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00:00I'm Ross Edgley, and I've done some pretty crazy things in my time.
00:13As an ultra-athlete, I ran a marathon pulling a car.
00:18I did a triathlon carrying a 100-pound tree.
00:23I found a 65-foot rope repeatedly until I climbed the heart at 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
02:03And to swim through Nordic folklore but that's inspired my athletic adventures for years. That's amazing
02:10There's nowhere else in the world where they have volcanoes mountain ranges frozen fjords all in such close proximity
02:18Add to that just crazy wind and waves storms
02:23I just cannot get the idea of swimming around it out of my head
02:29Ross Aisley my brother the start of the swim
02:35Iceland what is wrong with you mate you are an absolute lunatic
02:39I love you so much I'll be cheering you along go get on son
02:42So now standing here kind of a few days out I'm probably wired a little bit wrong but
02:52When people say it can't be done or it's impossible
02:55That's kind of when I get a little bit more excited if it's been done before people feel it's kind of tangible or achievable
03:02It actually puts me off. I don't like it
03:04This is basically uncharted territory about there. That is gonna be my swimming pool
03:10It's gonna be my home for what could be three months could before it might not even be possible
03:16If the Nordic gods decide that I'm not allowed to swim around I 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
03:32So the entire swim starts near Reykjavik on the west coast in the kingdom of the bull
03:39So first we swim north towards the west fjords
03:43This is where things get a little bit tricky
03:47The winds here blow straight in from the Atlantic
03:52So if you manage to survive that you basically then get to the top of Iceland
03:57And that's where we touch the Arctic Circle
03:59And the realm of the eagle
04:02Water temperature here can drop to two degrees Celsius
04:06I mean needless to say that does not sound warm
04:09I've had hypothermia twice now on two different swims
04:13It is not pleasant
04:15On both occasions everything went dark and I woke up in hospital
04:19You come around the east coast into the land of the dragon
04:23And come down the side
04:25This is where things get even more tricky
04:27The south east coast, the land of the giant
04:33Has some of the most dangerous riptides in the Atlantic
04:35And just because there's sheer cliff faces
04:39There's not actually any harbours
04:41So if something went really, really badly wrong
04:43There wouldn't actually be a way to get me to a hospital or anywhere
04:46Quickly
04:47So with a swim like this
04:49You just need in your back pocket
04:51Lots 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
05:03And the threats facing their survival
05:05That's amazing
05:07Personal records are kind of nice
05:11Also as well, I just want to see Iceland
05:13So I've come to this place
05:19Just because I've been told
05:20That it can bring good fortune to seafarers
05:22On an expedition
05:23And let's be honest
05:24I'm going to need a lot of that
05:26I'm going to swim around Iceland
05:27It's said that some 900 years ago
05:34Sailors were caught in a terrible storm here
05:37Praying for their lives
05:39An angel appeared and guided them to safety
05:41And the miracle church was built
05:44Every single sailor
05:47Every single fisherman said
05:48Come here
05:49It's spiritual
05:51It's special
05:52Yeah
05:52It calms you down
05:54Everything
05:55It's something about this church
05:56Something about the past
05:58The angels
06:00It gives you good luck
06:04Have a good journey
06:05Swimming journey
06:06For you especially
06:09You need that
06:11So you won't freeze
06:13But I don't think you will freeze
06:16You've been sailing here for 40 years?
06:20Yeah, around that, yeah
06:21Since I was 17
06:22Okay
06:23So how bad can it get out?
06:26North Atlantic Sea is very, very bad
06:28How bad are we talking?
06:30How big are the waves?
06:3128 more
06:32Oh
06:33The wind is the worst
06:35Right
06:36So the temperature might say like 2 degrees
06:38But with wind chill
06:40It just feels so much worse
06:42It's 20 minus 20 like that
06:43Oh, okay
06:44Okay
06:46Right
06:47Is there a reason nobody's tried this before?
06:50I don't know
06:51They didn't find the right person
06:55You legend
06:57Good answer
07:00Yeah
07:00I know
07:01Hey Ross, bear here
07:11Just say Iceland, brutal
07:14It is unforgiving
07:15Thousand miles in the sea
07:17Ice cold
07:19This is gonna be a tough one, brother
07:22Come on
07:23On this swim
07:26There's obviously two enemies
07:28Firstly, the distance
07:291,000 miles
07:30Well, that's a long way to go
07:32But more importantly
07:33It's just the cold
07:35That's the real enemy
07:36My wetsuit
07:37Is probably the single most important thing
07:39On this entire adventure
07:41How's the wetsuit been?
