Original subtitles

[eagle screeching]

I have a lot of respect for people that

know their limits and can admit defeat.

I'm cold every night.

It's miserable.

Not gonna sit here and freeze my ass off every night.

I'm not gonna do this anymore.

I just cut my finger.

[Kaila speaking]

Hopefully it'll close up.

It's pretty bad.

Oh, man.

Jungle doesn't like me.

I'm feeling very exhausted, very dehydrated.

I think I'm starting to stop sweating.

That's a bad sign. That's a sign of heatstroke.

[narrator] They've tested themselves

in the most grueling environments on earth.

We got fire!

[narrator] And proven the value of teamwork

in overcoming harrowing conditions.

Oh, my God. I'm so cold.

[narrator] Now eight of the most battle-tested survivalists

will take on their toughest challenge yet

as they attempt 21 days with no partner.

To each take on a separate location.

Solo.

Yes! Badass bitch right now.

That's a hawker.

This is no joke.

[woman] This is the most naked and afraid I've ever felt.

Oh, why am I out here?

[man] You either get it done or die.

[grunts]

Life's full of disappointments.

You just have to bounce back from 'em.

[narrator] In the heart of the African plains,

Cheeny scored a big protein win on day three.

Yes.

[narrator] But plummeting temperatures

and a medical condition, Raynaud's,

which makes her vulnerable to the cold.

I just don't want to be cold anymore.

[narrator] Have threatened her ability to continue.

I know as soon as I put the robe on,

I'm going to hate myself.

I can't do that.

I've never walked away from a challenge in my life.

Never quit.

And I don't want to start now

because this is a privilege to be here.

Got to stay in the fight.

Let's boogie.

Once I finish the wall, I'm gonna add more onto my roof.

I don't want to have another cold night in Africa.

Leaf this sucker up.

I'm trying to stack up my rock wall

so that I trap more heat.

For me movement, when I'm in a bad place is key because you...

you stand still, you just kind of wallow in that [bleep].

And that's not healthy.

You got a huge catfish and you're not hungry yet.

And I'm like, the most beautiful country in Africa.

I keep telling myself,

"Look at everything that you've accomplished so far.

There's nothing to complain about."

Next up, I got to put a roof on this thing.

A roof is crucial.

The heat's just going out and it's escaping.

I need to contain it as best as possible.

Putting on an addition.

So I got branches.

And I'm stacking them.

Just layering them up.

That's going to help trap a lot of the heat.

Perfect.

Overall, it's looking a lot better than

what it was this morning.

So I think I'll have a...

think I'll have a much warmer night.

Let's hope.

Oh, [bleep].

This is completely uphill.

[narrator] After choosing to leave

behind the fire starter on day one.

I came out here for a challenge, so I'm good.

[narrator] Terra has been unable to produce fire with a bow drill...

Damn it.

Leaving them vulnerable to predators and swarming insects...

Go away.

[narrator] ...and forcing a risky decision.

I'm going to try to use some of the last energy I have

and collect that fire starter.

If I don't, I'm kind of screwed.

Weakness, fatigue, hunger.

I've got to get through all that, and I've got to make it there.

I chugged water before I left, but I'm pretty much at that point of dehydration.

I feel like my muscles are about to just give up on me.

I get little dizzy spells, but I know I've got to keep going

and keep trucking 'cause I got to get there.

I'm trying not to burn myself out completely

because I still have to come all the way back down.

Right now, my mind is just focused on

not having my heart beat out of my chest.

I'm feeling very exhausted, very dehydrated.

This is a very, very, very a lot to do with no food.

I think I'm starting to stop sweating.

That's a bad sign. That's a sign of heatstroke.

I got water, shelter, fire on the first day.

But I would have to see if I can find,

like, some mangoes or some cactus

or just something that I can put in my belly.

[narrator] In the first week of the challenge,

Kaila has overcome doubts about surviving without a partner.

Yay! I got my fire all started.

Super excited.

[narrator] Relying on her own experience

to maintain fire and shelter

against jungle downpours and allowing her focus

to shift towards food.

Ooh, mangoes.

There's so many of them.

Oh, my gosh.

These mangoes are gonna be a game changer for me.

Yeah.

This is exciting.

I'm very excited.

Having mangoes is definitely gonna give me enough energy

to be able to walk around and do some hunting,

and that way, I can get some protein.

So this is huge.

It's so good.

Touch and go rain seems to be the pattern of the weather right now.

My name is Shanika.

I am a spiritual coach.

I currently live in Huatulco, Mexico.

I need to keep this fire going to stay warm.

It is not fun being wet and cold.

In my previous challenge in Mexico,

the environment was cold and wet

and the mosquitoes, they were horrible.

When I say these bugs are relentless,

I mean, I'm out here doing the shelter

and they're biting me on my [bleep].

