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00:00I'm Ross Edgley, and I've done some pretty crazy things in my time.
00:14As an ultra-athlete, I ran a marathon pulling a car.
00:19I did a triathlon carrying a 100-pound tree.
00:23I found a 65-foot rope repeatedly until I climbed the height of Everest.
00:27I set the record for the world's longest assisted stage swim.
00:31157 days around the entire coast of Great Britain.
00:37But now I'm going to take on my most extreme adventure to date,
00:40swimming around the entire coast of Iceland.
00:48100-mile-per-hour winds, 60-foot waves, and killer whales for company.
00:53It's going to be beautiful as I get to see Iceland.
00:58But brutal.
00:59Let's go!
01:00Let's go!
01:31So this is why they call it the land of fire and ice. This is just volcanic. It's just fresh lava
01:46The only way to describe this is just beautiful but violent at exactly the same time
01:52I've been obsessed with Iceland ever since I started trying to break records in open water swimming
02:04And to swim through Nordic folklore, but that's inspired my athletic adventures for years. That's amazing
02:11There's nowhere else in the world where they have volcanoes mountain ranges frozen fjords all in such close proximity
02:19Add to that just crazy wind and waves storms
02:25I just cannot get the idea of swimming around it out of my head
02:32Ross Aisley my brother the start of the swim
02:36Iceland what is wrong with you mate you are an absolute lunatic i love you so much i'll be cheering you along go get him son
02:42So now standing here kind of a few days out i'm probably wired a little bit wrong
02:52But when people say it can't be done or it's impossible
02:56That's kind of when I get a little bit more excited if it's been done before or people feel it's kind of tangible or achievable
03:02It actually puts me off. I don't like it. This is basically uncharted territory
03:07But out there that is going to be my swimming pool
03:10It's going to be my home for what could be three months could be four
03:14It might not even be possible if the nordic gods decide that i'm not allowed to swim around
03:19I quite simply won't be allowed
03:21And i'm not joking either because anyone who knows iceland knows it's a land of myths and folklore
03:26And my absolute favorite story is all about how iceland is protected by four sacred guardians
03:34So the entire swim starts near reykjavik on the west coast in the kingdom of the bull
03:40So first we swim north towards the west fjords
03:45This is where things get a little bit tricky
03:49The winds here blow straight in from the atlantic
03:53So if you manage to survive that you basically then get to the top of iceland and that's where we touch the arctic circle
04:00And the realm of the eagle
04:03Water temperature here can drop to two degrees celsius
04:07I mean needless to say that does not sound warm
04:10I've had hypothermia twice now on two different swims
04:14It is not pleasant on both occasions everything went dark and i woke up in hospital
04:19You come around the east coast into the land of the dragon and come down the side this is where things get even more tricky
04:30The southeast coast the land of the giant has some of the most dangerous riptides in the atlantic and
04:37Just because there's sheer cliff faces there's not actually any harbors
04:41So if something went really really badly wrong there wouldn't actually be a way to get me to a hospital or anywhere
04:46quickly
04:48So with a swim like this you just need in your back pocket lots of reasons to continue
04:53Fortunately i have quite a lot
04:58Every day we collect data so scientists can find out more about iceland's marine life and the threats facing their survival
05:06That's amazing
05:09Personal records are kind of nice also as well. I just want to see iceland
05:16So i've come to this place just because i've been told that it can bring good fortune to seafarers on an expedition and let's be honest
05:25I'm going to need a lot of that i'm going to swim around iceland
05:32It's said that some 900 years ago sailors were caught in a terrible storm here
05:38Praying for their lives an angel appeared and guided them to safety and the miracle church was built
05:46Every single sailor every single fisherman said come here
05:50It's it's spiritual it's special yeah
05:53Comes you down and everything it's something about this church something about the past
05:59hmm the angels
06:00It gives you good luck have a good journey swimming journey for you especially
06:11You need that so you won't freeze
06:14But i don't think you will freeze
06:17You've been sailing here for 40 years yeah around that yeah since i was 17
06:22Okay so how bad can it get out the north atlantic sea is very very bad
06:29How how bad are we talking how big are the waves 28 or more oh
06:34The wind is the worst right so the temperature might say like two degrees but with wind chill it just feels so much worse