07:44Fresh
07:45Fresh
07:46Very fresh
07:48Very fresh
07:49Can't feel my lips
07:51Oh my gosh
07:52He's put his thumb up
07:54He's okay
07:55It's awesome
07:57Hester's come out
07:58Which is amazing
07:59She's my girlfriend of 13 years
08:01Genuinely, she's amazing
08:03And, you know
08:04For her to be
08:05In Iceland
08:06I consider myself
08:07Incredibly lucky
08:09Because I'm very aware
08:10That I'm a bit of a feral boyfriend
08:11This is me
08:13Why, thank you
08:15I've done everything I can
08:20So right now
08:21Two days out
08:22This is
08:23Kind of the culmination
08:25Of what has been
08:25Almost a year of training
08:27And I've just been working up
08:29To basically 12 hours a day
08:30So I think I've probably put on
08:33About 15 kilos
08:34And not a pretty 15 kilos as well
08:37I'm not going to win
08:38Any beauty pageant
08:39So I feel fat
08:41I feel insulated
08:42And swim for 12 hours a day
08:44And if you can do that
08:45In theory
08:46There's a chance
08:47That you might then
08:48Be able to do Iceland
08:50In theory
08:51With past adventures
08:53I've had to be
08:54Really single-minded
08:56But this one's
08:56A little bit different
08:57So Hester
08:58Is five months pregnant
09:00I am so excited
09:01It's a baby boy
09:02But we weren't quite expecting this
09:04So this adds
09:05Another level of pressure
09:07It's going to be due around September
09:09Which is exactly the same time
09:11That we're due
09:12To finish this swim
09:13Not ideal
09:14Lots of pressure
09:16That looks epic
09:24That's incredible
09:24And that does look amazing
09:26So this is my home
09:27For the next three months
09:29It's been around the world
09:30Quite a few times
09:32And perfect for surviving
09:33Any crazy storms
09:34Iceland throws at us
09:36We're going to meet the crew
09:39They're stocking at the moment
09:40Getting food, provisions
09:41Everything like that
09:42The crew of nine
09:44Will be my new family
09:45For the swim
09:46It feels like
09:47It's starting to feel really real
09:49Feels like my first day at school
09:51It feels like you're dropping me off
09:52Oh
09:53How are you?
09:58Permission to come aboard?
10:00Come on out
10:01How are we?
10:05This looks amazing
10:06Oh wow
10:07Everything up
10:07This looks epic
10:08On these long swims
10:10Our support boat is so important
10:12It's my bedroom
10:13It's my kitchen
10:14It's my hospital
10:16If anything goes wrong
10:17You just have everything
10:18In one place
10:19Right, downstairs
10:21Cozy
10:22Yes
10:23I love this
10:27So you'll be sleeping down here
10:29Oh wow
10:31Feels like a
10:32For want of a better term
10:34A womb
10:34Yeah
10:35Just kind of like
10:37Just cuddle up
10:38Yes is it
10:38After a long swim
10:39Just cuddle up
10:40Genuinely
10:41Like a little rabbit hole
10:42Yeah
10:43No I love this
10:44Okay
10:45Done
10:47I feel pretty good about this now
10:49I'm glad
10:50I'm glad
10:50One more question Maisie
10:52The little boys room
10:54Toilets
10:55Yes
10:55We have two of those on board
10:56If we head on out that way
10:58En suite toilet
11:02So in here we have
11:04One of our toilets
11:05It is very very basic
11:06It is just a toilet
11:08But on board we have
11:10Over 400 loo rolls
11:12So I hope that's enough for you
11:14I don't know what you've heard
11:15Anyway
11:17I've got a lot to get on with
11:19So I'll leave you here
11:20Amazing
11:21Okay
11:21That feels good though
11:22Thank you Maisie
11:23Thank you so much
11:23Thank you
11:25Being here now
11:30And seeing this
11:31It's kind of come to reality
11:33It's dawning on me
11:36That I'm now going to have to do
11:37What I said I was going to do
11:39And that sounds really strange
11:40But it's kind of sobering
11:43But exciting
11:44At the same time
11:45So like I said
11:47I think now
11:49As we set off
11:51Clueless but keen
11:54Hey Big Dog Eddie here
11:57A thousand mile swim
11:59What is wrong with you?
