- 6 hours ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:26This is terrifying.
00:31There's ten.
00:33Can I get the...
00:35Hang on, hang on, hang on.
00:38Yeah.
00:40He's right by camp.
00:42Whoa.
00:43There he is.
00:44Oh, my God.
00:45He's just looking at us.
00:49For most of us, the idea of being eaten alive at night feels impossible.
00:55Because today, more than half of us live in cities.
01:00We've traded open horizons for walls and left just a handful of people still living by the land.
01:06They're the Earth's original explorers, the nomads, and as their land disappears, so does their way of life.
01:13It would be easy to believe that there's no area left still classed as truly wild.
01:19But you'd be wrong.
01:20There are still majestic pockets of land that are rugged, wild, and teeming with life.
01:25We found not just one hippo, but all the hippos.
01:30Whoa.
01:31This is the Tanzania you don't get to see.
01:34And the critical thing is, we need them for the health of our planet.
01:37I'm Lucy, and I'm an explorer.
01:39I've been leading expeditions all over the world for over a decade.
01:43And now, I'm on a mission to take you with me.
01:46I've journeyed to some of the world's most distant corners.
01:49But this time, I'm trying to cross one of Africa's last great wildnesses on foot.
01:54A route that only a few have traveled, and never in this way.
01:58Once in a lifetime experience.
01:59I feel like I've just stepped into a world and just trying to keep up.
02:02I want to show you the beauty.
02:04This place really is a paradise.
02:06The surprising world.
02:07Lots of African killer bees.
02:08This is mad.
02:10And the downright terrifying.
02:12Oh my god.
02:13I'll be joined by those who still live by the land.
02:15True nomadic hunter-gatherers.
02:17And learn how they're adapting in a world that's changing fast.
02:20I'm gonna have to get used to the fact that things are gonna get killed.
02:23As we journey across this harsh terrain, we'll face predators.
02:27She's looking right at us.
02:29Extreme heat and days without water.
02:30I don't know if we've got enough for 24 hours.
02:33We'll need to come together and learn to work with the wild, not against it.
02:37I want to prove that this planet still has untoiled places of all shapes and sizes still left to fight
02:42for.
02:43Because it has never been more important for us to build up our relationship with the natural world.
02:48And protect these last wildnesses at all costs.
02:51This is unbelievably spectacular.
03:03I'm about to start an expedition that will take me through hundreds of kilometers on foot with my local team
03:09across some of the wildest, most hostile areas East Africa has to offer here in Tanzania.
03:15We're gonna be going through dense forests, volcanic mountains, and we're gonna be filming it all.
03:20I don't know what to expect. None of us know what to expect.
03:24Feeling a little nervous, but ready for it.
03:28I believe the best way to understand the country's wild places, the challenges they face and why we need them,
03:33is through adventure.
03:34The type that's on the ground, at walking pace.
03:36So we really get to experience everything the wilderness has to offer.
03:41Tanzania is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, and by several neighboring countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and
03:47Zambia.
03:48Our mission is to cross a large part of Tanzania, and this secret land holds the key to our future
03:53as much as our past.
03:56To have any chance of success on this ambitious expedition, I've put together the best team, and we all have
04:03our roles to play.
04:03There's me. Well, this was my crazy idea.
04:06I'll be filming the expedition and navigating, as well as keeping the team together.
04:11Then we've got Julius.
04:13Julius's tracking skills with big game will be vital for keeping us safe.
04:17And Dalali, Julius's son, a master chef and hunter-gatherer.
04:21When supplies run low, he'll be the one we rely on.
04:25We'll then need to find a team member from another tribe.
04:29Having someone with different skills and traditional knowledge will be essential as we move through some.
04:33such varied terrain.
04:36Finally, there's Winnes.
04:37Winnes and I have been working together for months getting this expedition off the ground.
04:41He knows multiple languages and will be our chief negotiator and translator as we navigate around the various tribes.
04:48So you're looking forward to the adventure?
04:50Very well, yeah.
04:52Once in a lifetime experience.
04:54Yeah.
04:55I hope so.
04:56Yeah, sure.
04:56It's going to be memorable.
04:58Uh-huh.
05:00What are you most afraid of?
05:03The wild animals.
05:05Yeah, the wildlife.
05:06Yeah.
05:06The wild animals, the slag maybe.
05:08Because people are normally in here, right?
05:10Yeah.
