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00:00My name's Rob Warner. Hello, everyone.
00:03On a quest to ride the world's greatest trails. Never had myself down as a Attenborough type.
00:09And meet the people who live in some of the wildest places on Earth.
00:13Yeah, man. Nice to meet you.
00:16As a downhill World Cup winner, I've had a lifetime of competition, but no chance to enjoy the ride.
00:26Oh, for f***ing sake.
00:29So I'm taking the best young athletes to seek out epic trails.
00:33That's the first sight of the Himalayas out the window right now.
00:37And to make sure they don't miss out on the wildest side of the world.
00:41Oh, word, word!
00:43This time I'm in South America with World Cup sensation, Finn Isles.
00:49Finn is one of the biggest up-and-coming names in downhill racing.
00:53A Julia World champ tipped as a future megastar of the sport.
00:59Together, we're on a mission in Ecuador.
01:02No, I've never been this high in my life.
01:03No way, me neither.
01:05A land of volcanoes.
01:06Look at that.
01:08Horse-mad locals.
01:09Oh, my God!
01:11And more uses for a guinea pig than I ever thought possible.
01:16Can we kiss the guinea pig?
01:24So we're on our way to Ecuador.
01:26I think I'm probably a bit more excited than Finn is.
01:35Got our bikes, got our bags.
01:37You're about to get hit by a car.
01:38So, literally just got off the plane.
01:42First time ever here in Ecuador.
01:45It's quite nice.
01:47It's not too hot, not too cold.
01:48And it'll be a great trip.
01:51We're kicking off in the Andes Mountains in Quito.
01:54One of the world's highest capital cities.
01:59The Ecuadorian Andes boasts dozens of volcanoes.
02:02And we're heading from Quito to the biggest one.
02:05I really want to ride the mighty Cotopaxi, which is almost 6,000 metres high.
02:13Cotopaxi slopes are steep, super fast and covered in volcanic debris from its active crater.
02:26But before we ride, we're going to take in some local culture.
02:31It's so nice to see the old girls having a go, isn't it?
02:35I like the huge tit they've got going on and then swinging around like this.
02:39Yeah.
02:42I've never seen so much colour.
02:45Look at this.
02:46Just don't get this, Paco.
02:47Unbelievable.
02:51Street carnivals here bring thousands of people together, including Ecuador's famous Chagra
02:56cowboys from the high Andes.
02:58Do you want to be a Chagra cowboy or what?
03:01Looks like the life, mate.
03:03I want to be one, mate.
03:04I want to get one of the hats.
03:05You want one of the hats?
03:06Yeah.
03:07This is crazy.
03:10The Chagras herd cattle in the volcanic highlands.
03:14They know the mountains better than anyone.
03:17I think I'd suit the cowboy life.
03:18Saloon doors.
03:19Gun fight.
03:21Hola.
03:22Yeah, I could be a cowboy.
03:24Maybe the Chagras can give us some tips on how to ride Cotopaxi at almost 6,000 metres
03:30high.
03:32Incredible.
03:32Look.
03:33They've got the spurs on them too.
03:35So you're a Chagra cowboy?
03:37Yeah.
03:38Always.
03:38All of us.
03:39Like really, you're literally in the mountains herding cows on...
03:42Yeah.
03:44Why?
03:44What a life, man.
03:45This is to keep you warm.
03:46This is a Samarro.
03:47If you haven't got a bottle of liquor.
03:49Yeah.
03:51Is it safe?
03:52Yeah.
03:53Is it smoking and shit?
03:54It's smoking, but it's insane.
03:55It is?
03:56Yeah, it is.
03:56It won't go back?
03:57No.
03:58Do you have to stop halfway to get used?
03:59Yeah, you've got to stop.
04:00Why?
04:00Because it's so high.
04:01You can't breathe it.
04:02So you get sleeping in the middle of the night and then you start climbing up the
04:07volcano.
04:08Why?
04:09Dude, you can't even go up in one.
04:10We've got to stop halfway and get used to the lack of air.
04:13I think you have to sleep midway up and then the next day you get up.
04:16That's incredible.
04:17I've never been that high in my life.
04:20Oh my God!
04:21What a cow!
04:22He did a bunny on.
