Bear Grylls has recently starred in the TV series, riveting survival. He presented his Mexican adventure as follows:
"I'm Bear Grylls My challenge is to survive one of the world's largest canyon systems -... Copper Canyon, Mexico is a mecca for hikers and climbers, but hundreds lost every year I am going to show you the skills needed to survive there."
My cynical step brother is listening to my enthusiastic comments about Bear's survival skills. I told him that the bear used algae to steam some fish. This caught his attention as he is, I seasoned the fish steamer.
Later, he asked: "Why Bear Grylls steam his food ?"
he got the answer himself: "Because he can not bear grills !"
Ph.D. obviously not in vain! In fact, Bear often eats his food raw materials in survival situations.
Back to Bear Grylls in Mexico. He stands tall at the helicopter landing gear as it was preparing to land.
"I am entering Mexico, Copper Canyon, 300 miles south of U.S. borders - hundreds of deep canyons, twisting cuts this vast wilderness
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"This is four times larger and thousands of feet deeper than the Grand Canyon. This place is wild. the landscape has remained untouched for centuries. Therefore, it is quickly becoming one of Mexico hiking hot spots.
"Last year, half a million people visited the Copper Canyon. parts of the canyon are so remote that they are still without a plan. without a guide, getting lost is almost guaranteed.
"I'll put myself in the position of lost tourists to show you how to survive in a place like this. There is little sign of life down here making starvation and dehydration, a big threat to anyone stranded."
He fell on top of a cliff over nine and a half thousand feet up:
"Everything I have with me a water bottle, flint and a knife. film crew could come after me. It feels like the top of the world. It's just breath taking. This is huge. It makes me feel pretty small here. trying to work their way through this landscape is a massive challenge.
"I can see more than 25 miles and there is no sign of human activity. I have a plan, but first I need to get my bearings ".
Bear realized that the cliff face with the extra vegetation should be facing north, where they will receive less sun, but more moisture. He is now able to move westward with confidence.
He was headed on a dangerous journey to the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railway, known as El Chepe. It runs for 400 miles through the Copper Canyon from north to south.
trail passes over 37 bridges and through tunnels 86th Railways is almost 100 years to build and was completed in 1961. This is a great tourist attraction and is used daily to transport. Bear continues west to El Chepe:
"It's 24 degrees right now, but at this height it will be dramatically cooler at night. I need to descend quickly. Temperatures will plummet to minus ten degrees at the top, but at the bottom should be 20 degrees warmer. "
But it is more vertical mile down and it will take several hours to even if the Bears could not find a way down. It is dangerous to walk along the edge of the cliff face, so he could see a potential way down.
"Finding the time seems just impossible. I'm looking for, what climbers call it, a line of weakness, where the rocks are eroded. This can often give you way down ."
has found some coyote crap that he does not eat, but which has been suggested that there must be way down the coyotes would not be able to stand on top of all time.
Bear eventually found a possible way that was worth the risk of climbing down. Down climbing is always dangerous because you have to lean how to find your foot holds:
"It is crucial that the escape route back up if you can not go down any further ."
Further down the overhang has become strong and it is difficult to see where he goes. At one point the bear commented:
"I'm stuck on the ledge and the fifty foot drop in front of me and there's no way down. My only option is to climb back up and face the freezing night on top."
, however, saw another way down to his right, if he could jump over steep eight foot wide gully. He has played a jump and found some ground handling at about 7000 meters.
temperature rose two degrees for every thousand feet below moved. But he needed to find shelter and to know how much time was left to find it.
He uses his hands like a clock while holding his right hand toward the sun in its full length. He bent his right hand on the left with your palm facing toward the sun. Measured by the four fingers from the bottom edge of the sun to the horizon.
He then had to move my hand the other hand down and measure the width of four fingers to the horizon, and eight fingers in everything.
Each finger stood for fifteen minutes so that about two hours to find shelter.
Each finger stood for fifteen minutes so that about two hours to find shelter.
...
came across a harmless scorpion who ate live for their protein after cutting off the tail end of which included a poison dart:
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"It tastes like cheese that has been sitting around for about three weeks, but worse ."
...
Raramuri or 'Foot Runner' Indians living in the Copper Canyon. They fled in the16th century to escape the Spanish Conquistadores.
He made a fire is seen to create a glow and light the fire: "Now I can sit back and watch the sun go down tonight knowing that I should be warm, "
cave him a good night's sleep and he was up at 06:30 with the sun. To get his bearings he rubbed a bit of wire in her hair and put it on the list in a little water from his water bottle. rate turned to magnetic north.
has not seen the sun so he knew East was behind his cave. The West is now apparent, but his breakfast is less so.