12:00You are a crazy
12:02Crazy man
12:03But if anyone on the planet
12:04Can do it
12:04It's you Big Dog
12:06Good luck
12:06So we're just about to head to the start line
12:20And there is a mix of nerves and excitement
12:23Blend that all up
12:26Mash it up
12:27And times it by a hundred
12:29That's kind of what I'm feeling
12:31Let's make sure we keep
12:39Eyes on Ross at all times
12:40One to two boat lengths
12:41Like we've said
12:42Regular rotations on the helm
12:45So we can keep a nice straight course for Ross
12:46And we need to keep those logs
12:48Both the yachts log
12:50And the dive
12:50Or swim logs
12:51Up to date
12:52See you brother
12:53Love you Big Greg
12:55Swim shrunk
12:56You have conquered ice list
13:00Thank you so much
13:02Thank you
13:03One more
13:04Legend
13:04One more
13:05Only a short swim
13:09Thank you so much
13:20Run
13:36Three
13:37Two
13:38One
13:38The
13:42Two
13:42Three
13:43Three
13:45Second
13:46Three
13:47Two
13:49Tuesday
13:50One
13:50ron
13:50He's off on his adventures.
14:08It honestly makes me so happy to see him like this
14:11because sometimes he's like a caged baby bear
14:14if 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.
14:35I might have a massive bump by then
14:37or there'll be three of us instead of two.
14:46So today is the big day.
14:54We just swim north, go clockwise, 1,000 miles,
14:58come back to the finish.
15:00Really simple in theory, brutal in reality.
15:06You swim when the tide is with you
15:08and then you rest when it's against you.
15:12Swim for six hours, rest for six hours.
15:14On board the support boat,
15:17a crew of nine led by Captain Jake Carter
15:20watch my every move.
15:23Excellent work, guys.
15:28So I have to keep reminding myself,
15:30this is kind of a migration.
15:32It's not a marathon.
15:33Every stroke, every tide is taking us into the unknown.
15:54I follow the boat like my compass,
15:57shadowing its every move
15:59as we slowly head north
16:00to our first landmark.
16:05The Londranga Cliffs,
16:0750 miles away.
16:12I need to swim at least 12 miles a day,
16:15every day,
16:16if I'm to make it back by mid-September
16:18for Hester and the berth.
16:19That first swim in five degrees Celsius water
16:28is much tougher than I expected.
16:32Might be easier for him
16:34if we're on the other side.
16:40Hypothermia starts off
16:41with a kind of numbing
16:42of the fingers and the feet.
16:43And then you start shivering
16:45as the body kind of implodes
16:47and your physiology collapses on itself.
16:55After only a couple of hours in the water,
16:58the team starts to get really concerned
16:59and pull me out.
17:03Mark it now!
17:05Mark!
17:05Do you take the wetsuit off?
17:21Er, yeah.
17:22Oh, this is a trip.
17:23I'm not here.
17:24Carry on.
17:26One shoulder first.
17:27There you go.
17:29I think I'm in shock at this point.
17:32I literally can't speak.
17:34My face is so cold.
17:44Carry on a bit.
17:45Make sure.
17:48We get a sleeping bag ready as well.
17:55Feel something off the street, mate,
17:56while holding your hands?
17:57Er, yeah.
17:58It's not a great start.
18:07Hypothermia just creeps up on you.
18:08It's like this silent killer.
18:10You think you're okay,
18:12but you're really not.
18:17Me, being completely naive,
18:20decided to go in a three-millimeter wetsuit.
18:22I think Iceland just slapped me with the cold,
18:26threatened me with hypothermia.
18:29Huh?
18:30Er, yeah, please.
18:35I might go down the stairs.
18:37If you want to go down the stairs.
18:38Yeah.
18:38Down the stairs.
18:39Yeah.
18:39Yeah.
18:49Um, is there anything else you can do at the moment?
18:52Er, I think he's, er,
18:53he's definitely a bit cold.
18:55Um, he...
18:56He's shivering.
18:57It's a good sign.
18:58Cognitive.
18:59He's got all his wits about him,
19:00so we've got him, er,
19:01stripped down.
19:02We've got a timer on.
19:03Ten minutes.
19:03We're going to check him again.
19:05We're trying to get that hot drink down him.
19:06Okay, swim one, done.
19:19That was absolutely brutal.
19:22Get, hopefully, a few hours sleep,
19:25and then just catch the next tide,
19:27because that's how you swim around Iceland.
19:32After that first swim of just ten miles,
19:34I knew that Iceland was going to be far tougher
19:37than anything I've ever done before.
19:39You just have to be naive enough to start,
19:42stubborn enough to finish.