04:23They're a wild bunch, mate.
04:25It sounds like we're going to need all the help we can get to survive at the heights the
04:29Chagra's thriving.
04:31Hello?
04:31Is there a shaman around?
04:34Hello?
04:36Ecuadorians have used shamans for thousands of years to help heal pretty much anything.
04:42Hello, shaman.
04:43Hello, shaman.
04:44Bienvenidos de nombre de mi amado Jesús.
04:46Gracias.
04:47Les pido que pases.
04:49Para darles las protecciones.
04:54I'm hoping the shaman can help us prepare for the extreme altitude.
04:59What do you think?
05:01I'm a bit nervous, to be honest.
05:02My heart's going pretty quick.
05:03Yeah, me too.
05:04Because I don't really know what's going on.
05:08What is she getting over there?
05:11Is that a guinea pig?
05:12We're not going to hurt it, are we?
05:17She's got one.
05:18She's only got one.
05:19Look at his teeth.
05:21In Ecuador, guinea pigs are celebrated for their special powers.
05:25Don't kill it, please.
05:28Oh, no, good.
05:39Take them off.
05:39Take them off.
05:40OK.
05:41What the heck is going on there?
05:43Why is we strip naked?
06:03She's lighting up a seagull.
06:05She's puffing away like a steam train.
06:08Crack tickles.
06:10Egg cleansing is an ancient form of healing.
06:13I've never been rubbed with eggs before.
06:15I've done some strange things in my life.
06:20It's bizarre.
06:22It's good.
06:25Problema de pulmón y de espalda.
06:27I'm too big.
06:28De riñón.
06:34Spat all over there.
06:36Oh!
06:38It's pure alcohol.
06:41You can add a product of it.
06:45Oh, no.
06:47Ah!
06:47She's touching me.
06:49What's she doing?
06:49She's cleaning you, mate.
06:51What, with a gerbil?
06:52No, no, no, no.
06:54I need my lungs in tip-top shape to cope with the altitude.
06:58If eggs and hard liquor can't help, maybe the guinea pig can.
07:02You want to kiss the guinea pig?
07:08What a day to be alive.
07:15How's it feel, mate?
07:16Injuries are better.
07:17Do you feel more, like, well?
07:20Yeah, my stomach feels good.
07:21Does it?
07:21I think you fixed us.
07:23My chest, despite the smoke, feels a lot better.
07:37Yeah.
07:40Yeah, mate.
07:40Careful.
07:42I've never seen a woman drink and smoke as much in such a short period of time and then hand
07:47us a guinea pig.
07:53Let's hope the guinea pig worked its magic.
07:59It's time to hit the trail.
08:03So, right here we're at 3,200 metres and then we're going up to over 4,000 metres.
08:10The altitude is unreal.
08:11I've never ridden mountain bikes this high.
08:15Gondola up.
08:15There shouldn't be any need, actually, for even a pedal stroke.
08:18Perfect.
08:21Local rider Matteo Cuesta has taken us high above Quito to try out some local trails ahead of her volcano
08:28expedition.
08:30It's incredible that the city's right there.
08:33Big mountain near Gondola access.
08:35We've always had a hardcore mountain biking scene because we've got such huge mountains and volcanoes.
08:41So, yeah, there's always been good trails.
08:50Oh, it's so cold up here.
08:53Holy Toledo.
08:56Wow.
08:56What a view.
09:01We're only minutes from Quito and already at 4,000 metres.
09:06Perfect prep for Cotopaxi.
09:09Ridiculous, isn't it?
09:10What a stunning view to welcome us to Ecuador.
09:13Look at that.
09:14Ever been to mountain bike this high?
09:15The beginning.
09:16No, never been this high in my life.
09:18No way, me neither.
09:19We better get used to the lack of air, man, because it's only going to get worse from here on
09:23in.
09:24All right, let's go riding.
09:25Yeah.
09:25Let's go get out of breath.
09:27Quickly.
09:54Oh, what a ton.
10:01That's a good section.
10:14Master of the shroud.
10:15Woo!
10:16Woo!
10:18Woo!
10:18Woo!
10:19Woo!
10:21Woo!
10:31Good trail, didn't it, mate?
10:51I do not feel good, I just feel really, really ill.