05:10They're normally in vehicles and we're choosing to be on foot.
05:14Yeah.
05:15And Winnes has a right to be nervous about the wildlife.
05:17We'll be moving through a world where everything wants to bite or eat you.
05:21With hyenas, elephants and lions all abundant, we'll need to keep our wits about us just to survive.
05:27But before we can worry about that, I need to find the rest of the team.
05:31We are just heading to the start point.
05:33We're going to go and find two more members of our team, Julius and Delali.
05:37And they're both nomadic hunter-gatherers from the Hadza tribe.
05:41And our first challenge is actually going to be to try and find them.
05:44Because they are nomadic, they don't stay in one place.
06:00I don't really know what I'm looking for.
06:02I'm looking for two people who I guess look like hunter-gatherers.
06:06What does a hunter-gatherer look like nowadays?
06:08Is it what I have in my mind?
06:12Elephants.
06:14Elephants.
06:15I didn't know elephants were here.
06:18See the elephants.
06:19Oh, it is fresh.
06:22Straight in for it.
06:24So elephants already.
06:25So we have elephants here.
06:28Looking for two nomads in this vast wilderness is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
06:33But for hunter-gatherers, maybe I stick out like a sore thumb.
06:40Yeah, Julius there.
06:42You might see.
06:43Do you see him?
06:44I'm just walking there.
06:44See?
06:45Oh, is that them?
06:46Yeah, I see them.
06:47Oh.
06:47Yeah, I think it was Julius.
06:49Oh, Julius.
06:50They have a dog.
06:51Oh, they got dogs.
06:52Oh.
06:53We need to go close to them.
06:54Yeah, okay.
06:55Hi.
06:57Hi.
06:59We were expecting to just meet Julius and Bilali.
07:02But instead, a whole band of hadzo have come to greet us.
07:05And before we know it, we're off.
07:07Okay, we'll go this way.
07:08Let us go.
07:09Okay.
07:10Does your dog have a name?
07:11Mogolomi.
07:12Mogolomi.
07:15Mogolomi.
07:20Mogolomi.
07:21They walked fast.
07:23Anyway.
07:26They're chaotic.
07:27I have to start.
07:35The Hudson have minimal belongings, wear animal skins, carry bows, and live by skills
07:39perfected over thousands of years.
07:41They walk everywhere, sometimes up to 50 kilometers per day, in search of food and water.
07:47And since the expedition begins tomorrow, the guys want to get something for dinner
07:50and make sure we're safe, at least for tonight.
07:57Yes, wish us luck on hunting, interesting.
08:03I don't know how I'm going to cope with animals being killed left, right and centre, but it's
08:09what they do.
08:18The bush baby.
08:20Ah, the bush baby.
08:29It's a bit too much to show, but a single bite is made to the back of the bush baby's
08:34neck.
08:36I didn't realise that the guys had sort of already shot it.
08:40I was waiting.
08:40I thought the bush baby had a chance, but it definitely didn't have a chance.
08:43It had been shot by the arrow.
08:45Yeah, no, it's quite weird.
08:46I'm going to have to get used to the fact things are going to get killed.
08:58Silly reaction.
09:06We're running.
09:14These are black-faced velvet monkeys, precious meat for the hunter-gatherers.
09:25Oh!
09:31Is that the same one?
09:32This one is the metal, the big one.
09:40I suppose we're eating monkey tonight then.
10:01The Hadza hunt two to three times a week.
10:03But as other tribes are resettled by the government onto this land, with cattle and goats, the
10:08grazing and water is quickly consumed.
10:10The herds drive the wild animals away, and with them goes the Hadza's food.
10:15That's why they seize upon any chance to hunt meat, whenever they can, for their own survival
10:20more than anything else.
10:22Today was a good hunt day, but it's getting harder and harder to maintain this way of life.
10:29In this world, nothing from a hunted animal is wasted.
10:34Dug straight into the hands.
10:35That seems to be the preference.
10:37Guys are going to eat what they want, take the rest back to their wives.
10:42Couldn't get any fresher than this.
10:45Some liver?
10:47Yes.
10:48Yeah, liver good?
10:49Yeah.
10:50Yeah.
10:50Good.
10:58Good?
10:58Mm-hmm.
11:01I guess the intestines there.
11:03The intestines there, yeah.
11:04Might stick with the liver.
11:07And the brain.
11:10You have to taste the brain.