19:43So we actually have really perfect conditions out here today.
19:59It's super, super light winds.
20:01The sea state's pretty much flat,
20:03which is perfect for Ross and his swimming.
20:06At the moment, he is asleep,
20:08but he will be getting up pretty shortly to get back out,
20:11because we don't know how long this is going to last,
20:13and we need to cherish it whilst we've got it.
20:16Yesterday, 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.
20:30We will be going thicker wetsuits now.
20:32He's just struggling with the sea motion
20:38and getting enough food down at the moment.
20:41I think once we've overcome that, it'll be OK.
20:44So you've got to go east very slowly first
20:46to get back to the waypoint, OK?
20:48And then once we get going,
20:50it's going to be a course of about three, two, zero.
20:52OK?
20:53Cool.
20:53So, because this is a stage swim,
20:57we're just getting to the exact coordinates
20:59where we finished the swim yesterday.
21:01This is so important,
21:02because at the end of the swim,
21:03you've got to join up all of the dots
21:04to make sure that you've successfully
21:06circumnavigated Iceland.
21:09Very important.
21:14Yeah, in you go.
21:16Thank you, thank you.
21:23And so, overnight, the daily rhythm of my life
21:29is turned upside down.
21:31I've become a slave to the six-hour tide windows
21:33that can help sweep me north twice a day.
21:39OK, mate, you doing good?
21:42You look like you're swimming well.
21:43Good stuff.
21:44We are now going to have shorter periods in the water,
21:48so maybe two hours-ish,
21:50and then we're actually going to throw him some warm,
21:53or hot, electrolytes as he's in there,
21:56going just to warm up his body
21:58and give them a little bit of a burst
22:01every half an hour.
22:03Hopefully, that will mean
22:04that he can stay in the water for longer.
22:10Where's Solomon?
22:12Whoa!
22:15Yeah, you must.
22:16Black fin.
22:18Two boat legs.
22:19A back face?
22:20Yeah, yeah, there it is.
22:21You see that fin?
22:22Oh, yeah.
22:22It's quite far away.
22:23Basking shark.
22:30This is a swim first and foremost,
22:33but also, it's an amazing opportunity
22:36to pioneer a scientific first.
22:38Start it down.
22:41Solomon is collecting samples every day
22:44for Iceland scientists to analyse back on land.
22:46So, what we've got going on is two different experiments.
22:54This special apparatus here is for collecting eDNA out of the water.
23:01So, that's environmental DNA.
23:03It's little bits of skin that flake off,
23:05little bits of faeces in the water.
23:08Just anything that can give us an indication of the sort of organisms we have under the sea.
23:13It's like a hoover, and it's going to pump the water in, through one of these filters.
23:25It's going to trap all the eDNA we want.
23:27So, when the scientists back on land break this down and run it through their computers,
23:32they'll be able to tell everything present in the water just from this filter.
23:37It's so accurate, it can identify DNA shed by marine creatures up to tens of kilometres away.
23:47I'm also collecting the same seawater for our microplastic research.
23:52So, they can label a map of the whole of Iceland
23:55to get an idea of all the microplastics in the water here.
24:00If we manage to get all the way around,
24:02what we'll be left with is this immense collection of information
24:06telling the story of the coastline of Iceland it's never seen before.
24:13Swims are nice, records are great,
24:15but a higher purpose is just a little bit better.
24:23So, today's swim is going better.
24:26Thicker wetsuit is keeping me warmer, but an old enemy is back.
24:30So, currently, my arch-nemesis is seasickness.
24:38It makes eating and drinking kind of hard,
24:41so I'm just not getting the calories in.
24:47I'm starting to feel a little bit dizzy.
24:48Ben is also really suffering.
24:59The morning has been eventful.
25:01Ross has gone in the water.
25:03I jumped in the tender and jumped in the water as well, so film him.
25:06However, it is also accumulated in me throwing up over the side,
25:11because just getting in and out the tender,
25:15even though it's quite calm, it still actually moves quite a lot.
25:22How you feeling, mate?
25:22It's all right.
25:26Just a bit of a hole.
25:28Yeah, yeah.
25:30What is it about it?
25:31Not feeling great.
25:33Massive headache.
25:35Do you think it's a hydration thing with the headache, or...?
25:38I think so.
25:40I'm just feeling really sick.
25:45A couple of minutes ago,
25:51he stopped to give him his warm bottle of water,
25:54and he was saying that he's feeling quite dizzy.