I'm from Jamaica.

Just put me where the sun shines, and I'm okay.

But cold, a feeling I don't like.

This rain is getting on my nerves

because it's wintertime here,

and it's not supposed to be really raining like this.

My fire is all I got. I'm out here alone.

I'm out here with the most dangerous animals

and I need to get this fire going.

No more fire.

This weather is very unpredictable.

It just comes and goes.

Right now, the sky is blue, and it was raining.

It just doesn't make any sense.

South Africa is beautiful.

But it also can be quite dangerous.

[narrator] This African shrubland is full of constant threats

where 1,300-pound crocodiles can remain stealthy for days

before ambushing their prey and daily temperature swings of 50 degrees are common.

Wow.

What's that?

It looks pretty dry.

Hopefully this will help get my fire going.

I am here to do something amazing.

I'm here to know more of who I am.

I'm here to push my boundaries.

I'm here to deepen my connection

with my ancestors now that I'm here in Africa.

[narrator] Entering this challenge with vast fishing experience

and strong mental fortitude,

Shanika begins her 21-day quest

with a solo survival rating or SRR of 7.0.

Maybe we can start something with this.

I don't expect any journey to be easy.

The point is you're gonna face some challenges

and find the strength to overcome them.

Wow, look at that.

Fire, the feeling of getting fire going, it's like,

I don't know, watching your first child be born.

Here we go. It worked.

My ancestors are definitely aiding and assisting me.

They want me to thrive.

I see a lot of dove.

I know how to make a live trap that's great for birds.

There's opportunity knocking right there.

I need to work on a trap.

I'm James, and I'm an architect

in Tallahassee, Florida.

My prior challenges was 21 days in Nicaragua

and a 40-day XL challenge in the Philippines.

[James speaking]

Unfortunately, my challenge there didn't go

as I'd want it to go.

[woman speaking]

I did complete the 40 days,

but I started feeling like I was riding the coattails of others.

James, would you like us to help you with getting bags?

No, sir. Thank you, sir.

So I really do want to complete this challenge on my own.

It would be unbelievably meaningful.

I'm pretty sure there are rhino tracks down there.

They're huge.

And yeah, you can see the...

the toes.

All those things that trample you,

step on you, bite you, kill you.

Those are fresh, fresh warthog tracks.

[narrator] At 1,500 feet above sea level,

this remote South African grassland is occupied

by some of the planet's most lethal animals.

Ferocious hippos are responsible for more human fatalities

than any other animal in the region.

And large packs of hyena scavenge the plains for easy prey.

I just need a little bit of cordage.

I know how to make a live trap that's great for birds.

I could clip off some of this grass seed,

make a little pile, set it down there,

might be able to get a dove and do nothing but sit and let it happen.

I'm dedicating this challenge to my dad.

He just passed away,

and he's the one that instilled that adventure.

He used to take me out into the desert,

and we didn't care what was out there.

He just said, "Come on, son, let's go."

As a tribute to my dad,

I need to do my best throughout the entire challenge,

not just get to the end.

This is a live trap.

Catch small game birds up to rabbits.

You start with the larger length on the bottom

and it's like a pyramid

that comes up to a peak.

And the reason that actual shape is necessary

is so that when you put a piece of cordage

across the top and you tighten it,

it wants to squeeze everything down.

[narrator] Having finished both of his two previous challenges,

James' expertise in primitive survival

and knowledge in multiple environments

has him beginning with an SSR of 7.6.

All right.

That's definitely a good size for...

for dove.

Gonna focus on getting some fish today, some food.

I can already taste the fish.

So I just got to catch it.

I could foresee hard situations

that will try to wear away at my energy.

But I can't let that get to me.

This might take a little while,

so I'll leave it overnight,

hopefully have some success in the morning.

Actually came apart.

Well, I'm not 100% sure on this one this time.

I think it was the wind 'cause it was over to the side

as opposed to just straight down.

[Shanika] Day five, I haven't eaten yet.

I'm feeling all low energy, tired, a little foggy.

[Shanika speaking]

[James] Bird trap, come on now.

You got to catch something.

I've caught nice big rabbits with you,

and you can't even come out here

where there's a thousand birds and catch a bird.

I think I've checked my fishing line about five times.

Nothing yet.

I am crazy thirsty.

It's getting to me.

But all I'm focusing on,

getting to that fire starter and getting back.

I see my fire starter.

It's up there on the rock.

Oh, man.

Now I know that I can make a fire at any time

just by collecting a little bit of material and sparking it.

So I got to keep reminding myself

that this isn't a fail.

This is just something I had to do if I wanted to continue

in this challenge.

I still have come all the way back down.

Going up is bad, Coming down his bad regardless.

Oh, God.

I could feel my heart racing.

Oh, man.

And I can feel dizzy spells coming on.

I stopped sweating a little while ago.