11:11I have to taste the brain.
11:13I have to taste the brain.
11:13I have to taste the brain.
11:15With dinner done, it's time to work again, before something decides to eat us.
11:19So, shelter building it is.
11:26OK.
11:34I'm the only woman here, and it's clear the guys like to take the lead.
11:40OK.
11:41This is Hanna.
11:42He's wasted no time showing who's boss.
11:45I will do as he says.
11:48Yeah.
11:50That means take it this way, I think.
11:52Repeated.
11:53Hanna is proving particularly hard to impress.
12:04I haven't had the time to, like, game my thoughts yet.
12:09I feel like I've just stepped into a world and just trying to keep up.
12:14Nighttime is danger time here in the bush, as it's when many of the predators, like lions
12:19and leopards, are at their most dangerous.
12:21But the threats here come in all shapes and sizes.
12:24This is a scorpion.
12:26Scorpion.
12:27Scorpion.
12:27Yeah, a scorpion.
12:29Scorpion.
12:29Very dangerous.
12:31Yeah.
12:33Found a scorpion about five metres from the camp, or from my little house.
12:39It's fine.
12:40Just thinking on the bright side.
12:41They don't kill you.
12:42They're just really, really hurt.
12:44Delali comes with news.
12:46Seems tonight we've got more than just big cats to worry about.
12:49So they're afraid of elephants only.
12:51Yeah.
12:52That's what I'm afraid of.
12:53Only elephants because it's big.
12:55And tusks.
12:55Yeah.
12:56Because of big.
12:56I'm afraid too.
12:58Okay.
12:58They're just burning the elephant down.
13:00Okay.
13:01Just like a sprinting mechanism.
13:04Oh, really?
13:04Yes.
13:05Oh, really?
13:06Always.
13:07So that's what you do if you're nervous.
13:09Well, you can survive.
13:09Yeah.
13:10Yeah.
13:12Elephants are so often seen as gentle giants.
13:14But out here, they're one of the animals to be feared the most.
13:18They're intelligent, unpredictable, and carry the scars of generational trauma after years
13:22of conflict with humans.
13:25Sometimes, they defend themselves.
13:27Other times, they attack without warning, using deadly precision with their tusks, trunks,
13:32and even their feet.
13:33Each year, they kill far more people than predators here, like lions and leopards do.
13:38It's that combination of power and intelligence that makes them so dangerous.
13:42But it's also what makes them extraordinary.
13:45Elephants, they're not mindless aggressors.
13:47They think, they feel, and they remember.
13:50And that's why they demand our respect.
14:02There are only around 1,000 Hadza left in Tanzania, with small groups living across the country.
14:07They live entirely from what they can hunt and gather, offering a rare window into how
14:12humans lived tens of thousands of years ago.
14:15The Hadza rely on nature being in perfect balance, and take only what they need.
14:19But in a world changing fast, they're having to fight harder than ever to hold on to their way of
14:24life.
14:25Julius and Delali may be incredible bushmen, but this is a new adventure for them.
14:29They've never been on an expedition.
14:31So while I'll be learning from their deep knowledge of survival, they'll also be learning from me in a sense.
14:37But mostly, let's be honest, I'll be learning from them.
14:41Together, we'll step into the unknown as a team.
14:44And with the unknown, things are always unpredictable.
15:07Hey, we're running.
15:24It's 1.30 in the morning, and something is getting very close to our camp.
15:30Okay, we're running.
15:39Hyena.
15:40Yeah, hyena has come around here.
15:41But it's gone?
15:42But now we are already chasing far away, yeah.
15:44Chased away.
15:45Yeah.
15:46Whew.
15:48Thank you for scaring it.
15:51We can go back to bed now.
15:58Having a visit from hyenas last night meant that my sleep was a little disturbed.
16:02Then there's this.
16:04Look.
16:05Fresh elephant dung.
16:07Just around here.
16:11Yeah, I've definitely got a bit of...
16:14What have I got myself in for?
16:17We all need a good meal before leaving the rest of the Hadza.
16:20And as the Hadza are hunter-gatherers, that means one of two things.
16:25We're trying to find or dig up tuba, which I think is like a sort of root, a bit like
16:29a potato.
16:31Maybe this is my opportunity to show my biggest sceptic my worthiness.
16:38These tuba roots contain life-saving nutrients and water, an essential survival tool to learn
16:43here.