06:41It's couldn't be minus 20 like that oh okay
06:45Okay
06:46Right um is there a reason nobody's tried this before
06:51I don't know
06:53They didn't find the right person
06:59Good answer
07:01Hey ross bear here just say iceland brutal it is unforgiving thousand miles in the sea
07:18Ice cold this is gonna be a tough one brother come on
07:25On this swim there's obviously two enemies firstly the distance
07:29One thousand miles well that's a long way to go but more importantly it's just the cold that's the real enemy
07:37My wetsuit is probably the single most important thing on this entire adventure
07:42How's the wetsuit been
07:44Fresh
07:46Fresh
07:46Very fresh
07:48Very fresh
07:50Can't feel my lips
07:51Oh my gosh
07:53He's put his thumb up he's okay
07:55It's awesome hester's come out which is which is amazing she's my girlfriend of 13 years
08:01Genuinely she's amazing and uh you know for her to be
08:06In iceland i consider myself incredibly lucky because i'm very aware that i'm a bit of a feral boyfriend
08:13This is me
08:14All right thank you
08:14I've i've done everything i can so right now two days out this is
08:23Kind of the culmination of what has been almost a year of training
08:27And i've just been working up to to basically 12 hours a day
08:31So i think i've probably put on about 15 kilos and not a pretty 15 kilos as well
08:37I'm i'm not gonna win any beauty pageant so i feel fat i feel insulated
08:42And swim for 12 hours a day and if you can do that in theory there's a chance that you might then be able to do iceland in theory
08:52With past adventures i've had to be really single-minded but this one's a little bit different
08:57So hester is five months pregnant. I am so excited. It's a baby boy
09:03But we weren't quite expecting this so this adds another level of pressure it's going to be due around september
09:09Which is exactly the same time that we're due to finish this swim not ideal lots of pressure
09:23That looks epic
09:24And that does look amazing
09:27So this is my home for the next three months it's been around the world quite a few times
09:32And perfect for surviving any crazy storms iceland throws at us
09:38We're gonna meet the crew uh they're stocking at the moment getting food provisions everything like that
09:43The crew of nine will be my new family for the swim
09:46It feels like it's starting to feel really real
09:49Feels like my first day at school it feels like you're dropping me off
09:52Oh
09:56How are you permission to come aboard
10:02How are we
10:05This looks amazing
10:07Everything up this looks epic
10:08On these long swims our support boat is so important it's my bedroom it's my kitchen
10:15It's my hospital if anything goes wrong you just have everything in one place
10:19Right downstairs
10:21Cozy
10:22Yes
10:23It looks nice isn't it everyone down here together
10:25I love this
10:27So you'll be sleeping down here
10:29Oh wow
10:31Feels like a like a for want of a better term a womb
10:34Yeah
10:35Just kind of like
10:37Just cuddle up
10:38This is it
10:38I'll do a long swim just cuddle up
10:40Genuinely like a little rabbit hole
10:42Yeah
10:43No I love this
10:44Okay um
10:46Done I feel pretty good about this now
10:49Yeah
10:49I'm glad I'm glad
10:50One more question Maisie uh the little boys
10:53Room
10:54Toilets
10:55Yes we have two of those on board if we head on out that way
11:01En suite toilet so in here we have one of our toilets it is very very basic
11:07It is just a toilet um but on board we have over 400 loo rolls so I hope that's enough for you
11:14I don't know what you've heard
11:17Anyway I've got a lot to get on with so I'll leave you here
11:20Amazing okay that feels good though thank you Maisie thank you so much thank you
11:29Being here now and seeing this it's kind of come to reality it's uh
11:35Dawning on me that I'm now gonna have to do what I said I was gonna do and that sounds really strange but uh
11:41It's it's kind of sobering but exciting at the same time so uh like I said
11:48I think now
11:50As we set off
11:52Clueless but keen
11:54Hey big dog Eddie here a thousand mile swim what is wrong with you you are a crazy crazy man
12:02But if anyone on the planet can do it it's you big dog good luck
12:06So we're just about to head to the start line and there is a mix of nerves and excitement
12:24Blend that all up mash it up and times it by a hundred that's kind of what I'm feeling
12:31Let's make sure we keep eyes on ross at all times one to two boat lengths like we've said
12:43Regular rotations on the helm so we can keep a nice straight course for ross
12:47And we need to keep those logs both the yachts log and the dive or swim logs up to date
12:52See you brother
12:55Love you big rig
12:58You have conquered ice list
13:01Thank you so much thank you
13:04Legend okay
13:08Only a short swim
13:10Never a short swim
13:19Thanks
13:29No
13:32No
13:35No
13:37He's off in his adventures.