25:56He got back to it for about a minute,
25:58and then decided that he was going to have a timeout,
26:01so he got him out of the water.
26:02He's down below.
26:04Ready for your towel?
26:09So, currently, I am fighting a losing battle with seasickness.
26:15Can't really eat much,
26:18and I think especially in the cold as well,
26:20because you're shivering,
26:21your calorie requirements just go through the roof,
26:24and if you're not able to put in
26:26as much as you're actually expending,
26:29then kind of things just implode,
26:31and that's kind of what's happening right now.
26:34Try to push through,
26:35but if you're just not eating enough,
26:38it's kind of a recipe for disaster.
26:41So, yeah, it's the cold mixed with seasickness
26:45that is currently my two biggest enemies.
26:50It's three in the morning,
27:06and a really weird sensation as the sun is already up.
27:11We're down to just two hours of semi-darkness now.
27:14Ross is doing better.
27:18Been in there for about two hours now.
27:21He's cold, but we're feeding him more regularly,
27:24so we feed him every 20 minutes of hot liquid
27:26and all his electrolytes.
27:28That seems to be giving him enough break and warmth internally.
27:31His stroke rate's up.
27:32Staying about the average 52 strokes a minute,
27:36so everything's going right now.
27:40Weather's got colder, but he seems to be doing okay.
27:43I think the mental preparation
27:45is just as important as the physical.
27:47It's almost like solitary confinement.
27:50But thankfully, the scenery around Iceland is stunning.
27:55Snow-capped mountains, whales come and visit.
27:58It will make everything a little bit easier.
28:01We have our first Mickey showing up on the boat.
28:06Where he's coming right up on the surface.
28:08And he's curious.
28:11As we start to approach the headland
28:13of the Snayswolzeyokul 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
28:30with the remains of all these dormant volcanoes.
28:36And the jewel in the crown
28:39is the huge Snayswolzeyokul volcano,
28:43capped by its own glacier,
28:45and one of Iceland's 32 active volcanic systems.
28:49I can't speak.
29:03Is my tongue bad?
29:05No, it feels horrible.
29:06It's bad.
29:08No.
29:10You're lying.
29:11And five days in,
29:16I have a new problem.
29:18As salt water starts to rot my tongue.
29:24There you go, Ross.
29:26Thank you so much.
29:27That should keep it going, buddy.
29:29You're welcome.
29:31You're welcome.
29:31Nice effort.
29:34I'd usually destroy a bowl of pasta,
29:39but my shredded tongue
29:40makes swallowing and talking really difficult.
29:45I'm really hard on myself
29:47just because I know that
29:50the ocean does not care
29:52if you are chafing,
29:54if your tongue is falling off,
29:55if you are cold.
29:56It does not care.
29:58The tide will change
29:59and you're either in or you're not.
30:00And if you're not,
30:00you don't make it round.
30:01So really feeling the support
30:06and love from the crew,
30:08but it's not good enough,
30:14in my opinion.
30:15I'm not swimming well enough.
30:18I just know what Iceland requires
30:21and it's not this.
30:23I am aware
30:30how strange this looks,
30:32but
30:32from now on,
30:35I'm going to be sleeping
30:36with a jar of coconut oil
30:39under my pillow.
30:43Reason being is
30:44it's the only way
30:46I can actually moisturize my tongue
30:48and stop it from falling off
30:50from all the salt water.
30:51so
30:52it's fair to say
30:55life's got pretty weird
30:57since trying to swim around Iceland.
31:03Raw dogging coconut oil.
31:16Trying to forget about my tongue,
31:18I have no choice
31:19but to crack on.
31:21Over the next five days,
31:22we slowly conquer
31:23the battle of our first bay
31:25by swimming around the clock
31:27with each favorable tide.
31:29I've got a whole body.
31:31Catch the belly, please.
31:33That was crazy, right?
31:35The waves that you had last night
31:36have been sort of one and a half,
31:37maybe two meters at times.
31:39You happy to drink?
31:40Yeah.
31:40Yeah.
31:40Woo!
31:41Ross 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
31:52to the daily rhythm
31:53of life on board.
31:55Like, it feels unbelievable for me,
31:57but as a team,
31:57it's just been, uh...
31:59Yeah.
32:04You'd know.
32:04Ten strangers thrown together
32:08with the shared goal
32:09to help me through this swim.
32:11These conditions are an absolute gift.
32:14Iceland is never like this.
32:17We get a distant visit from Orcas.
32:20There was quite literally
32:21something in the water.
