03x04 - South Dakota

[bunniefuu]

i'm bear grylls,

and 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
where you wouldn't last a day

without the right
survival skills.

i'm in south dakota,

home to three of the most
incredible wilderness areas

in the u.s...

Just back up.

...the black hills,
the great plains,

and the barren,
forbidding badlands.

This has to be one
of the most precarious ridges

I've ever gone down.

this is a place
where the weather...

[ Thunder rumbling ]

That is very, very close.

...the wildlife...

They're going to come.

You do not want to mess
with them.

...and the terrain
can all be K*llers.

Flying over the black hills
of south dakota.

It's over 8,000 square miles
of granite mountains,

Forest canyons,
and massive cliffs.

the lakota native americans

gave the black hills
their name.

but from up here,

it's a huge expanse
of forest and jagged peaks

as far as the eye can see.

it's remote, and it's wild.

This place sees some of the most
volatile weather on earth

With massive temperature
changes, flash floods,

And these violent
electrical storms.

There's no way the chopper's
gonna be able to land

Amongst those trees.

The only place they're gonna
be able to put me down

Is on the top
of one of these pinnacles.

It's never easy!

the pilot's gonna bring me in
about 15 foot above the summit.

then it's down to me.

i landed in bright sunshine.

but within minutes,
I'm getting a taste

of south dakota's
volatile weather.

Just a spectacular landscape.

Look at that.

Quite an intimidating place
to be.

If you're gonna feel small
anywhere, it's out here.

What worries me more
at the moment is all of this.

Look at that blue sky
over there.

That has definitely moved on.

And heading this way
is all of that stuff,

Those dark thunderclouds.

And this whole area's notorious

For lightning
and its electrical storms.

I'm right here on the top
of this pinnacle,

Probably the worst place
you can be for lightning.

[ Thunder rumbling ]
that's the thunder.

My priority's got to be --
get down.

south dakota
is in tornado alley.

10 miles above,

changes in the direction
of the jet stream

can turn the weather here fast.

i'm at the highest point
for miles.

and if I don't get off
this rock,

i'll become
a human lightning conductor.

This isn't very clever,
either.

Let's try this way.

this black hills granite

is great for climbing
when it's dry.

but once a storm hits,
it becomes lethal.

This is what I mean
by changeable weather.

We got all of this rock
that was bone-dry earlier

Now like running wet.

I'm only just about...

Look at the amount of water
flowing down this now.

200 foot below the pinnacle,

the black hills terrain
is still tough going,

steep and slippery.

in just a few hours,

the black hills could throw
four seasons of weather at you.

the temperature once changed


driving rain quickly gives way
to blazing sun.

perched high on the hills
are some abandoned buildings.

if you're lost out here,

you'd need to try and use
anything

that could help you survive.

Definitely an old mine.
It looks long since abandoned.

Look at that.

gold was discovered
in the black hills

in the 1870s.

most mines closed long ago,

but in a remote spot like this,

there's a chance
something's been left behind.

any kind of rope, sheeting,
or tools could be a lifesaver.

Now, that I can use.
An old bit of car tire.

If I burn this stuff,

It's gonna make black smoke,
good for a signal fire.

Cut it into strips for cordage,
you can use it in spring snares.

So I'm gonna take that with me.

Let's see what else
we can find here.

You can actually see
the old drill mark

Straight down into the rock.

And this looks like the entrance
that's been filled in.

Let's have a look.

And, actually,
there might well be something

That can help me down there.

But actually I can see
a bit of light, as well.

Can you see that?

Which means, at least,
it's gonna be well ventilated.

But first of all, I'm gonna need
some sort of torch.

i want to break a stick off
a living branch.

the green wood won't burn.

i'm splitting it at one end

and folding strips of bark
into the gap.

it should give me
about three minutes of light,

enough for a quick look around.

I can just jam all of
this birch bark into this "v."

The birch bark's gonna burn
really well.

There's so much oil in it.

Okay.
We'll work fast now.

Here,
pass that little camera.

this mine working
could be unstable.

it's an ideal spot
for bats, rattlesnakes,

even mountain lions.

you need to be so careful
exploring places like this.

Such an amazing place.

Okay.

Try and work fast.
Have a look on the ground.

See what we can find.

Old nail.
Take that.