14:07It honestly makes me so happy to see him like this,
14:10because sometimes he's like a caged baby bear
14:13if he wasn't doing anything like this.
14:16I can't put into words how unique he is as a human being.
14:32We'll be back in a few months.
14:34I might have a massive bump by then,
14:36or there'll be three of us instead of two.
14:39So today is the big day. We just swim north, go clockwise, 1,000 miles, come back to the finish.
14:58Really simple in theory, brutal in reality.
15:06You swim when the tide is with you, and then you rest when it's against you.
15:11Swim for six hours, rest for six hours.
15:15On board the support boat, a crew of nine, led by Captain Jake Carter, watch my every move.
15:22Excellent work, guys!
15:24So I have to keep reminding myself, this is kind of a migration, it's not a marathon.
15:40Every stroke, every tide is taking us into the unknown.
15:54I follow the boat like my compass, shadowing its every move as we slowly head north to our first landmark.
16:01The Londranga Cliffs, 50 miles away.
16:11I need to swim at least 12 miles a day, every day, if I'm to make it back by mid-September for Hester and the berth.
16:19That first swim in five degrees Celsius water is much tougher than I expected.
16:32Might be easier for him if we're on the other side.
16:39Hypothermia starts off with a kind of numbing of the fingers and the feet.
16:43And then you start shivering as the body kind of implodes and your physiology collapses on itself.
16:55After only a couple of hours in the water, the team starts to get really concerned and pull me out.
17:02Thank you!
17:03Mark it now! Mark!
17:13Do you need to take the wetsuit off?
17:14Er, yeah.
17:15Oh, this is great!
17:16I'm not here.
17:17Carry on.
17:18One shoulder first.
17:19There we go.
17:20I think I'm in shock at this point.
17:21I literally can't speak.
17:22My face is so cold.
17:23I think I'm in shock at this point.
17:24I literally can't speak.
17:25My face is so cold.
17:30We get a sleeping bag ready as well.
17:51Feel something off the street, mate, or holding your hands?
17:55Er, yeah.
17:56It's not a great start.
18:06Hypothermia just creeps up on you.
18:08It's like this silent killer.
18:10You think you're okay, but you're really not.
18:17Me, being completely naive, decided to go in a three-millimeter wetsuit.
18:22I think Iceland just slapped me with the cold, threatened me with hypothermia.
18:28Huh?
18:29Er, yeah, please.
18:35I might go downstairs.
18:36Is it warmer downstairs?
18:37Yeah.
18:38Down downstairs.
18:39Is there anything else you can do at the moment?
18:51Er, I think he's, er, he's definitely a bit cold.
18:54Er, he's shivering.
18:56It's a good sign.
18:57Cognitive.
18:58He's got all his wits about him, so we've got him, er, stripped down.
19:01We've got a timer on, ten minutes.
19:02We're going to check him again.
19:03We're trying to get that hot drink down him.
19:16Okay, swim one, done.
19:18That was absolutely brutal.
19:20Get, hopefully, a few hours sleep, and then just catch the next tide,
19:25because that's how you swim around Iceland.
19:31After that first swim of just ten miles,
19:33I knew that Iceland was going to be far tougher than anything I've ever done before.
19:38You just have to be naive enough to start, stubborn enough to finish.
19:42So, we actually have really perfect conditions out here today.
19:59It's super, super light winds.
20:00The sea state's pretty much flat, which is perfect for Ross and his swimming.
20:05At the moment, he is asleep, but he will be getting up pretty shortly to get back out,
20:10because we don't know how long this is going to last,
20:12and we need to cherish it whilst we've got it.
20:15Yesterday, I really struggled with the cold.
20:19And it was a brutal lesson learnt very fast.
20:25I will not be making that same mistake going forward.
20:29We will be going thicker wetsuits now.
20:35He's just struggling with the sea motion
20:37and getting enough food down at the moment.
20:39I think once we've overcome that, it'll be okay.
20:43So, you've got to go east very slowly first to get back to the waypoint.
20:47Okay?
20:48And then once we get going, it's going to be a course of about three-two-zero.
20:51Okay?
20:52Cool.
20:54So, because this is a stage swim,
20:56we're just getting to the exact coordinates where we finished the swim yesterday.