16:44But while the tubas are filling, it seems the guys want something slightly sweeter to finish
16:48things off.
16:49And in a world without sugar, getting dessert is a very dangerous business.
16:54There are bees.
16:56There are bees.
16:57African bees are aggressive.
16:59If you're smelling inside your home, and then the soldier is coming outside, we look
17:05at the enemy and it stinks, stinks, stinks.
17:09Yeah.
17:11It's dangerous.
17:12But if you like to try Lucy, not easy.
17:16I have to get my bravery up now.
17:18I've got to challenge my Hadza, my inner Hadza.
17:22You don't lose.
17:23It's dangerous, you know.
17:24It's dangerous.
17:25It's dangerous.
17:27It's dangerous.
17:27The Hadza hunt for honey regularly, using it as one of their most precious trading resources.
17:33They only ever take what they need.
17:35I'm making sure I'm standing right in the smoke of the fire, so that I smell as much as
17:40vague as possible.
17:43Smoke is used to calm the bees.
17:44That doesn't mean it stops them from the stinging.
17:49Ow!
17:50Yeah.
17:51Got it.
17:52I almost had it.
17:54Straight in.
17:55You tell me where.
17:57I'm being watched very carefully.
18:00Like that?
18:00Yeah.
18:02Ow.
18:02Ow.
18:02As the hunter-gatherer in the team, Delai takes me under his wing to show me how it's
18:06done.
18:07Yeah.
18:07Come on.
18:08Ah, I got it.
18:09Ow.
18:11Ow.
18:13Ow.
18:21Yay!
18:22Okay.
18:28Thank you for teaching.
18:30New bear.
18:30New bear.
18:33New bear.
18:34Cheers.
18:34Good.
18:35Yes.
18:35Nice.
18:38Yeah, once I found out there were African killer bees, it was a different story, but
18:41did it.
18:42And the honey tastes also sweeter.
18:44My hand is shaking, shaking from all the stings.
18:49Yes.
18:52Julius, are you excited for the expedition?
18:55I'm ready to walk.
18:57Yeah.
18:57You're ready to walk?
18:59Yeah.
18:59Yes.
18:59These legs, I've seen you walking already.
19:03I hope you slow down.
19:06I know.
19:06Yeah.
19:07We've got stuff to carry.
19:08Okay.
19:09Like, we've got tents.
19:11Tents and food and everything.
19:13Food.
19:14A little bit of team kit.
19:15It's like safety stuff.
19:17Yes.
19:17I know, how many days are you walking?
19:20It'll be like five weeks.
19:23Five weeks?
19:23Yeah.
19:25I'm excited though.
19:26I'm glad you're on the team.
19:28You'll be okay in the shoes for the whole time?
19:30Yes.
19:31They'll be fine?
19:32Nice one.
19:34Nice one.
19:35Okay, cool.
19:37It's been fascinating learning from the Hadza, but now I need to show them a little bit
19:41about my world.
19:43Now it's time to actually get ready for the expedition.
19:47Check what Julius and Zalali have in terms of kit, what we've equipped them with and what
19:51more team kit we've got to give, because we've also got things like camera batteries.
19:56Julius, did you want an extra one?
20:00I've been leading teams on different expeditions for over 15 years.
20:03But for Julius and Zalali, and all of our onlookers, this is new.
20:09Do you have a plate?
20:10Sunny.
20:11Yeah.
20:13Or a mug.
20:16So we have to carry this.
20:17This is like a stretcher.
20:18Right, some of those.
20:19Yeah, it's for sharing, so it takes another one.
20:22The sardines.
20:23Everywhere.
20:28Mine and Winnet's rucksacks weigh over 35 kilograms.
20:32We're used to carrying that sort of weight, but Julius and Zalali come in at 15 kilograms.
20:37Sounds much less, but for these guys, who rely on travelling as light as possible, it will
20:41be a real challenge.
20:43The only way to keep the weight down is to take less food, so hitting that next resupply
20:47point will be crucial.
20:51How does it feel?
20:52Heavy?
20:53Good.
20:54We'll go slow, slow.
20:55Yeah, we'll do it.
20:56Okay.
20:58Now that we've packed the bags full of everything, for Julius and Zalali especially, I think
21:03it's become a little bit more real for them.
21:06Especially Julius.
21:07We really want to make sure that he doesn't get spooked.
21:10It's going to take quite a while to get into it.