There's something quite eerie

About being deep underground
under a mountain.

It's not a place you want
to hang around long in here.

There's another nail.

i can use these as digging
sticks or to split wood.

This is beginning to die now,

So I'm gonna start
to work my way out.

Oh, no.
It's gone out.

But you see the shaft of light
straight up there.

So I see where I've got to go.
Let's get out of here.

I keep sliding backwards.

[ Grunting ]

foraging in the mine workings
was worth the risk.

but now I need to get down
from the black hills,

and that's not gonna be easy.

[ Grunting ]

That's a little bit closer
than I like.

i'm in the black hills
of south dakota.

the weather has changed again,

and I want to get down
into the valley.

this rain is making the granite
slippery and treacherous,

and I'm looking
for another route.

ahead is a pine tree.
It might just be the answer.

Watch yourself here.

Looking like
another big drop-off.

Take my rucksack off.

It's loads of loops
and webbings all over it.

And I've had it before

Where I've actually gotten
caught up in a tree,

Suspended by my rucksack.

You feel a bit daft.

So if I put it under my jacket,

It's gonna keep me
from tangling.

it's a leap to reach a branch,
which bends but holds.

[ Grunting ]

Good old pine tree --

Lots of resin,
that means bendy branches.

but I've got a problem.

all the strong living branches
are at the top of the tree.

and now it's raining harder,

making everything
even slippier.

Okay, the problem is I'm slowly
running out of branches now.

[ Grunting ]

That's a little bit closer
than I like.

Okay, it's the last
like 15, 20 foot down.

I'll see if I can
just wedge myself.

when there's no more branches,

all I can do is chimney
my way down using the rock.

Okay.

even when it's cold and wet,
you can become dehydrated.

in this terrain,

you can easily lose a liter
of fluid every two hours.

water is always a priority.

Even though I've got
this nice stream here,

Really I want to be boiling
water before I drink it.

And what I'm making here is
what's called a four-stick fire.

And it's just a really good way
of containing a fire

That's gonna burn
really strong and hot.

It'll boil water fast.

All I need now, though,

Is some sticks
and a bit of tinder.

Oh, birch tree.

And this stuff is great.

All we've got to do is cut
into a bit and peel it off.

that's the tinder.
Next, I need some fuel.

avoid living wood

or anything that's been lying
on the ground getting wet.

small, dry twigs
like these are perfect.

And what you want to do
is build this up

Into a tower really
of twigs and birch bark.

And you just crisscross it.

four uprights
hold everything in place.

and because they're green wood,
they don't burn.

And that's a match going.

And I can stick that
under there.

And this thing's gonna go up.

The cup on top.

And let it do its business.

a handful of spruce needles

will add vitamin "c"
and bit of flavor.

Here you go.
Use a bit of this moss.

Moss mitts.

Let's give this a try.

Mmm.

Sprucy.

but heading further downriver
is gonna be tough going.

Quite a drop-off.

The river's
in pretty well full flood.

Do you see
all that brown water?

That makes it difficult to judge
how deep this is.

jumping into unknown water

is one of the most dangerous
things you can do

and should only ever be
a last resort.

If you had to jump this,
your best bet is to go

Where the main force
of the water is pounding in.

That's where it's most likely
to be deepest.

The problem is, though,

All of that white stuff's got
masses of air in it,

And it doesn't give you
any buoyancy when you jump in.

So you probably want to aim
just beyond it.

by wrapping everything
tightly in my jacket

then putting it in my rucksack,

i should be able to keep it dry
for a minute or so, at least.

Okay, the moment of truth.

the water's so cold
it takes my breath away.

i've got to get
to the shore fast.

my gear won't stay dry
for long,

and I want to be
on my way quickly.

I'm actually...

That's worked great.

i've made it down in one piece,

and I'm ready
for the next challenge.

[ Birds chirping ]

i'm nearly out
of the black hills now

and looking for somewhere
to make camp for the night.

i haven't found a site yet,

but I have found something that
will really help me when I do.

All of these here are cattails.

And they're called cattails --
look.

See?

They look a bit like
the tail of a cat --

Well, quite an old cat.

But these are great for tinder.

They'll take a spark
really nicely.

But also for insulation --
stuff them down the shirt,

They'll keep you warm
in the nighttime.

