreline

and start to forage for food.

Look -- dead seal.

[ Imitates expl*si*n ]

Pretty rancid
by the smell of it.

Look, see all the --

See all the maggots
in its eye sockets,

From all that rotting,
rotting flesh inside.

their guts full
of decomposing seal,

these maggots are too dangerous
to eat raw.

[ Squishes ]

But what I can use...

Is some of its blubber.

Ugh.

And blubber is --
you know, it's great.

It's used by the innuit

As a really good source of food
and also fuel.

Actually, this one --

This one's hardly got
any blubber.

It's all just
this putrefying meat.

Yeah, if you look
at its teeth -- you see that?

It's lost almost all
of its teeth here,

And that's probably why it died.

It couldn't hunt.

It lost all its blubber,

And then really
that's the end of it.

life is tough here,

and survival is all about
grabbing every opportunity...

...and avoiding the dangers
of this unforgiving place.

i've just fought my way through
the freezing atlantic ocean

onto the west coast of ireland.

now I'm onto dry land,

a whole new set of dangers
await me.

Whoa!

Watch yourself here.

[ Laughing ]
are you all right?

I know what I'll do.

This will help.

Whip a sock off.

Stick it over the end.

I've done this before
on glaciers --

Used it with the snow and ice,
gives some traction.

There's no reason why they
shouldn't work also

Down on the seashore.

Okay, let's see
if this is gonna work.

Oh, look at that.
That's much better.

socks increase the friction
on your feet,

and because of the fibers,

they don't become slippy
when they're wet.

higher up,
the rocks are less slimy,

and I can continue my hunt
for food.

and it's not long
before I'm in luck.

You see that down by the rock?

There's mullet
just swimming around.

That's so close in, though.

I reckon I might well be able
to get a rock and get at them.

Yeah, but they're still there.
Don't move. Don't move.

mullet often feed on plankton
and algae near the surface.

if I can get close to them,
I may be able to stun one.

used by native people
around the world,

it's a very simple
but effective method.

but I've only got one chance.

Oh!

Just missed it!

But not by much!

the mullet have been spooked,
so no fish here.

but buried at the back
of the beach in tidal pools

is a colony
of purple sea urchins.

That orange gloop are its roe --
the eggs.

And this is edible.

[ Slurps ]

And you got people that pay
a lot of money

In a good french restaurant
for that stuff.

[ Spits ]
god knows why.

It tastes like salty orange egg.

[ Slurps ]

But lots of good energy...

And vitamins and minerals.

if water is in short supply,

eating little and often
is the best option.

digesting food
uses up precious fluids.

Hey, look.
Check this out.

There's a shipwreck.

it's no surprise
to see a wreck.

over 10,000 ships
have sunk here.

from the galleons of
the spanish armada in 1588

to the pair charles,

a trawler which went down
with all hands just last year.

This is the old wheelhouse.

But, look, we're quite a way
up the shore.

You can imagine the power
of the sea

To pick this solid lump up

And drop it up here.

You know, but this place sees


That's why.

it's worth a look around,

and maybe I can salvage
something from it.

A lot of serious power
to bend steel like this.

There's not much
that I can use in that.

But there's no shortage of rope.

A lot of this stuff's
quite rotten.

Actually, this doesn't
look...too bad.

the rope's heavy, and I don't
want to weigh myself down,

but it's definitely worth
taking a small section.

this wreck is a harsh reminder

of just how vicious
this coastline can be.

but it goes to show that ships
and people work these waters,

so you're never far
from civilization.

as I travel further south,
the cliffs start to rise again.

i want to get on top of them

before I get trapped
by the tide.

the broken rock face gives me
plenty of handholds.

i work my way up
over the headland.

You want to see
a frustrating sight?

Look at that. You see that yacht
just on the horizon?

A bit too far away for me
to be able to signal.

And you can only imagine
how many survivors

Have had that frustrating thing

Of having safety so close
but so far away.

I bet they're --

I bet they got some nice
sandwiches on board, as well.