21:12So, yeah, it's going to have to really keep spirits up and go slow, and quite a culture
21:17shock for them now.
21:18The tables have turned.
21:27It's going to be a big one.
21:34The journey ahead will take us into entirely different environments, each demanding its
21:38own kind of expertise.
21:40And so to continue, we must seek out one last team mate shaped by another landscape.
22:04We're heading east to try and find members from the Aki tribe and see if anyone wants to
22:09join us.
22:10Once hunter-gatherers like the Hadza, many have since merged with Maasai, taking on cattle
22:15and a more settled way of life.
22:17But it's their different knowledge and skills and their deep understanding of different
22:20lands that are going to be vital for the journey ahead.
22:26Life here has changed.
22:27The men are less often in the forest, the community more sedentary.
22:31This brings its own set of challenges.
22:33Staying in one place and keeping cattle brings pressure on the land resources and risks ancient
22:38traditions dying out.
22:40Just came around the corner and had a little bit of a shock because I saw four boys looking
22:45like they were about to go into war with their bows and arrows and their faces are painted
22:48white and they're wearing all black.
22:50It turns out it's because they've had a coming of age ritual.
22:56As much as I'd love to have a woman join the team, unfortunately it's just unrealistic in this community.
23:03It was a night.
23:05I was 13 years old...
23:07They were afraid to see their babies...
23:12They were afraid to see my mum were afraid to see my mum would notice my mum already.
23:18They had to come in..
23:19They would know how they were afraid of their mum.
23:22They were afraid to see my mum.
23:30They were afraid to see my mum.
23:36So one of the reasons we're here is we would love to invite someone from this Siaki to join this
23:44big adventure because anyone who wants to see more of this land and Tanzania, but also someone who would be
23:52great on the team who knows this area in particular.
23:56So is there anyone here who would like to join our team and join the expedition?
24:08It feels like an agonizing long wait. It's looking like no one will step up.
24:28He wants to be famous. I think we've got our final team member. So welcome to the team.
24:35Thank you. We'll get your bag packed and head off. You're good with the bow and arrow?
24:43Ah, good. We need that.
24:47Our final team member, Moses. Moses will bring with him an Aki tradition that he says will keep us safe
24:53at night. He calls it his magic.
24:58What's that one?
25:04Right now we are finding out how to protect ourselves from and after getting some ash and putting it, setting
25:11it to light a little bit.
25:12There's this special stick that once you dip it into the ash, you place it in front of the door,
25:19in the front of your tent or where you think you might be vulnerable to the wildlife.
25:24But you have to close your eyes as you do it and really believe that this will protect you.
25:29And this is their method of protecting in the wilderness from the big wildlife.
25:34And will Moses be doing that every night?
25:38Yeah.
25:39Yes? Oh, good. Good.
25:41See, he's a soldier.
25:43He's a soldier.
25:44As a parting gift, the Aki have decided that my machete needs a little TLC.
25:50Very good. Incredible.
25:52It will be good for the walk.
25:59It's happening now.
26:01Everything's come together, got our team together.
26:04Now what we've got to do is walk a few hundred kilometers.
26:09It's a long way.
26:11We have no idea what to expect, but I think we're ready.
26:18At the moment, it all feels quite daunting, I think.
26:22But there'll be a bit of team spirit, I think, as soon as we leave.
26:25I can feel it already.
26:28We've been waiting for this day.
26:29It's final now.
26:31And to all of our team, we are ready.
26:36We are very ready.
26:39All that's left is to say goodbye to the vehicles and goodbye to our camera operator.
26:45Goodbye to Luke and the crew.
26:49From now on, no crew, no support.
26:52Just us and my camera.
26:55Bye.
26:56Bon voyage.
26:58Bye, bye.
27:00Bye, bye.
27:02Bye.
27:03Bye.
27:12We have began walking in the sand on the dry riverbed.
27:32Our journey will take us across some of Tanzania's last remaining wildernesses, starting in the east and heading west.
27:39We'll pass through mountains and dense forests, where we'll need to stay alert for elephants, before reaching the open lands
27:44around Lake Iasi.
27:46Then, we'll have a chance to resupply, in the territory where more of Julius and Delade's tribe live.
27:51And from there, the route climbs up the escarpment.
27:54The heat will be brutal before we reach the Serengeti, a place where few ever walk.
27:59But we will.