It's gonna get cold out here.

So I'm gonna take a load of this

And use it for that
and for my fire.

Actually, you know,
this wouldn't be a bad place

To think about making camp.

Once I'm at the great plains,
it's just gonna be barren,

And there's gonna be
no materials.

But here, look.

I'm amongst the trees,
got loads of materials.

Got water.

This is gonna be great.
Maybe around here.

What I'm gonna try and do is

Make myself a traditional
native-american w*r camp.

the lakota survived
in this environment

for hundreds of years.

warriors would make
these shelters

when they're
on a scouting expedition

because they could be
constructed quickly and quietly

using the most abundant
material --

dead branches.

And then what I want to do
with these

Is weave some cord around them
to hold those strands together.

What I can use just to improvise
that is my belt.

And then what
the native americans used to do

Is just weave it together.

And if you take the middle one
and lift it over the top,

It will tourniquet on itself
and tighten up.

And then that's ready
to make the tripod.

all I have to do now is layer
the shelter with more branches.

it will give protection

from the sun, the wind,
and any light rain.

but if we get
another thunderstorm,

i'll be in trouble.

building a watertight shelter
here will take a long time.

and I want to use
the rest of the daylight

to forage for some food.

It's definitely actually
much cooler in here.

And it might not be much,
but for tonight it's home.

And I think so much of survival

Actually is about
the mental battle,

Taking control
of your situation.

And this definitely gives
a little sense of security,

And that's an important thing.

but you can't afford
to be complacent.

i want to go hunting,
but first I need a weapon.

A deer antler --
probably a whitetail.

Tell that from the way

Their antlers tend to curve
and face forward.

But actually I know
what I can use this for.

Catapult.

I made loads of these as a kid,
but never out of antler.

I just need some way
of getting some elastic.

i can use the stretchy cord
from my rucksack

and tie loops in it

using a knot
that will tighten on itself.

with a little practice,

a catapult is
a very effective weapon.

it's compact, quiet,

and accurate up to a distance
of about 20 meters.

And then all I need
is some of that old tire

To use as the actual sling.

And that then now is ready.

All I need
is a bit of ammunition.

but later on,

getting a meal is gonna be
the least of my worries.

There you go.

There's the lightning.

Really, I'm not in a good place
inside this tepee.

Just back up.

i'm in the black hills,

hunting with
an improvised catapult.

these hills are home

to cottontails,
jackrabbits, and raccoons.

i don't think I'll be able
to k*ll an animal outright,

but with a good shot,

i might be able to stun it
long enough to grab it.

See that little chipmunk?

i'm gonna have to be quiet
and stealthy

so I don't spook my prey.

[ Catapult snaps ]

[ Catapult snaps ]

Close.

i move in to see
if I can get another shot.

but as I do, the cameraman
spots a dangerous predator.

[ Rattling ]

another step and he could have
been badly bitten.

Man: bear.
Yeah?

There's a snake down here.
What?

Snake.
Is there?

Okay.

it's a rattlesnake.

[ Rattling ]

and it's a big one.

[ Rattling ]

That's his rattle going.

he'll make a great meal,
but it's a dangerous target.

snakes bite around 8,000 people
a year in the u.s.

and without treatment,
this could be fatal.

Okay, stand back.
Stand back.

He's pissed off now.

Stand back.

[ Thumps ]

[ Rattling stops ]

Okay.

Cool.

Well, I went out
trying to get a bunny,

Missed a chipmunk,
failed with a catapult,

But won with a stick.

And that's one rattlesnake.

My heart is thumping,

And I'm so pleased
to have got that.

What I'm trying to do here

Is dig what's called
a dakota fire pit.

And this is something
I first learned

As part of combat survival,

Where the aim is really
to stay concealed

And to hide your fire.

the pit will protect the fire
from the wind,

as well as insulating
and containing it.

And then if I dig another pit
of the same,

Probably about here.

this second sloping pit
will feed air to the fire.

And then push through
so we join the two holes up.

Okay, we're through.

but the weather's turning
ugly...again.

I'm just using this juniper bark

To fluff up and to make
into a bird's nest of tinder.

those cattails I gathered
are good tinder.

they'll take the spark
and light the juniper.

one strike of my steel
and it's alight.