21:00This is so important, because at the end of the swim,
21:02you've got to join up all of the dots to make sure that you've successfully circumnavigated Iceland.
21:08Very important.
21:09And so, overnight, the daily rhythm of my life is turned upside down.
21:15I've become a slave to the six-hour tide windows that can help sweep me north twice a day.
21:22Okay, mate, you're doing good?
21:23You look like you're swimming well.
21:24Good stuff.
21:25We are now going to have shorter periods in the water, so maybe two hours-ish.
21:28And then we're actually going to throw him some warm, or hot, electrolytes as he's in there going,
21:31just to warm up his body.
21:32tide windows that can help sweep me north twice a day okay mate you doing
21:40good you look like you're swimming well good stuff we are now gonna have shorter
21:47periods in the water so maybe two hours ish and then we're actually gonna throw
21:52him some warm or hot electrolytes as he's in there going just to warm up his
21:57body and give them a little little bit of a burst every half an hour hopefully
22:04that will mean that he couldn't stay in the water for longer
22:10where's Solomon whoa
22:14black fin to both legs that close yeah there it is you see that oh yeah it's
22:23quite far away basking shot
22:30this is a swim first and foremost but also it's an amazing opportunity to
22:36pioneer a scientific first
22:41Solomon is collecting samples every day for Iceland scientists to analyze back on
22:46land so what we've got going on is two different experiments this special
22:56apparatus here is for collecting eDNA of the water so that's environmental DNA it's
23:03little bits of skin that flake off little bits of feces in the water just anything
23:09that can give us an indication of the sort of organisms we have on the sea it's like a
23:16hoover and it's gonna pump the water in through one of these filters gonna trap all
23:26the eDNA we want so when the scientists back on land break this down and run it
23:32through their computers we'll be able to tell everything present in the water just from this
23:36filter
23:39it's so accurate it can identify DNA shed by marine creatures up to tens of kilometres
23:45away I'm also collecting the same seawater for our microplastic research so they can
23:53label a map of the whole of Iceland to get an idea of all the microplastics in the water
23:58to here if we manage to get all the way around what we'll be left with is this immense collection
24:05of information telling the story of the coastline of Iceland it's never seen before
24:11swims are nice records are great but a higher purpose is just a little bit better
24:18so today's swim is going better thicker wetsuit is keeping me warmer but an old enemy is back
24:29so currently my arch nemesis is seasickness makes eating and drinking kind of hard so I'm just not
24:43getting the calories in so I'd feel a little bit dizzy
24:48Benny's also really suffering
24:55the morning has been eventful Ross has gone in the water I jumped in the tent and jumped in the
25:04water as well so film him however it is also accumulated in me throwing up over the side
25:11because just getting in and up tender even though it's quite calm it still actually moves quite a lot
25:18not feeling great massive headache do you think this hydration thing with the headache or think so I'm just feeling really sick
25:42a couple minutes ago we stopped to give him his warm bottle of water and he was saying that he's feeling quite dizzy
25:55he got back to it for about a minute and then decided that he was he was gonna have a timeout so we've got him out the water he's down low
26:03ready for you
26:05ready for you
26:07ready for you
26:09so currently I am
26:11fighting a losing battle
26:13with seasickness
26:15can't really eat much
26:17and I think especially in the cold as well because you're shivering your calorie requirements just go through the roof
26:23and if you're not able to put in
26:25as much as you're actually expending then kind of things just implode and that's kind of what's happening right now
26:33try to push through but if you're just not eating enough it's kind of a recipe for disaster so yeah it's the cold mixed with seasickness
26:44that is currently my two biggest enemies
26:50it's three in the morning and a really weird sensation as the sun is already up we're down to just two hours of semi-darkness now
27:13Ross is doing better
27:17been in there for about two hours now
27:19he's cold but we're feeding him more regularly so we're feeding him every 20 minutes of hot liquid and all his electrolytes
27:25that seems to be giving him enough break and warmth internally
27:29his stroke rate's up
27:31staying about the average 52 strokes a minute so
27:35everything going right now
27:37weather's got colder but he seems to be doing okay
27:41seems to be doing okay
27:43I think the mental preparation is just as important as the physical
27:47it's almost like solitary confinement
27:49but thankfully the scenery around Iceland is stunning
27:53snow-capped mountains, whales come and visit
27:57it will make everything a little bit easier
27:59we have our first Mickey showing up on the boat
28:05he's coming right up on the surface
28:07and he's curious
28:11as we start to approach the headland of the
28:13Snayswolzeyokull National Park
28:15I might have my head down in the ocean as we pass it
28:17but it's just the most incredible area
28:26like much of Iceland
28:28it's quite literally littered with the remains of all these dormant volcanoes
28:32and the jewel in the crown is the huge Snayswolzeyokull volcano
28:42capped by its own glacier
28:44and one of Iceland's 32 active volcanic systems
28:48I can't speak, is my tongue bad?