28:00Wildlife will be our biggest threat here, and if we make it through, we'll face the dry lands, where water
28:05is scarce,
28:06before finally climbing into the highlands through Maasai land to Mount Lengai, an active volcano still worshipped as the mountain
28:13of God.
28:22Wow.
28:24Very, very excited.
28:26And then we'll be done with roads. After tomorrow, there's no more roads.
28:30After tomorrow, there will be no more roads.
28:32Nubea.
28:33Nubea.
28:34Tell me what Nubea means.
28:38Nubea.
28:41What means what?
28:42Thanks.
28:44Nubea.
28:46It's a long road, but after today, we should be done with the roads.
28:58And then, yeah, onto the animals.
29:02So within just a few minutes, Moses is changed into his sandals again.
29:10This is going to be our life for the foreseeable future.
29:15We've got to get used to it, I suppose.
29:20Tanzania is scattered with communities living right on the edge of wilderness.
29:24So our first challenge is simply getting through a few remote townships before the wild really begins.
29:30Because once we're in the wilds, support will be a very, very long way away.
29:36They never see people walking like the way we do.
29:39That's why we found, like, all of them, they're standing watching of us.
29:43What's happening there?
29:44Why are we?
29:46Why are those young people?
29:47Everyone's just thinking, what on earth are you doing?
29:53Well, I couldn't do what you're doing, so...
29:56Bye.
29:56Bye.
29:57Bye.
30:01Got some sugar beet.
30:03Some water.
30:04I think it's a little bit of a shock to the system for everyone.
30:07It's going to be painful.
30:13Good.
30:14A lot of walking.
30:15Only another, like, 560 kilometers to go.
30:21If we do another two legs, we will have done what we need, so...
30:28Can you see?
30:29I'll give you one back.
30:30Thank you very much.
30:36I think another two hours, and we'll be there.
30:41Oh, God.
30:49Seem to be getting marriage proposals every single day here.
30:53Just adding every name to the list.
30:55They're saying if things don't work out, my current boyfriend, then...
30:58Can get married.
31:00So...
31:01Lots of, uh...
31:02Lots of offers going on.
31:04Definitely not in the wilderness yet.
31:08Winnes' role of being the negotiator is coming in handy.
31:12Would you say we're safe here?
31:14We're very safe, yeah.
31:15Yeah, cool.
31:20Okay, good.
31:23Jalali, what are you doing here?
31:25Yeah, I'm trying to explain them our gas cooker.
31:28Our gas cooker.
31:29And our pot also.
31:31Yeah.
31:31Yeah.
31:33So, uh, the whole camping thing is quite foreign, as you can see.
31:40A lot of fascination between all the shops.
31:42Yeah.
31:43Yeah.
31:52I've just been told that by someone else, another villager who's just come by, that it might not actually be
31:59that safe to camp here because we're right next to what's the main road.
32:05And so, uh, just gonna go check out somewhere that's around, like, a walled area.
32:13Let's put the camp here.
32:15Under a walled thing.
32:21Okay.
32:22Let's see how this goes.
32:30We've got some rice, rice and beans.
32:41Morning, Luz.
32:42Good morning.
32:43How did you sleep?
32:45We made it through the night.
32:46Yeah.
32:47Right.
32:48It's safer here.
32:49Let's go.
32:50Yeah.
32:54I, uh, I, uh...
33:13Another day.
33:14Another day.
33:15Another day.
33:16Yeah.
33:17A day now.
33:18Find another point.
33:20Yeah.
33:25We're finally off any sort of busy road.
33:29Moses says there's a way through to get to the mountains through this, this way.
33:34So just following him.
33:36And he says there's something that he wants to show us before we begin our climb.
33:49So Moses has led us to this cave.
33:53And this cave has loads of cave art.
33:55And you were saying it's like 40,000 years old.
33:58Yeah.
33:5940,000 years old.
34:00Before Christ.
34:00I'm first time to come here for this cave.
34:04But we see, uh, different, uh, painting picture.
34:09Pinting of a human, animal, uh, skin of antelope, and many things.
34:19But, uh, for many years ago.
34:23Good.
34:24For many, for generations, generations coming to see.
34:29And then to learn.
34:30People lived in this cave.
34:32Mm-hmm.
34:32Nice.
34:37There are many theories why this art was created.
34:40Hunting rituals, religion, survival.
34:42But I think it's simpler than that.
34:45We all love to share stories.