You can see
what's happening here

Is all of the air is being drawn
through this hole

And then funneled
through the fire.

And that's why these dakota
fires burn so hot and so nicely.

15 minutes after I k*lled it,

my dinner is still trying
to escape.

by weaving
some green sticks together,

i can make a griddle
to cook it on.

And to gut this, all you do...

Is grab its skin
and gently peel it back.

And then this,
you can see all of that?

It's good meat.

And put it over the coals
and just let that cook.

The only thing I'm worried about
is if it really pours of rain,

I've definitely made
the wrong shelter.

Don't rain.

[ Thunder crashes ]

Looks like those prayers
haven't been answered.

Reckon I've probably got
about 10 minutes

Before the heavens open.

it's a race against time.

apart from more deadwood,

the only available material
is sage,

which I can try and use
as a thatch.

I can already feel it spitting.

And I'm trying to pile
this amount of sage on.

I can tell you already,
it's a losing battle.

The best thing I can do
is get my coat on and huddle in.

Okay, guys,
it's gonna be a wet one.

Snake, you're on hold.

[ Thunder rumbles ]

And, really,
if you can hear thunder,

You're in a danger zone.

If the difference between
the thunder and the lightning

Is less than 30 seconds,

That lightning
is capable of k*lling you.

So you need to do something
about it.

There you go.
There's the lightning.

Really I'm not in a good place
inside this tepee.

Just back up.

You want to keep away from
mountaintops, trees, caves.

Your best place, actually,
in a lightning storm,

Is out in the open.

You want to make yourself
as small as possible

And just crouch on your feet
and make yourself like a ball.

[ Thunder rumbles ]

There you go.
There's lightning.





[ Thunder rumbles ]

And there's the thunder.

Six seconds means only
just over a mile away.

That is very, very close.

even if that gap
is getting bigger,

you're not safe.

lightning can strike 10 miles
beyond the edge of a storm.

all I can do is sit tight

and wait until the worst
of the storm passes.

[ Thunder crashes ]

There's still thunder around,
but the rain's eased.

I'm gonna take my chance
and try a bit of this snake.

[ Crunches ]

Mmm.

Nice and warming
after that soaking.

Before I settle down
for the night,

I'm also just gonna stuff
my jacket

With all of these cattails.

And the idea of this is

It then becomes like
a big down jacket

And traps the air
and insulates the heat in.

Well, it's stopped raining,
which is good.

And these cattails
stuffed down my jacket

Are actually keeping me --

I can feel they're keeping me
quite insulated.

But there's no getting away
from it --

I am damp, and I am wet.

And I'm just trying to think
of the morning, you know.

And everything always feels
much better in the morning

When the sun comes up.

Doesn't it just warm your bones?

i've spent the night
in my w*r camp

at the base of the black hills.

the storm eased off overnight,
but I was already soaking.

As much as it pains me,

I'm kind of finished
with this camp now.

And I want to get my belt back.

before I head into the plains,
I'm looking for some food.

in amongst the grass
are buffalo grapes --

bitter, but packed
with vitamin "c."

Here you go.
That's prairie turnip.

You see that?

And this is what
the native americans

Used to collect and dry as food.

And you can tell it's prairie
turnip -- just see those leaves.

They're like a star,

Pointed in loads
of different directions.

What I want is the root.

Give them a pull.

You can see this white
protected bulb inside.

And that's what I want.

Let's tie it to the rucksack
and let it dry out.

Okay.

my next challenge lies
in the great plains,

a million square miles
of grassland

stretching across 10 states,

an epic landscape every bit
as tough as the black hills.

It's just deceptive
how huge this whole area is.

And it's just mile after mile
of these rolling hills.

It kind of feels like you're
adrift just in a sea of grass.

But it is --
you know, it's tiring.

before white settlers arrived,

the great plains were home

to dozens
of native american tribes.

in places, you can still find
stone circles like these.

they're tepee rings,

used to weigh down the bottom
of their tents.

some farmed,
but many were nomadic,

following
their richest food source.

Now, those bison are coming
straight this way.

Okay, get into cover.

These guys are fast,
you know?

They'll run
up to 30 miles an hour,



You do not want to mess
with them.