32:22There was just this eerie,
32:24kind of...
32:25There were shapes,
32:26there were noises.
32:27And despite worsening chafing
32:29and leaving bits
32:30of my tongue around Iceland...
32:32Oh, hello.
32:33Yeah, 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 yet.
32:45As our winning streak continues,
32:47we finally pass the headland
32:48at the Snaefels-Yockel National Park.
32:52Woo-hoo!
32:56First base milestone, weren't you?
32:57Thank you so much, guys.
33:01First bay, done.
33:05And then, inevitably,
33:07the weather starts to change.
33:11Strong winds forces
33:12to take shelter
33:13in a bay overnight.
33:17Come and talk to us, big dog.
33:20You legend.
33:21You absolutely...
33:22Just throw one sentence together.
33:23Last night was the most physically demanding
33:35ordeal of my life.
33:40Sorry.
33:41It was a while.
33:43Really?
33:43It was that bad?
33:45Yeah.
33:46I passed out of the toilet.
33:48Yeah.
33:50I was there for, like, four hours,
33:52just retching and then passing out
33:53and retching and passing out.
33:55It was horrible.
33:55That's horrendous.
33:58I'm not joking.
33:59It was the fiscally worst thing I've ever been through.
34:03If it makes you feel any better,
34:04then here's a total of you.
34:05Glassed out on the toilet.
34:07And glass.
34:07So, weather's closing in
34:14a little bit again tonight.
34:15There's probably
34:16less than a 50% chance
34:18of getting the next two swims in.
34:20So, we're going to make
34:21for Grand Fjorda now.
34:22About four or five hours away.
34:26So, yeah, so that's the plan.
34:28So, yeah.
34:29Off we go.
34:29Right on.
34:30Right on.
34:30Well, you know,
34:32said that.
34:34As a huge load builds
34:36in the Atlantic,
34:36northerly winds
34:37over 30 miles per hour
34:39start to batter Iceland's west coast.
34:49So, obviously,
34:50we leg it for shelter.
35:02Conditions for Ben
35:03go from bad to worse.
35:06We ride out the storm
35:16in the port of Grand Fjorda,
35:18protected from the weather
35:19by the steep cliffs
35:20that circle the fjord.
35:21I think I'm going to have to ruin myself
35:26from this adventure.
35:28Oh, no, really?
35:29Oh, no.
35:31We were joking about Iceland
35:33taking salt.
35:35Oh, no!
35:36It's a really quiet
35:37exclaimed one.
35:38F***.
35:40We are...
35:41Is it that bad?
35:42I can't do that.
35:44I can't do that.
35:44It hurts.
35:47So, I'm gutted
35:48on a number of fronts,
35:49but as we're grounded here
35:50for a couple of days,
35:51we're going to make the most of it
35:52and explore West Iceland.
35:56There's a local legend,
35:58a guy called Kari,
35:59and his family just know
36:00everything about this area.
36:02They're born and bred here,
36:03so they know everything
36:03about just the folklore,
36:05the sagas,
36:06the stories,
36:07the culture.
36:08So, he's going to take us
36:09on a little bit of a pilgrimage
36:10of the local area,
36:12and I can't wait.
36:14And it starts
36:15with an amazing stop
36:17at a community street art centre
36:18which Kari created.
36:21Here we got permission
36:22to make, like,
36:24an outdoor gallery.
36:25Oh, my God, this is awesome.
36:29The whole motive
36:30of swimming around Iceland
36:31really was this idea
36:33of swimming through Nordic folklore.
36:35So, now I'm on land,
36:36and I just can't wait
36:37to learn about elves,
36:38giants, mermaids,
36:40anything and everything.
36:42I'm keen.
36:45This is unbelievable.
36:47Yeah, I like it.
36:48What happened here?
36:49All I can see
36:49is some big green boob.
36:51Here are some ghosts
36:52from Thróðau.
36:53Here is the troll lady sorceress
36:57that came over
36:58to, like, put spells on workers.
37:01This is Bárdur.
37:02This is the first man
37:03that settled in the area.
37:06So, our local saga
37:07is based on his adventure.
37:10This is amazing.
37:11It's just the Icelandic identity
37:13is storytelling, you know.
37:15That's how we survived.
37:17That's how we kept
37:17our spirits up
37:18for centuries, you know.
37:20But I would also like
37:21to show you some other things
37:22if you're interested,
37:23some special places.
37:24Amazing.
37:25I want to see them all.
37:26Yeah, go on.
37:27Let's go.