29:04no it feels horrible
29:06it's bad
29:08no
29:10you're lying
29:12and five days in
29:16I have a new problem
29:18as salt water starts to rot my tongue
29:24here you go Ross
29:26thank you so much
29:27that should keep you going buddy
29:28you're welcome
29:30you're welcome
29:31nice effort
29:32thank you
29:33thank you
29:34I'd usually destroy a bowl of pasta
29:38but my shredded tongue makes swallowing and talking really difficult
29:45I'm really hard on myself
29:47just because I know that
29:50the ocean does not care if you are chafing
29:53if your tongue is falling off
29:55if you are cold
29:56it does not care
29:57the tide will change and you're either in or you're not
29:59and if you're not you don't make it round
30:01so
30:02really feeling the support and love from the crew
30:07but
30:08it's
30:09it's not good enough
30:14in my opinion
30:15I'm not swimming well enough
30:17I just know what Iceland requires
30:20and it's not this
30:23I am aware how strange this looks
30:31but
30:33from now on
30:35I'm going to be sleeping with
30:37a jar of coconut oil
30:40under my pillow
30:42reason being is
30:44it's the only way
30:46I can actually moisturize my tongue
30:48and stop it from falling off from all the salt water
30:51so
30:52it's fair to say
30:54it's fair to say
30:55life's got pretty weird
30:57since trying to swim around Iceland
30:59trying to swim around Iceland
31:00raw dogging coconut oil
31:16trying to forget about my tongue
31:18I have no choice but to crack on
31:20over the next five days
31:22we slowly conquer
31:23the battle
31:24of our first bay
31:25by swimming around the clock
31:27with each favorable tide
31:29that was crazy right
31:34the waves that you had last night
31:36have been sort of one and a half
31:37maybe two meters at times
31:38you happy
31:40yeah
31:44Ross seems a lot better today
31:45morale seems to be up
31:46he's eating a lot more
31:48yeah hopefully we've turned corner now
31:50we all start to adjust to the daily rhythm of life on board
31:54like it feels unbelievable for me
31:56like it feels unbelievable for me
31:57but as a team it's just been
32:02yeah
32:03you know
32:04ten strangers thrown together
32:07with the shared goal
32:08to help me through this swim
32:10these conditions are an absolute gift
32:13Iceland is never like this
32:15we get a distant visit from Orcas
32:19there was quite literally something in the water
32:21there was just this eerie
32:23kind of
32:25there were shapes
32:26there were noises
32:27and despite worsening chafing
32:29and leaving bits of my tongue around Iceland
32:32oh hello
32:33oh yeah that's worse
32:34yeah
32:35with tidal help
32:36we get 8.7 miles
32:37on just one swim
32:408.7 Ross
32:41it's a good one
32:42best one yeah
32:44as our winning streak continues
32:46we've finally passed the headland
32:48at the Snafells Yockel National Park
32:51first base milestone
32:57thank you so much guys
32:58thank you
32:59yeah
33:00thank you
33:01first bay
33:02done
33:03and then inevitably the weather starts to change
33:08strong winds forces to take shelter in a bay overnight
33:18come and talk to us big dog
33:20you legend
33:21absolutely
33:22throw one sentence together
33:23last night was the most physically demanding ordeal of my life
33:38sorry
33:40sorry
33:41that was a while
33:42really
33:43it was that bad
33:44yeah
33:45i passed out of the toilet
33:47yeah
33:48aww
33:50i was there for like four hours just retching and then passing out and retching and passing out
33:54it was horrible
33:55that's horrendous
33:57it was
33:58i'm not joking
33:59not joking
34:00it was the
34:01fiscally worse the other bit
34:02through
34:03if it makes you feel any better then here's a total of you
34:05passed out on the toilet
34:06and glass
34:08sorry
34:09so
34:13weather's closing in a little bit again tonight
34:15there's
34:16probably less than a 50% chance of getting the next two swims in
34:19so
34:20we're gonna make the ground fjorda now
34:22about four or five hours away
34:24so
34:26yeah
34:27so that's the plan
34:28so
34:29off we go
34:30right on
34:31right on
34:32right on
34:33bro
34:34as a huge load builds in the atlantic
34:36northerly winds over 30 miles per hour start to batter iceland's west coast
34:41so obviously we leg it for shelter
35:02conditions for ben go from bad to worse
35:09we ride out the storm in the port of grunda fjorda protected from the weather by the steep cliffs that circle the fjord
35:22i think i'm gonna have to ruin myself from this adventure