[ Exhales sharply ]

Come on, then.
Let's keep going.

in this part of ireland,

the terrain will always
turn against you.

the huge cliffs and rock faces

are now stopping any progress
north or south.

head directly inland.

you should eventually
reach a road

that runs parallel
to the coast.

but that means crossing
the desolate moors,

riddled with deep bogs

and limestone fissures deep
enough to swallow you whole.

This is the time of day
the midges come out, as well.

[ Spits ]

[ Grunting ]

Right on a ledge.

It's fine.
I'm fine. I'm fine.

Just give me a hand over here.
One, two, three.

Look what I went into.
See that?

[ Breathing deeply ]

Now I'm gonna try and find
somewhere to set up camp

Before it gets too dark.

If you go down a deeper one
of these at nighttime,

You're never gonna
come out of them.

All right.
Take a big step over this.

in my next challenge,

i'll be tackling
the notorious peat bogs...

I'm literally stuck
like in cement!

...but the rewards are worth
the effort --

raw sheep's heart.

i'm on the west coast
of ireland

battling
with the rugged terrain.

the country's
only 180 miles wide,

but getting across the desolate
moorland is tough going.

The thing about ireland is
you're never really gonna be

A lifetime away
from people or roads.

But right now,
here on these barren moors,

It does feel like a million
miles from anywhere.

And there is not another
living soul within sight.

these moors claim many victims.

last year, mountain rescue were
called out over 350 times.

and in the last 4 years,

over 40 climbers and hikers
have died.

i'm looking for a place
to shelter overnight.

this coast gets over 100 inches
of rainfall a year,

but there are only boulders
for shelter.

not much chance of a dry night
if the heavens open.

I'm just trying to look in some
of these little rocky outcrops

To find maybe an overhanging
rock I can shelter under.

Something like -- something
like that, only bigger.

Keep looking.

Actually,
this would be brilliant.

Look at this.

And this is ideal.

Now I've got natural coverage
from this rock.

And look how deep in it goes.

now I've secured shelter,
I can search the area for food,

and I don't have to look far.

just below me is a lake.

it's a good place to find frogs
or even birds' nests,

but I need to be careful --
the lake is surrounded by bog.

Here, look. This animal's
been caught out in this bog.

Sheep skull.
And this is what will happen.

They'll come down.

Animals come down
to the water's edge to drink

And then get stuck
in all of this.

Look at my foot --

Just disappears straight in
all of this,

And then it's quite hard
to get out.

But you can tell it's bog
from all of this,

All of this bog cotton.

It only really grows where
it's really damp like this.

But it's getting
pretty boggy here.

Let's just back around a bit.

Watch your footing.

it's no surprise
to find bones here.

thousands of sheep
roam these moors,

and in this harsh environment,
many die.

this one's been left
by the farmer,

but if you could get it out,
it could be put to good use.

Hang on. Hang on.

Hardly get my leg out of there.

By the look of it --
let me see --

Its eyeballs are still in,
so the crows haven't had that.

And there's probably quite a lot
I could use off this.

The thing is,
if I'm gonna get him out,

I do not want to end up getting
all of my clothes soaking-wet.

I'll just take off
my outer shell,

Shirt and trousers, get in,
get that thing out.

That will be worth it.

Okay, just wait there.

as soon as I break through
the surface vegetation,

the mud starts to stick
like glue.

getting out of this
could be a nightmare,

but if you can get the sheep
back to solid ground,

it will have been worth
the risk --

plenty to eat and a way
to stay warm tonight.

[ Grunting ]

I'm literally stuck like...

In cement!

The thing is,
the sheep's on the surface.

This is a buoyant thing.

I need to try and use this
to get myself out.

But it's my feet and lower legs.

They're stuck!

every movement
I make creates suction,

which just pulls me
down deeper.

if you got a stick
or a rucksack,

lay it in front of you
and use it,

just like I'm using this sheep
to create more surface area.

put your weight on it,

and try and wriggle
your chest out.

This is why I've just got
to try and get my leg

Up to the surface.

[ Exhales sharply ]

i'm out of the bog
and back on solid ground.

soon I'll be able to enjoy
the fruits of my labor.

i've just dragged a dead sheep
out of an irish bog.

i want to box-skin it.

the whole fleece will come off
like a tube,

and then I can use it
to sleep inside.