34:47I can imagine a family gathered here watching someone tell the story of their day through these drawings.
34:52Storytelling is always how we've made sense of the world.
34:56Elephants, antelopes, and giraffes are depicted.
34:59But what once roamed here have been pushed into distant corners.
35:03Their paths cut off as the land fills with farms and towns.
35:06Without wildlife corridors, there's no way for the animals to move freely.
35:10It's the crazy thing, isn't it?
35:1240,000 years ago.
35:13In terms of history of this world, it's absolutely nothing.
35:17But the planet has just changed so much in the last hundred years.
35:23I mean, it's changed so much in the, even in the last 10, 15 years, it's changed so much.
35:28Just the rapid rate of growth is insane.
35:33Quite scary, too, sometimes.
35:35I think it's really good to get back to, you know, doing these things, being part of the environment,
35:41and remembering really where we all came from.
35:45What makes us human is, you know, we're all on this earth.
35:51And we all need this earth.
35:55Sometimes we just don't realize it.
35:57We have to look after it.
36:00Hey, Moses.
36:03It's quite a good way to begin our journey.
36:07Remind us of, you know, all of the explorers that came before us, have walked this land.
36:13and sort of just, oh, my gosh, can you imagine the hardships they faced?
36:21Ahead of us is a mountain to climb, standing tall at 3,600 metres,
36:26more than twice the size of any mountain in the UK.
36:29It would take too long to walk around, and time is against us.
36:33Our food supply is dwindling fast, so we have to go over it.
36:37And if we're lucky with the weather, we can summit in a couple of days.
36:40But before that, we've got to walk 70 kilometres to the base.
37:02We really needed Moses to sort of guide us through this first section.
37:05And after this first section, we'll be in to Julius and Dalali's land,
37:11and then that will be new for Moses.
37:15So it really is team effort, this, and it's everyone contributing what they can.
37:21What am I doing?
37:23What am I doing here? That's what I ask.
37:25I don't know.
37:26I'm navigating, making some decisions about how far we get and things.
37:31Keeping the team together, keeping the team morale together seems to be consistently one of my jobs.
37:38But it's good. We've got such a great team.
37:41It gets warm.
37:42Yeah, warm.
37:43Very quickly.
37:48You look like a completely different man to the man I met.
37:52Yeah, yeah.
37:53You've got your beards.
37:55Julius looks like a Snoop Dogg nowadays.
37:57Snoop Dogg.
37:58He has a necklace.
38:00And Dalali just looks effortlessly cool all of the time.
38:03Yeah.
38:05So cool with the sunnies.
38:07Yeah.
38:12Right, camp here.
38:15Which is cool.
38:17Yeah, we don't think there are any elephants or lions around here.
38:23I think more likely hyenas and, you know, antelopes and stuff.
38:27So, should be able to get a good night's sleep.
38:32Okay, before every camp spot when you're wild camping, it's a really good idea to, like, do some sweeping, do
38:38a bit of housekeeping before you put your tent up.
38:40Or if you've got a hammer before you put your hammock up, just to get rid of all the dead
38:45leaves, because under dead leaves, the nasties can live there.
38:49So, the snakes, the scorpions, or just, or just your average ant army that comes and gets you in the
38:57tent.
38:58So, you just make a nice clearing.
39:02And that is called sweeping.
39:10Mass plant.
39:15You might not want them in your tent, but ants and termites are some of the most important workers in
39:19Africa's ecosystems.
39:21Recycling, cleaning, and keeping the whole food web moving, they shape the land without us ever realising.
39:27And while they're busy doing their job, we're doing ours, collecting firewood for the night.
39:34Julius Delali and Moses are going to be sleeping next to the fire tonight, despite having a tent.
39:40They don't have sleeping bags, they just have their blankets.
39:43They want to sleep outside, because, I mean, that's what they do at home.
39:46They're going to be next to me, because, you know, there's not too many threatening wildlife here, but there are
39:53more hyenas.
39:54So, Moses doesn't speak English, but that doesn't stop us from communicating.
40:01Footsteps.
40:02Of what kind of animal?
40:04Hyena?
40:05Hyena.
40:08Hyena, hyena.
40:10Hyenas are one of the most misunderstood predators in Africa.
40:14You might picture scavengers, but here, they're apex hunters.
40:17Their jaws are powerful enough to crush bone, and they move with an eerie confidence.
40:23Hyenas study you, and once one chooses to come close, it usually does.