35:28oh no really
35:29oh no
35:30what
35:31we were joking about iceland taking souls
35:34oh no
35:36it's really quiet it's claimed one
35:38we are
35:40is that
35:41is it that bad
35:42i can't do that
35:44it hurts
35:45so i'm gutted on a number of fronts
35:49but as we're grounded here for a couple of days
35:51we're gonna make the most of it and explore west iceland
35:56there's a local legend a guy called carrie and his family just know everything about this area
36:01they're born and bred here so they know everything about just the folklore the sagas the stories the culture
36:07so he's gonna take us on a little bit of a pilgrimage of the local area and i can't wait
36:14and it starts with an amazing stop at a community street art center which carrie created
36:21here we got permission to make like an outdoor gallery oh my god this is awesome
36:29the whole motive of swimming around iceland really was this idea of swimming through nordic folklore so now i'm on land i just can't wait to learn about elves giants mermaids anything and everything i'm keen
36:43this is unbelievable
36:46this is unbelievable
36:47yeah i like it
36:48what happened here
36:49all i can see is some big green boob
36:51here are some ghosts from frowdhau
36:53here is the troll lady sorceress that came over to like put spells on workers
37:00this is baurður
37:02this is the first man that settled in the area
37:05so our local saga is based on his adventure
37:09this is amazing
37:11it's just the icelandic identity is storytelling you know that's how we survived that's how we kept our spirits up for the for centuries you know but i would also like to show you some other things if you're interested some special places maybe
37:24amazing i want to see them all
37:26more
37:27yeah go on let's go
37:29where kari took me next just blew my mind
37:33despite this region being so remote and wild it turns out traces of ancient settlers have been found all over this area
37:41very rich with history we are
37:48okay so this looks good why is this special i think it's special for you because of the uk connection
37:56this is the well of the irish the irish monks that most of us believe were the first like real settlers human settlers of this area so very very old old old stuff
38:11that's amazing that they would have just left island headed north
38:15yeah
38:16and just oh
38:17yeah
38:18can you imagine being here in the ninth century
38:22it's believed to have served the purpose of both getting some water but also it has a religious element to it as well
38:30and what is this
38:32yeah that's the worst eyebrow of a whale
38:34just just hanging over the entrance
38:36the irish they made a well
38:38yeah
38:39and then took a massive whale bone
38:40yeah
38:41to make sure that it was kind of like not going to collapse sort of decorated it
38:44exactly
38:45this is crazy
38:46yeah
38:47i mean
38:48the size of this whale would have been absolutely massive
38:52i just when i see stuff like this i just can't
38:56help but think about
38:58the first people to actually make this
39:00i genuinely can't
39:02and it was just like wind and waves and snow
39:05yeah
39:06and they are just down here just surviving
39:08mm-hmm
39:09this is crazy
39:15right so if we're here now where am i swimming i've lost my bearings that is that way the west of yours
39:21yeah you see the tiny cliffs at the edge of the horizon
39:25yeah yeah yeah
39:26like crazy amount of kilometers away
39:29that's where you're trying to get
39:31good luck
39:32i mean
39:36what does your mother say
39:38she
39:39she worries
39:40it's incredible what you're going to do
39:42it's inspiring
39:43that day with karu was really special
39:48when the next morning with winds calming we head back out to sea
39:52all lines on board
39:55ben heads back to the uk and we have a planned change of skipper as jake hands over to bob becks
40:02burgers and beers
40:03see you in two weeks
40:04two weeks
40:05burgers and beers
40:06don't be sick without me okay
40:11burgers and beers burgers and beers at the end
40:13that's
40:16that's
40:17that's
40:18that's emotional isn't it sir is it just me
40:20yeah look at him
40:21oh
40:22what's he gonna do without us
40:23i don't know
40:24i'm genuine i'm
40:26are you choked up as well
40:27i am
40:28i am
40:29oh
40:34emotional soul
40:35i know
40:36that is really emotional
40:39now that the team has disbanded it's uh
40:43yeah i'm genuinely gutted
40:46yeah
40:47especially i think um