And I'm gonna start right back
here at its backside --

Or its grinner, as I call it.

Cut all the way around it.

next I need to score the flesh
on the legs,

then start to get the skin
off the carcass.

I'll get my hand in like that
and roll my knuckles

And separate the wool away
from all the meat.

using my hands
rather than a knife

means there's far less chance
of cutting the skin.

i want to keep
this fleece intact.

my last job is to break off
the front legs.

[ Cracks ]

with the limbs pushed through,

i can work the fleece up
towards the neck.

[ Grunts ]

Cut through the last bit
of the meat,

And then I should just be able
to twist his head.

And it should pop off.

And then that is gonna be
my sleeping bag.

And then the meat on this --

If you're only ever gonna get
one piece of meat off a carcass,

Go for this bit.

Straight down,
close into the backbone.

And there's this line
of really nice, strong muscle.

Oh, look at that.

That's the bit I'm gonna keep.

now to dig a little deeper.

And there's something like 80
foot of intestines in a sheep.

If you're somewhere really hot,
you can dry this,

And this will make
great cordage.

sheep gut has a breaking strain
of about 10 pounds,

so it can be used for binding
and fishing.

And then right here
in the middle is its heart.

in some countries,

heart is considered the prize
of the k*ll.

and in the middle east,
it's actually eaten raw.

And this is just full of blood,

Which is rich in iron.

And, really, heart is one
of the ultimate survival foods.

Mmm, it's warm, bloody, salty.

That is not nearly as good
as those loins are gonna taste

When I barbecue them up.

freeing it from the bog
was tough work,

but the sheep means I'll eat
well and stay warm tonight.

i want to keep my body
off the wet ground

so I don't lose
too much body heat.

there's plenty
of bracken around,

but it'll be full of ticks.

they are least likely to live
in short grass and heather.

And that's gonna be
a nice spongy mattress.

A parcel.

now to prepare the fleece.

And then I just need to get
my legs inside this.

And the extremities are
an important part to protect.

It's where you lose
most of your heat,

'Cause the blood vessels
are close to the surface.

You want to protect your head,
your hands, and your feet.

But this should be
nice and snug,

Even though it looks
pretty disgusting.

It's a sheeping bag.
That's what it is.

even with my fleece,
the night gets freezing-cold,

and if I'm not careful,

it's gonna be dark before I can
find fuel for my fire.

The problem is up on these moors
is that there's hardly any wood,

So what I'm doing is just
cutting some of this dried peat.

And this stuff burns
really well.

And the best place
to collect it from

Is on the overhanging bits
where the sun's dried it out.

Once you get too deep into it --

Look, it all gets
a bit damp again.

But this stuff is great.

peat needs a strong flame
to catch.

i'm getting the kindling
burning really well,

so the peat doesn't put
the fire out.

And all of this dry heather
burns brilliantly.

Man, that makes a change.

And then I've got some
of this dried-out peat.

And the irish have used
peat as fuel

For hundreds and hundreds
of years.

And it's good because "a,"
there's masses of it,

But it also burns really hot,

But pretty smokelessly
and without much of a flame.

It's gonna pump out
a serious amount of heat.

i've got a cool way
to cook my sheep loin

without charring it.

And all I'm gonna do
is cook the meat

In between these bits
of damp moss.

And what that's gonna do
is stop the meat burning

And keep the meat
nice and moist.

It's kind of like
a natural steamer.

these loins will take
about 15 minutes to cook.

all I can do is sit back
and wait.

Let's try this.
Yeah, look, it's steaming --

Steaming nicely.

Pretty fatty,
but that's a good thing.

Loads of calories in this.

That is also definitely
better than bugs,

And there's masses of it.

as the day comes to a close,

the weather starts to turn
for the worse.

It's almost sunset now,
and it's just started to rain.

But, you know, a lot of
my family are from this place.

I was actually brought up
in ireland

Until I was about 4 years old.

And, you know, for me,
coming back here,

It's special, really special.