40:30Right, goodnight, everyone.
40:32Okay, goodnight.
40:33You're sleeping there, yeah?
40:35Yeah.
40:35Hopefully you have a warmer night with the fire.
40:39Yeah.
40:41Goodnight, Winnes.
40:42Goodnight, Moses.
40:44Goodnight, Julius.
40:45Goodnight.
40:47Goodnight.
40:48Put the leftover food there.
40:52In case the hyenas come to sniff it out.
40:58Go live again.
41:02For once, the wildlife gave us the night off.
41:04Even the hyenas left us alone.
41:11It's a beautiful morning.
41:13That is the thing about these adventures, is that every morning you wake up, what gets
41:19me up is that sort of feeling of, you know, don't know what's going to happen today, because
41:24you genuinely don't.
41:25And it's that excitement of being sort of in love with the world, sort of in awe of the
41:31world again.
41:32And you can lose that.
41:35But here, it's just every day, and it's like, oh, the unknown, what's going to happen?
41:40I guess we're going to have to find out, because we've got no other option.
41:44That's what gets me up.
41:45The curiosity and the sort of, oh, here we go.
41:54Got a bit of a viewpoint.
41:56Look at the mountains around us, and the sun is out.
42:06Even though mountains are hard, I love the way hyenas bring people together, just because
42:13you're all in it together.
42:17To the camp.
42:24Look at this camp spot that we found ourselves, and we're heading up there tomorrow, going to
42:30hopefully get the sunrise.
42:38Tomorrow, we've got the mountain to climb, and once we do that, I think we're going to
42:43be in good stead, a good team mindset to tackle the rest of this adventure.
42:49I think the sort of struggle of the climb has maybe brought everyone together.
42:56Okay.
42:57Well, good night.
43:01Good morning.
43:02I'm up.
43:03Up first, up early.
43:05I thought I'd get a fire going, because the guys need to be looked after today, because
43:10we tackle our first terrain obstacle, and that's a mountain that's about 3,600 meters.
43:16And for everyone but me and Winnes, it is their first mountain.
43:22So, what a privilege to be with them on their first peak.
43:41This first mountain's a test.
43:43If we can make it to the top, not only will we get a good view of the route ahead,
43:47but I'll
43:47be able to see whether the guys have what it takes for what's to come.
43:57We may be running away from the wildlife up here, but our food is running out.
44:01We can't idle.
44:03We must keep pushing on.
44:20You can do it, Julius.
44:24The team might be used to covering huge distances when hunting, but the weight of our rucksacks
44:28and climbing makes this a whole new challenge.
44:31Everyone is vital to making this expedition a success, and we're only just at the beginning.
44:36I can't afford for anyone to quit.
44:39Himachoka.
44:40Himachoka?
44:40Himachoka.
44:41Himachoka.
44:42Himachoka.
44:43Himachoka.
44:45Himachoka.
44:47Himachoka.
44:53Himachoka.
44:56Himachoka.
44:58Himachoka.
44:59Himachoka.
45:02Himachoka.
45:03Himachoka.
45:03Himachoka.
45:04Himachoka.
45:06Himachoka.
45:07Himachoka.
45:09Himachoka.
45:10Himachoka.
45:16Now we can see just how far we've got to go.
45:20We still have a long way to go.
45:24This journey is all about showing the wild places that still exist,
45:28and these wild places they might be sometimes surrounded by pockets of people,
45:33but these wild places they can still coincide with humans.
45:48And even though it's amazing to be here, it's just a reminder of just what's to come.
45:55Because up here, mountains, down there, dangerous wildlife.
46:07We're in dense forest, walking alongside our biggest fear, elephants.
46:13We're back in Ahadzaland, and Russians are running dangerously low.
46:17Is it obvious that we've run out of Russians?
46:19Reaching halfway, it's time to celebrate.
46:22Only the older men are allowed to eat the goat's bollocks,
46:25and I can't say I'm too upset about hearing this news.
46:28My taste is not going away any time soon, is it?
46:30With the Serengeti ahead, climbing in the heat pushes us all.
46:34You okay, Moses? I'm worried about you.
46:35You okay, Moses.
46:39I am His sister.
46:40I am his brother.
46:43You certainly may be my sister.
46:45I am his brother.
46:50You are my brother.
46:53I am his brother.
46:55I am his brother.
46:57I am his brother.
47:00You
Comments