37:27Where Kari took me next
37:32just blew my mind.
37:34Despite this region
37:35being so remote and wild,
37:37it turns out traces
37:37of ancient settlers
37:39have been found
37:39all over this area.
37:43Very rich with history.
37:45We are.
37:45OK, so this looks good.
37:50Why is this special?
37:52I think it's special for you
37:53because of the UK connection.
37:56This is the well of the Irish,
37:59the Irish monks
38:00that most of us believe
38:03were the first, like,
38:05real settlers,
38:06human settlers of this area.
38:08So very, very old,
38:10old, old stuff.
38:12That's amazing.
38:13Then they would have just
38:14left Ireland, headed north.
38:16Yeah.
38:16I just, oh!
38:17Yeah.
38:18Can you imagine being here
38:20in the ninth century?
38:23It's believed to have served
38:24the purpose of both
38:26getting some water,
38:27but also it has a religious
38:29element to it as well.
38:31And what is this?
38:32Yeah, that's the vertebra
38:33of a whale.
38:35Just hanging over the entrance.
38:37The Irish,
38:37they made a well
38:39and then took a massive whale bone
38:41to make sure
38:41that it was kind of, like,
38:42not going to collapse,
38:43sort of decorated it.
38:45Exactly.
38:45This is crazy.
38:47Yeah.
38:47I mean,
38:48the size of this whale
38:50would have been
38:51absolutely massive.
38:54I just,
38:54when I see stuff like this,
38:56I just can't
38:56help but think about
38:58the first people
39:00to actually make this.
39:01I genuinely can't.
39:02And it was just, like,
39:03wind and waves and snow.
39:05Yeah.
39:06And they are just down here,
39:07and they are just surviving.
39:08Mm-hmm.
39:09This is crazy.
39:15Right, so if we're here now,
39:16where am I swimming?
39:18I've lost my bearings.
39:19Is that way the west of yours?
39:21Yeah, you see the tiny cliffs
39:23at the edge of the horizon?
39:25Yeah, yeah, yeah.
39:25Like, crazy amount
39:27of kilometers away?
39:29Right.
39:30That's where you're
39:30trying to get.
39:32Good luck!
39:36I mean,
39:37what does your mother say?
39:39She worries.
39:41It's incredible
39:41what you're going to do.
39:43It's inspiring.
39:43That day with Karu
39:47was really special.
39:49On the next morning,
39:50with winds calming,
39:51we head back out to sea.
39:52All lines on board.
39:55Ben heads back to the UK,
39:57and we have a planned change
39:58of skipper,
39:59as Jake hands over
40:01to Bob Becks.
40:02Burgers and beers.
40:03See you in two weeks.
40:04Two weeks.
40:05Burgers and beers.
40:06Don't be sick
40:07without me, okay?
40:11Burgers and beers.
40:12Burgers and beers
40:13at the end.
40:16It's a sad time, eh?
40:18That is emotional,
40:19isn't it, sir?
40:19Is it just me?
40:20Yeah, look at him.
40:22What's he going to do
40:23without us?
40:23I don't know.
40:24No.
40:25I'm genuine.
40:26Are you choked up as well?
40:28I am.
40:34Emotional, Tom.
40:35Oh.
40:37That is really emotional.
40:40Now that the team
40:41has disbanded,
40:42it's, er...
40:44Yeah, I'm genuinely gutted.
40:47Yeah.
40:48Especially, I think, um...
40:50I just, it never occurred to me
40:51that the team that started
40:52might not be the one
40:53that ends it.
40:55It's only just dawning on me now
40:56that we're going to lose people
40:58along the way.
40:59There might be some casualties.
41:01And other people have commitments.
41:02Other people have lives back home.
41:04So,
41:04that hurts.
41:10As we head back
41:11to our last swim position
41:12off the coast of
41:13Snaefelsness National Park,
41:15we pass one of
41:17Iceland's most famous landmarks.
41:19That's just breathtaking, isn't it?
41:23Kirkofell Mountain.
41:28Sometimes,
41:29like right now,
41:31Iceland just delivers
41:31a little bit of a gift.
41:34I'm trying to be really present
41:38and to enjoy moments like this.
41:40But in reality,
41:41we have done
41:42maybe a tenth,
41:44if that,
41:45the whole swim.
41:47We've now got a job to do.
41:48We've got a tight to hit.
41:49We've got a swim to do.
41:51Honestly,
41:52we're rested,
41:52we're fed.
41:53I'm ready for everything.
41:54I want orcas.
41:55I want giants.