11:02I feel really weird, I really just couldn't ride there, I was sewn on the edge, I was lightheaded.
11:07Is that altitude like, yeah, I need to go down. I don't like it how I feel right now.
11:17Altitude sickness is caused by a lack of oxygen. If left untreated, it can be fatal.
11:23I feel really drunk, like my head, I'm coherent, I don't feel good.
11:29I feel out of control of my brain, like I feel, I feel really giddy.
11:36Caused on its way, then we're going to go down, back down.
11:39Good, I'll take that.
11:41It takes a little while, just needs some time to pass, then you'll be good.
11:48Increasing oxygen in the blood and getting down the mountain fast is the quickest way to reduce symptoms.
11:54I feel pretty f***ed up, that's how I feel. I don't like it.
12:05It really affected me, I just didn't feel good on the bike.
12:09I didn't feel good on myself really, in myself, I just felt weird.
12:13I had altitude sickness, like full on.
12:17At this point, it's only going to get higher from here.
12:32The altitude sickness is going to make riding the Cotopaxi volcano a much bigger challenge than I ever expected.
12:39But I'm rested, and I'm as ready as I'll ever be.
12:45This is a strange landscape, man. Look at it. It's insane, isn't it?
12:49The Cotopaxi volcano rises almost six kilometres above sea level.
12:54But today, it's hidden behind clouds.
12:59It's been, what, three hours without phone signal now.
13:04We haven't seen tarmac for like three, four hours.
13:07This is the most remote place I have ever been in my life, without a doubt.
13:14Is this why we're standing here, Rob, in these little, earth-looking things?
13:18I think so. Did you bring some warm clothes?
13:21I'll tell you what, it could do with tarmac on his drive.
13:26Chagra cowboys have lived and worked in these harsh mountain conditions for centuries.
13:34Are you a Chagra? Yeah.
13:36Chagra, dude!
13:38Nice to meet you, mate. Nice to meet you.
13:43Can we sleep here?
13:44Yeah.
13:45Gracias, gracias. Prego, prego.
13:50How do you feel being up here at like 3,800 metres?
13:54I feel uneasy, if I'm honest.
13:55Running through my head now is if anything goes wrong with me, you'd be in real trouble.
13:59Because that is a long, rough, slow, high altitude, three and a half hours back to the nearest bit of
14:07tarmac.
14:08We're literally at the mercy of the gods. And that is why I took you to see a shademan who
14:14rubbed you down with a gerbil.
14:26I'll have a go.
14:27Just give me the right length of rope, mate. I'll do the rest.
14:30These Andean cowboys have world-renowned skills in herding cattle.
14:34Okay.
14:36Chuck it, Rob. Chuck it!
14:40Oh! That was close!
14:42Almost, huh?
14:46Out of ten. Uno, dos, cuatro.
14:48Ahorita zero.
14:53Zero?
14:53Yeah.
14:55Let's let the Canadian cowboy have a go.
14:57Here we are then. The Canadian cowboy, Finn Isles, World Cup downhiller.
15:02Here, I got this. One sec.
15:04Yeah, that hat ain't working for us. He's got this.
15:10We got him!
15:14Oh, my God. Look at him.
15:16He'll be asking if he can take that home with him in a minute. It's a trophy.
15:20Well done.
15:21You too? We're both pretty bad at it. I think it was dumb luck.
15:25Really?
15:26More skill, but you know.
15:32Maybe one day, yeah.
15:33Can I have a job here?
15:36Me?
15:38No.
15:45No gas barbecues round here, then, bud?
15:59No gas barbecues round here, then, bud?
16:04It's been a pretty long day, really, driving up here.
16:07But I'm definitely the furthest I've ever been from civilisation, which made me nervous.
16:14This legitimate hacienda, this farm, with a chagra.
16:20Gracias. Cheers.
16:22Salud.
16:31When he started singing, it was mesmerising. I won't lie. I never really experienced anything like it. I guess that's
16:38what they do in the evenings here. They ain't got play stations or switches. You know, singing songs about herding
16:44cows and stuff. Yeah, it was incredible. I didn't think I'd be into that sort of thing, but there you
16:48go.