And even though it's raining

And it's beginning to get
a bit cold,

I just love it here --
really love it.

And look at that for a view.

but bad weather
always has a way

of bringing you back
to reality fast.

It's been raining really hard
now for about an hour.

And this cave that I thought
was quite watertight

Is actually leaking
like a sieve.

You know, and I'm lying in
basically quite a lot of water.

Which is not much fun.

But, you know,
that's ireland for you.

The weather can change.

Sometimes you just got to keep
your chin up

And pray for morning.

[ Sniffles ]

i've spent the night sheltering
under rocks on the irish moors.

yesterday, as darkness fell,
the weather closed in,

and everything changed.

wet, wild, and freezing-cold,

it suddenly felt like
a much more dangerous place.

And the words "roof repair"
spring to mind.

But, you know, people often
think about ireland,

That it's not
an extreme environment,

And they come ill-prepared.

And, actually, that's why
it can be so dangerous here.

And it's that nasty combination
of wet, wind, and cold.

And that's really why people
get hypothermic.

but wool is a good insulator
even when it's wet.

and this fleece has done
its job well.

Okay. On my way.

heading away from the sea
takes you east.

somewhere inland are roads,
towns, and people.

but between me and them
lies some tough terrain.

Just watch.

Wait there a sec.

Man, that is quite a drop-off
down this to the stream.

The thing is, looking up here,

You see the other side
of the stream --

Quite nice, comes gently down.

But this side --
loads of these cliffs.

And I could probably find a way
if I kept going up the top,

Find a way around...

But I've got this rope,
and really...

Yeah, there's no reason
why I shouldn't use that.

Let's try it.

the rope I recovered earlier
from the shipwreck

isn't long enough to get me
to the bottom of this valley.

i'm gonna try
and lengthen my rope

by unraveling and knotting
the strands together.

but I may need it again,
so when I finish the climb,

i want this rope back.

and I know just the knot.

It's called a kamikaze knot
'cause it is a dangerous one.

It involves cutting the rope,
and you need to get it right.

And what you do is --
if you hold that end.

Hold that tight.

You make three loops.

One...

Two, three.

Take a turn on this one.
Another turn this side.

Put that loop through it
and pull that tight.

The tension is in those two,

And this one can go slack.

And before you go, you cut it.

And then once you've cut it,

As long as you keep the tension
on it, you can rappel off that.

And then when you get
to the bottom,

You can release it,
give it a flick,

And it's gonna come away.

That bit stays at the top,

And the rest of the rope
comes with me.

my rope secured,
I'm ready to go.

now to cut my lifeline.

And, you know, really,
it's against every instinct

In a climber's body
to cut a rope.

And, you know, I've never used
this knot before.

And if I'm honest,
I'm nervous about this.

But the important thing is,
is tension stays on that now.

Okay.

this classic rappel technique,

where the rope
comes through the legs,

'round the body,
and down the back,

should get me down,
but it's risky.

if you fall this distance,
it's certain death.

And, you know, the vast majority
of climbing accidents happen

When people are rappelling.

And that's without
a kamikaze knot.

i don't know how long
this rotten old rope

will take my weight,

and the line's got
to stay taut,

or the kamikaze will release.

i've got to keep moving,

but the rope's starting to cut
into me, and it's agony.

i've got no choice,
and I've got to take a break.

Just got to get my foot
on this little ledge...

Whoo!

...just to take the pressure
off my groin for a second.

[ Coughs ]

Okay, we're almost down anyway.
Look -- last bit.

solid ground
is tantalizingly close.

i just need the rope
and the knot to hold

for the last little bit.

Well, the knot held.

Let's see if I can get it
away now.

[ Spits ]

Brilliant!

Well, that's the first time
I've used that, but it worked!

retrieving my rope
is a real bonus.

always try and keep hold
of your kit if you can.

if you're stuck
on high moorland,

where there's little to eat,

following a stream
is a good plan.

it's just the place
to find small trout,

and there's plenty of water
on tap.

but just because
it's fast-flowing

and crystal-clear doesn't mean
it's safe to drink.