41:57I want ghosts.
41:58I want zombies.
41:59I want it all.
42:02Let's go!
42:03Let's go!
42:09The swimming pool
42:11is back open.
42:11Ross seems great.
42:18I think he seems like
42:19he's got loads and loads
42:20of energy again.
42:22I think the two nights
42:23that we've had on shore
42:24have done him real good.
42:26He's been eating lots as well,
42:27which is really important.
42:29And I think he's very
42:31raring to go again.
42:34The battle to conquer
42:35the last part
42:36of Iceland's west coast
42:37begins.
42:38As we head north
42:39for the distant landmark
42:41of the Latrebiad Peninsula
42:4220 miles away,
42:45our drone captures
42:45amazing footage
42:47of a pod of orcas.
42:49Over 1,000 live here
42:51all year round.
42:53And we start to see
42:53the stunning landscapes
42:55of the ancient west fjords,
42:57gateway to the north
42:58and the Arctic Circle.
43:03When swimming,
43:05your mind goes
43:05to some strange places.
43:07This is going to sound
43:08so strange,
43:09but I just thought back
43:11to the first people
43:12who arrived in Iceland
43:13and it just blows my mind
43:15that they would have arrived
43:16on what is essentially
43:17a giant volcanic rock.
43:20Just turned upon the beach
43:21and just going,
43:22hello?
43:23Is anyone there?
43:25And just nothing.
43:27With every mile
43:36we creep north,
43:37the water is getting
43:38steadily colder.
43:40And looking ashore,
43:41it's not difficult
43:42to see why.
43:4540 miles inland from us,
43:47there's an absolute
43:48beast of a waterfall.
43:50Danyadi in the west fjords
43:51is an absolute masterpiece.
43:55Mother nature,
43:56take a bow.
43:56The entire thing
43:59is made by melting glaciers,
44:01which sounds nice,
44:02but it's also why
44:03the swimming pool
44:03is so cold,
44:05because nearly 700 million litres
44:07of water a day
44:08flows right down here
44:10and into the sea.
44:14With so much icy water
44:16pumping into the ocean,
44:17no surprises,
44:18it's a lot colder.
44:19and if that's not enough
44:25to contend with,
44:26Iceland is about to throw
44:27another curveball.
44:31We're going to have a chat
44:31about the next few
44:33days going on.
44:35Is the Arctic angry?
44:37The Arctic is seeming like
44:39she is quite angry
44:39at the moment.
44:40Right.
44:40I've done nothing
44:42but be nice to her.
44:46The world works
44:47in mysterious ways.
44:53So yet again,
44:55we're riding out
44:55another storm,
44:56this time in the port
44:57of Isafjorda
44:58in the west fjords.
45:08This map looks so bad.
45:11Now,
45:11we've got a big
45:12low pressure system
45:13to the southeast of Iceland
45:15and that's bringing
45:16very strong northerly winds
45:18until Friday.
45:20That long?
45:20Just storm bound.
45:23We've got snow,
45:24we've got waves,
45:25we've got wind
45:25coming from the Arctic.
45:26This is a bitter hill.
45:28to swallow,
45:29but I'm hearing
45:30it's just not safe.
45:35I think in my head,
45:37especially with
45:37Nordic sagas,
45:39Viking folklore,
45:40I wanted to just
45:41be crushing waves,
45:43beard glistening
45:44in the sun.
45:46But in reality,
45:47because of this
45:48game of chess
45:49with the weather
45:50and the waves
45:51and the storms,
45:53what I find is
45:55I'm actually trying
45:56to execute this
45:58it's almost like
45:59monk-like patience,
46:01you know,
46:01just this idea
46:02of being a
46:03rubbery,
46:04salty,
46:06sea Buddha.
46:07And it doesn't matter
46:09if waves come crashing in
46:10and we're stuck here
46:11for a day,
46:12a week,
46:12I just sit here
46:14zen-like
46:16until I'm allowed
46:18to swim again.
46:19next time,
46:34whales have
46:36beached themselves,
46:37we have to go.
46:37so the adventure
46:46continues next
46:47Saturday at 8
46:48and all episodes
46:49of the great
46:50Icelandic swim
46:51with Ross Edgley
46:52are available
46:53before anybody else
46:54on Channel 4+.
46:55Up next,
46:56she's not battling
46:57the elements
46:58but possibly
46:59with the tourists
46:59at Pompeii,
47:00we go in search
47:01of the Roman Empire
47:02by train
47:03with Alice Roberts.
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