16:51Travelling around the world and racing on my bike, and I get to go to all these cool places. But
16:56I've never been able to go somewhere to ride my bike and really enjoy the culture of it. It made
17:01me realise, like, all the things that, like, I've sort of, I guess, missed.
17:05It's definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to be out here with Rob and experience these things.
17:16Tomorrow going up Cotopaxia, the highest active volcano in the world, which is currently on amber alert.
17:23But the altitude sickness I had earlier in the week has shook me up a bit. I don't like it.
17:29Every time I get out of breath, I have a little panic.
17:32You know, I haven't even seen the volcano yet. It's just over there. Hopefully the clouds will clear and I'll
17:39get up in the morning and see Cotopaxia. Looking forward to it.
17:43...y mi caballo bailando.
17:48Gracias. Thank you.
17:54Muchas gracias.
18:02So, this morning Rob and I have woken up to the most exceptional view that I've ever seen in my
18:08entire life.
18:08What do you think, Rob?
18:10Just took my breath away. Literally. Look at it.
18:14Absolutely brilliant.
18:15A proper volcano. A real one, like a massive iced cake drop from space.
18:20Breathtaking, isn't it?
18:21Well worth the hours and hours of being jostled about in a 4x4 to get here.
18:27Sorry, the fog just came in.
18:29It's right there behind that foggy.
18:31Right in there.
18:32Yeah.
18:41How you feeling, mate? Ready to ride a volcano?
18:44Starting to feel like it.
18:51Oh my God, look at that. Dude, look at that.
18:58This is definitely the highest I've ever been on planet Earth. Yeah.
19:09Holy crap, look at that. Look at that.
19:15The altitude is quite extreme.
19:18The summit of Kotopaxi is 1300 metres above us.
19:23A trail starts just below its crater.
19:27The altitude makes every step a struggle.
19:30It feels more like a summit attempt on Everest than getting to the start of a bike trail.
19:39It's a different environment to anyone I've ever been used to.
19:42There's no air, but the wind's so strong.
19:49And it's pretty cold.
19:53We're almost at the top of Mount Blanc, eh, Rob?
19:55Is that it? Same altitude?
19:57A bit lower, like 100 metres lower.
19:59F*** me.
20:00All of a sudden, it just whacks you.
20:03I'm just taking my time, that's it.
20:13The lack of air is very noticeable.
20:21I've never been a big fan of pushing bikes uphill.
20:28I'm here to ride a volcano, and that's what I'm going to do.
20:31Even if it takes all day.
20:35But I love eight relationships with volcanoes.
20:38I love them.
20:39They're hard work.
20:44Look at it!
20:46Look at that, coming through the cloud now.
20:48My God, it's unbelievable.
20:52It was worth a walk.
20:57Ready to go, mate?
20:58I'm a bit nervous.
20:59Something I've never really felt before.
21:02There's no time like the present, mate.
21:04Oh, my God!
21:05Go on, then, dude. Hit it!
21:10Yeah, that's far!
21:11Woo-hoo!
21:12Oh, my God!
21:17Woo-hoo!
21:17Woo-hoo!
21:18Land speed record!
21:30Oh, my...
21:46This is insane!
21:48That was brilliant.
21:51I've never felt anything like that in my whole life.
21:54Nice.
22:00She's a rock, man!
22:01Woo!
22:10Woo!
22:11Woo-hoo!
22:20Woo!
22:28Woo-hoo!
22:30Sick!
22:49Oh, what?
23:01Nothing I've ever felt like that before.
23:03I ain't gone that fast on a bike for decades.
23:05On a volcano, going that fast.
23:07No brakes.
23:09That's sick.
23:09That is one of the sickest things I've ever done.
23:19I've ridden down it, I've seen it, and it's lived up to all expectations.
23:23What a trip.
23:25The highest active volcano in the world, we salute you.
23:27Second.
23:30Don't ruin my, you just ruined a really poignant moment.
23:33You've got to be factual.
23:34What's higher?
23:35I don't know, I read a sign up there, second highest.
23:37Apparently there's one in Peru that's a bit higher.
23:40Number one in our hearts, though.
23:42Yeah.
23:44Number one for us, Carpaxi.
23:46You beauty.
24:08Cool.
24:13Cool.
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