Look -- that's why you need to
be careful with these streams.

You see that?
Dead sheep.

And often you can be lower down
in these things --

Think "lovely, clean
mountain water."

But you'd be wrong.

You've got this sort of thing
higher up --

It's gonna contaminate
a lot of this.

And you'll easily get, like,
e. Coli or streptococci,

Both of which can give you
nasty diarrhea and vomiting.

And if you're in a survival
situation, that can k*ll you.

So make sure you boil the water.

i won't be drinking from this,

but I will be following
the stream

to get down to lower ground.

as I descend, I leave the moors
behind and enter grassland

and head towards a large loch.

on the far side,
there's woodland,

which means food and shelter.

but the huge expanse of water
is in my way.

and my next challenge is gonna
be a chilling experience.

This water really
is bitingly cold.

i've come to the edge
of a vast irish loch.

on the other side,
there's a very welcome sight.

You can see trees on the other
side of the lake,

And, really, that's my first
sight of woodland

Since I've been in ireland.

You know, this place
is so, just so exposed,

But trees mean food and shelter,

And that's really where
I want to be heading.

some irish lochs
can be 20 miles long.

you might be tempted
to swim across,

but they can catch you out
big-time.

You know,
that might not look very far,

But I can tell you
from experience,

It's often much further
than you reckon.

And one of the most important
things you've got to do

Is make sure you've got
enough flotation --

Just something
that can help you

If you get halfway and you're
really having a battle.

I've got this rucksack
for flotation,

But I can make that much bigger

By using this sheepskin,
as well.

the skin is waterproof.

if I seal the fleece
with the wool on the inside,

it should stay dry
and help keep me afloat.

i'm also packing it with grass
and bracket.

this creates air spaces,

which gives the fleece
even more buoyancy.

using the salvaged rope,

i can seal the holes where
the sheep's legs used to be.

The most important thing
for me, though,

Is to make sure
I've got dry clothes

To put on the end of it,
especially in this wind.

with my worldly belongings
safely inside the sheep,

i can seal up the hole
in the neck.

and now I'm ready to go.

And the last thing I want to do
is try and put some air in this

And blow through it -- leg hole.

every bit of buoyancy
is gonna count.

Now, that looks pretty...

Ready to go.

Man, this is gonna be
chilly perkins!

the water is only a few degrees
above freezing --

cold enough for hypothermia
to set in

in less than half an hour.

and the windchill makes it
feel even colder.

This water really
is bitingly cold.

And the wind's really, really
blowing me, as well.

But at least this is giving me
something to hold onto.

recently, a group went boating
on an irish loch.

the weather turned, and they
capsized in six-foot swells.

most reached the shore,
but one teenager went missing.

helicopters scoured the area,

and he was finally found,
but too late.

Now I'm over halfway,

And I reckon now
the wind's less here,

In the lee of the mountain.

It's making it a bit easier.

I'm kind of using sheep
just to shield me a bit.

But sometimes you just got
to get into the groove

And keep going.

now I'm out of the wind,
it's getting easier to swim.

the pace picks up, and soon
my feet hit solid ground.

[ Breathing deeply ]

Cold -- I'm really shivering,
shivering now.

Try to get my fingers working
on that.

[ Breathing deeply ]

I pray these are still dry.

And, yeah, they...

i need to get warm quickly.

my sheep floaters worked,
and my clothes are dry.

it was worth the effort.

I need to get dressed
and then get moving.

And I know as soon
as I start...that,

Then I'm gonna be warm again.

Okay.

I'm on my way.

woodland is an ideal
environment

for anyone having to
live off the land.

unlike the moors,

there's plenty of firewood
and lots to eat.

but, for now,
I'm gonna keep moving.

i want to get the blood pumping
and warm up a little.

once I got inland,

i always knew that civilization
wouldn't be far away.

Hey, look.

and I've just found it.

A track --
and that means one thing --

I'm out of here.

ireland has been a spectacular
land of contrasts.

it's easy to lose all signs
of the modern world.

step off the beaten track,

and this place can turn
very wild and very threatening.

but it's a place I still love.