40:49i just it never occurred to me that the team that started might not be the one that ends it
40:54it's only just dawning on me now that we're gonna lose people along the way there might be some casualties
41:01and other people have commitment other people have lives back home
41:04so
41:05ah
41:07that hurts
41:09as we head back to our last swim position off the coast of snafelsness national park
41:15we pass one of iceland's most famous landmarks
41:21that's just breathtaking isn't it
41:23kirkofell mountain
41:27sometimes
41:28like right now
41:30iceland just delivers
41:32a little bit of a gift
41:34i'm trying to be really present and to enjoy moments like this
41:40so in reality
41:41we have done
41:42maybe a tenth if that
41:44the whole swim
41:45we've now got a job to do
41:48we've got a tight to hit
41:49we've got a swim to do
41:50honestly we're rested
41:52we're fed
41:53i'm ready for everything
41:54i want orcas
41:55i want giants
41:56i want ghosts
41:58i want zombies
41:59i want it all
42:01let's go let's go
42:03the swimming pool is back open
42:10the swimming pool is back open
42:15ross seems great i think he seems like he's got loads and loads of energy again
42:22i think the two nights that we've had on shore have done him real good
42:26he's been eating lots as well which is really important
42:29and i think he's very rare
42:30and i think he's very raring to go again
42:34the battle to conquer the last part of iceland's west coast begins
42:39as we head north for the distant landmark of the latribjag peninsula 20 miles away
42:44our drone captures amazing footage of a pod of orcas
42:49over 1000 live here all year round
42:52and we start to see the stunning landscapes of the ancient west fjords
42:57gateway to the north and the arctic circle
43:03when swimming your mind goes to some strange places
43:07this is gonna sound so strange
43:09but i just thought back to the first people who arrived in iceland
43:13and it just blows my mind that they would have arrived on what is essentially a giant volcanic rock
43:19just turned upon the beach and just going
43:22hello is anyone there
43:25and just nothing
43:27with every mile we creep north the water is getting steadily colder
43:40and looking ashore it's not difficult to see why
43:4540 miles inland from us there's an absolute beast of a waterfall
43:49dan yadi in the west fjords is an absolute masterpiece
43:54mother nature take a bow
43:56the entire thing is made by melting glaciers
44:01which sounds nice
44:02but it's also why the swimming pool is so cold
44:04because nearly 700 million litres of water a day
44:08flows right down here and into the sea
44:14with so much icy water pumping into the ocean
44:17no surprises it's a lot colder
44:19and if that's not enough to contend with iceland is about to throw another curveball
44:31we're gonna have a chat about the next few days going on
44:35is the arctic angry
44:36the arctic is seeming like she is quite angry at the moment
44:40right
44:41i've done nothing but be nice to her
44:43world works in mysterious ways
44:50so yet again we're riding out another storm
44:55this time in the port of isafjorda in the west fjords
44:59this map looks so bad now we got a big low pressure system to the southeast of iceland
45:15and that's bringing very strong northerly winds until friday
45:19that long just storm mound
45:22we've got snow we've got waves got wind coming from the arctic
45:26this is a bitter hill to swallow but i'm hearing it's just not safe
45:30i think in my head especially with nordic sagas viking folklore i wanted to just be crushing waves beard glistening in the sun
45:45but in reality because of this game of chess with the weather and the waves and the storms
45:52what i find is i'm actually trying to execute this
45:57it's almost like monk-like patience you know just this idea of being a robbery salty sea buddha
46:07and it doesn't matter if waves come crashing in and we're stuck here for a day a week
46:12i just sit here zen-like until i'm allowed to swim again
46:27next time
46:34whales have beached themselves we have to go
46:37so the adventure continues next saturday at eight and all episodes of the great icelantic swim with ross edgley are available before anybody else on channel 4 plus
46:55up next she's not battling the elements but possibly with the tourists at pompeii we go in search of the roman empire by train with alice roberts
47:05you
47:07you
47:09you
47:11you
47:13you
47:15you
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