Just keep this side.

in yellowstone national park,

bison have k*lled or injured

four times as many people
as bears.

a herd like this
is an awesome sight,

but it's nothing compared
to what I could have seen here

200 years ago.

then, 60 million bison
roamed the great plains,

and herds stretched
for 20 miles or more.

but by the end
of the 19th century,

they'd been hunted
to the verge of extinction.

Okay, nice and steady.

once the stampede has subsided,
I can get a little closer.

but this is something
you should never attempt.

And you see
they herd quite well.

They will move away from us.

bison are unpredictable.

even if they appear
indifferent,

they can turn on you
in a second.

they've got a choice
of weapons.

as well as their horns,

they can use their huge skulls
as battering rams.

And this is definitely
the right side to be on them.

Once they've gone past you,
then you can relax a bit.

but the wildlife isn't the only
danger on the great plains.

dehydration
is a constant threat.

with very few rivers
or streams,

finding water out here
can be a real challenge.

See all of that really lush
vegetation around there?

That's a good indicator
of water.

You can see especially
all really concentrated

Around that area.

And that means it's gonna be
a natural spring.

Okay.

What you're gonna do
is dig down into this.

In a moment,
all of this -- look.

Pretty gunky and horrible.

But once it fills up,
if I let all that sediment sink,

I should be left then with nice,
clean water at the end of it.

And there you go.
You see it's filling up.

Look how fast that's filling up.

And what I can do is just scoop
out all of this first,

Bit of the water.

And not really drinkable.

And then let that fill up again.

And this is looking much,
much clearer now.

I'll fill this up.
You'll see what I mean.

Look at that.

And that really
is good to drink,

Straight from this little well.

It's a dead bison.

bison are found
on vast ranches,

tens of thousands of acres
without a human being in sight.

looks like this one's been shot
and left here by a rancher.

Man, look at all the flies
all over this.

And this has been dead
probably three, four days.

And the native americans
used to use every bit of them --

Hide as skins for their tepees,

All of the meat
and fat for food,

Even the bones for tools.

But...
[ Sniffing ]

...by the smell of this,

This is gonna be
pretty far gone, I think.

But there is still parts of this
that I can use.

[ Air hissing ]

Man.

I got a double nostril full
of that stench.

But look.
You see all of this.

This is w-- aw, man!

Well rotting.

And that means the meat
from that is gonna be no good.

But there is still part of this
that probably still is edible.

And this is it --
the fat in the hump here.

And the fat is always gonna take
longer to decompose.

Oh, man.

Actually looking at that --

All of that
has started to go, man.

That's no good.

And I've made the mistake before
of eating stuff that's bad.

And you pay the consequences,
and that isn't any good.

i could use the hide and bones
to make a shelter.

but I'm on the move,

and the extra weight
would just slow me up.

my next challenge
takes me off the plains

and into the badlands.

[ Grunting ]

This has to be one
of the most precarious ridges

I've ever gone down.

i'm heading to the place

where the south dakota prairie
stops dead

and the badlands begin.

Man, look at this place.

It's literally like
the great plains

Just drop off
and disappear into this.

And this is what they call
the badlands.

I know one person described this

As an image of hell
once the fires have burned out.

And you can see what he means.

What I know is there's a road

That runs
from the north to the south,

The other side
of the badlands.

And that's the way
I want to head.

But to be honest, I have no idea
what is gonna be down here.

Ohh!

Just take it really easy
on this stuff.

It is loose.
Look.

Really, I think my best bet
to get down

Is following these ridges.

as I head down
into the badlands,

i'm heading back in time.

each different colored layer

represents tiny grains
of sand and clay

laid down
over 75 million years.

It's literally like sitting on
top of a cake that is crumbling.

Look.
This is what I mean.

much of this
isn't really rock at all.

it's fossilized soil,

and it's changing every day

as wind and water erosion
bite into it.

it's terrifying
because you can't trust it.

This has to be one
of the most precarious ridges

I've ever gone down.

Ohh!

Below this it's just
a really sheer drop down here.

I'm gonna have to try and take
my chances in the gullies.

Let's try this one.

Oh!

Ow.

Okay, well,
we're down in this gully.

The truth is,

I won't be able
to climb out of this now...

If I wanted to.

Well, this looks like the bottom
of the canyon in the badlands.