Raramuri sometimes resorted to eating mud and rock. That would give them the essential minerals. As usual, Bear has to eat whatever is on offer:
"I ate a lot of rock before! It tastes like a handful of flour mixed with sand ."
He followed the trail down to thethe bottom of of the canyon where he found a fresh source where he could drink ,of course ,filtered water without boiling .
then came over a hundred foot waterfall. He decided to close down some, but unstable trees. He needed to get his center of gravity near the tree, the further you lean more tree swings:
"What I want to watch the dead branches. As I lower branches become thicker and more stable tree. Now I can move quickly ."
Behind the waterfall became a sheer canyon walls and no exits. Nearly forty inches of rain could fall in one day here and the walls of the channel of the weight of water straight into the river
"Flash floods are a real threat ... the rain may fall thirty miles away. three p.m. foot wall of water full of stones and trees will thunder down the sixty miles per hour, a hit with little warning."
"You have to listen, and if you feel the ground start to shake, head for high ground immediately ."
a few years ago, a man, accompanied by son and niece, was fishing nearby when the torrent hit them. He managed to pull his son to safety, but when he turned to grab his niece, she was gone and was never seen again.
bear now moved into another canyon that led to the west and the canyon was turned south:
"One of the most important elements for survival is to stay vigilant and keep exploiting opportunities ."
Spotting a new canyon saved him days of walking. He quickly made up another chance - some fish in the stream:
"first downstream dam streams where the fish will not see. Then the dam upstream. Hit them with a stick. Even if you miss you will stun them. All freshwater fish can be eaten, but certainly gut any fish over three inches long. "
Fish contains proteins build muscle and can help build your immune system. Bears eat raw fish - sushi style
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has now come to a series of waterfalls. It can be very dangerous, because hidden rocks turbulent froth. Bear has decided to jump from the top of a waterfall to show how this can be done safely.
is the first measured depth of the pool at the bottom of the falls from a small rock and a rope from Yukka goes before jumping out of foam with their feet together.
When he came on corkscrewed from power, that he stroked the back of his left hand as he turned around and around until he reached the ground.
lying between the two fires that night to keep warm. Raramuri call this kind of set the smoke blanket. They used this to keep warm when there where no caves around.
within twenty minutes in a cold river, the bear was warm, but breathes in an unhealthy amount of smoke from two fires in the night.
It is now the Bear's third day in the Copper Canyon. He used a piece of skin cactus draw muck and silt from its river water before boiling for five minutes.
He continued west, but had to get out of its canyon, which is now bending to the north. He noticed a deep cut in the rock that could be climbable. His dad has always told him:
"You can never tell how steep something is until you really rub noses with her ."
He did a chimney climb. Wedge in, and then place one foot on each wall and use the enemy forces on themselves raise with your leg strength. At the top he saw daylight and squeezed through.
landscape is now almost flat and allowed him to go to the west.
One of the ways Raramuri hunting hunt animals on the immense distances. deer will run and run, and then tire and Raramuri will be close enough to throw stones and kill him.
Running has always been a key part Raramuri culture, because it was the only way for them to get around. He said that Raramuri could run 70 miles a day, and even 170 miles without stopping.
Bear found and ate a beetle larvae that contained a good protein and which he had to chase down. It tasted like an explosion of goo in his mouth:
"It was dark now and it looks like I could be here for another night ."
But now he saw movement up ahead. Over the hills some people. Their bright-colored clothing showed that the Raramuri. The bear looked back on his adventure:
"Copper Canyon is a large and intimidating wilderness to be lost and it leaves me with a sense of awe in people who have learned to live and survive here, and call it their home ."
Several survival and success lessons can be learned from episodes of Copper Canyon:
the plan and a vision of where you go.
Be prepared for a massive challenge and do not let the barriers intimidate you.
Learn from all conquering creed Conquistadores, but not of its goals and methods.
Put yourself in the position of people who are trying to help. Think about your problems and offer solutions. Bears can not imagine that the lost tourist.
Get your bearings at any time, so you know whether you're on the right track.
If you lack the skills of navigation, to pay a guide or mentor who will show you the way in person.
I always have time to escape - do not risk your life or something you can not afford to lose
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to move quickly when you can.
Find alternative but to give up. If you need protein, eat a scorpion, even if you thought horrifies. If you watch, use your hands instead.
Make health and safety your priority. Boil or filter water and listen out for flash floods. Be aware at all times.
Look before you leap! Check out what's under the froth.
Get up close to find out what is involved in any risky investment. Remember the advice of their parents.
to appreciate the beauty of your surroundings.
Find the courage and endurance of Raramuri.
Find out the vision and perseverance of the builders of El Chepe.