You can see, though,

Just how hard it's gonna be
to navigate in this,

All these twisting,
maze-like canyons.

Trying to go up
and over these gullies

Is just gonna be impossible.

trying to head
in a straight line

is not an option
in this godforsaken terrain.

you should preserve your energy
and avoid getting too fatigued.

i'm gonna follow this riverbed

and keep looking for
an easier path cross-country.

at the bottom of the badlands,

temperatures
can reach 120 degrees.

there's no wind,

and the sun's rays
just bounce off the rock.

to make matters worse,

all the water down here
is undrinkable.

it's loaded
with clay particles,

and you can't purify it.

I see why native americans
and wild-west outlaws

Used to come to the badlands
for a place to hide away.

You know, it really is just
so remote, so barren, so hot,

But also so confusing.

Nope.

it's a real test
of endurance and stamina.

time to refuel.

Good time just to have a couple
of these prairie turnips.

I'll leave that one.

And what the native americans
used to do --

They would often dry these out.

And then when they wanted
to eat them,

They'd re-soak them,
boil them up, and eat them.

But these really are fine
just to eat raw.

Hard...

But it could be
something to chew on

And good carbohydrate.

the carbs
are a good energy boost.

but the shadows
are getting longer,

and I'm no closer
to getting out of here.

further down the riverbed,

the landscape opens up a bit

and the peaks look
a little less forbidding.

now I can start
to make some progress.

and with a little help,

i reckon
I can beat the badlands.

Look.

I can actually use
a bit of this dead juniper bush

To make myself
a bit of an ice ax.

juniper is a tough hardwood

and one of the few plants

that grows
to any size down here.

And that then
is gonna do as an ax.

Just put in and pull on.

Okay, one more of those

And they'll help me
get out of this place.

All right,
this is working quite nicely.

And the way
you want to use these

Is just like an ice ax.



Improvising.

That's what surviving
this place is all about.

And they might not be the
prettiest ice axes in the world,

But at the moment
they're doing their job.

this slope's deceptive,

much steeper than it looked
from below.

i'm halfway up,
and it's nearly vertical.

this fossilized soil
is giving way with every step.

Whoa!

[ Panting ]

Sorry.

Not quite as foolproof
as I hoped.

But I'm quite nearly there.

One more go.
Come on.

a bad fall here might not
k*ll you straightaway,

but get seriously injured

and getting out
would be almost impossible.

getting up that scree
turned into a real mission.

But even worse
is the view from the top.

[ Panting ]

mile after mile
of more badlands.

Whoa!

i've struggled up
a near-vertical scree

in the south dakota badlands,

and the view from the top
is worse than the climb.

[ Panting ]

[ Sighs ]

And that is not
what I was hoping for.

I really thought it would be

A bit of a plateau
or something up here.

But instead
it's just mile after mile

Of all of these gullies
and ravines.

Pbht!

the only consolation
is that getting down

is gonna be easier
than going up.

That's a fast way.

navigating the badlands
is hard, dehydrating work.

any water is undrinkable,

but there are
some sources of fluid.

Hold your horses.

Come by here. Look.

Prickly pears.

See those?

This is quite a godsend.

You can actually get water
and energy out of these...

Always a bit careful
cutting these though.

Have a look at this.

It's not only those big spikes,

But it's the tiny, little hairs,
microscopic hairs.

And if those get in you,

They really, really
irritate the skin.

If you eat it, you're really
gonna know about it.

And once you think
you've got all the skin off,

Just re-check it.

You do not want these little
hairs in your mouth.

And the reason these are good
is that 80% is water,

And the rest is sucrose.

So you're gonna get
energy, as well.

Okay, that looks clear.

And it tastes
a bit like warm cucumber.

it's late afternoon,

and the sun has
all but disappeared.

there's precious few materials
to make shelter or fire with.

i'd rather just keep going.

the intense heat has eased now,

and I can't be
far from that road.

It's a good, bright night,

And the going's
definitely easier now.

That road has got to be close.

in the darkness,
I can see headlights,

which means the road
is definitely nearby.

the black hills were stunning,

the vast prairie awe-inspiring,

but the badlands showed

just how tough it is
to survive out here.

it's the end of my adventure,
and I've experienced

three of the wildest places
to survive in

right in the heart of the usa.