These are all symptoms of heat exhaustion.

And if that's the case, then I need to get down this mountain.

Or I could be in some actual real trouble.

Oh, God. I don't know if I can do this.

Never been so thankful for just the sight of my shelter.

I am beat down.

I am sunburnt.

I am crazy thirsty.

I am still thirsty, even with the water in me.

I'm feeling a little bit dizzy, a little bit nauseous.

But all in all, I'm alive.

This is not going to be a giant fire.

It's not going to be a bonfire.

It's just going to be a little cooking fire.

I just wish the critters would leave me alone.

I can't believe they're all around me.

This place is stupid.

If I can get smoke and ash

all around at least my debris shelter,

then I can stop having so many bugs on me all the time

and I can actually get something done.

I just need the fire.

Look at that.

It's pretty cool.

It feels great having actual fire

within just a couple of scrapes

of the magnesium, a couple of hits on the plant,

I was able to get a fire started.

There's a lot of stress that's been relieved

by going and getting that damn thing.

With fire, I can cook.

It'll take down the bugs a lot.

I can put snares out and hopefully catch something in the forest.

I got a lot of sleep last night.

Shelter worked a lot better last night.

I made the rock ring a little bit taller.

That helped block the wind and keeping the heat in.

Day 21 feels like it's going to get here a lot faster now

that I can sleep.

That was the killer.

My mood today is a complete 180

from what it's been the last couple of days.

Like I was waking up all sorts of pissed off,

and I can't think of a single thing

to be mad about right now.

So, where there's water, there's life.

So, I know my best bet for food is along the river.

I was able to finally fix the cold problem.

But now I need to get out and find another food source.

I ate cru-zilla.

Yes!

Ha-ha.

Cru-zilla is no more.

I see there are paw prints.

I'm guessing that the Jackal.

I hear him at night howling.

And this is more of like a raccoon shaped paw,

which I'm assuming is a porcupine.

So maybe, hopefully I can find one that's in a den

'cause they're around here.

I see their prints everywhere.

Okay, there we go.

There's plenty of tracks going in and out.

I just hope there's a porcupine in there.

It could be in there sleeping.

I think porcupines move at night.

There's one way to find out.

So, I'm gonna start making some smoke to spook whatever's in there out.

[narrator] Cape Porcupines are the largest rodent in Africa.

And the largest porcupine in the world.

They are nearly three feet long

and can weigh over 50 pounds.

[Cheeny] All right, the moment of truth.

Oh I didn't even have to push it.

Hopefully it's a little porcupine

that'll come lumbering out.

I'll get some of this green on there get it to smoke a little bit more.

You do this all the time when we signal aircraft,

we build a fire and then we put green vegetation on top.

That creates a lot of nasty smoke.

I don't think there's anything in there.

That's out.

So, a lot of work for nothing.

Nothing in there.

[sighs]

[Kaila] All right.

So, I worked on the shelter a bit more.

Grabbed more firewood.

I've been eating some mangoes, but need like some protein.

So, what I'm doing now, um,

is I'm making a figure for a trap of mine.

This...

I'm gonna carve this, so I can seat it here.

Then I'll have my bait stick.

So now all I have to do is just cut in all the notches

so that it fits together.

And then the animal will come in

and it'll chew on the bait.

And then...

And then I'll have dinner.

All right. Back to work.

Day six is when I left in Peru.

I'm doing great here on day eight.

I'm feeling good, feeling confident.

But I'm definitely getting hungry.

I tried to gain as much weight as possible beforehand.

This is the proper way that you eat a pint of ice cream.

So, no spoons necessary.

Cheers.

Yeah, babe.

Bailey, my daughter, she's 15 years old.

She's like my best friend.

I spend every single day with her.

I love you.

She helps to put me in a great mindset and headspace.

So, it's definitely difficult being away from her.

Hmm.

I just cut my finger.

And it's a good one, too.

It just slipped like I was going nice and slow and it just slipped, so.

Yeah.

The jungle doesn't like me.

[Kaila speaking]

[Jonathan speaking]

[Kaila speaking]

[Jonathan speaking]

Seriously so disappointed in myself.

Hopefully it'll close up.

I don't know. Pretty bad.

Oh, man.

[Jonathan speaking]

[Kaila speaking]

[Jonathan speaking]

[Kaila speaking]

[Kaila] I ended up cutting my finger.

And I am so disappointed in myself because that's like one of the things

that I'm always so careful about.

And of course, I cut myself.

So, it was... it's a pretty deep cut, too.

[woman speaking]

[Kaila speaking]

[Jonathan speaking]

[Kaila speaking]

[Kaila] It's just me out here, obviously.

I don't have that extra set of hands,

so it's definitely a lot more work all on my own.

So, an infection could take me out of this challenge.

I'm seriously so disappointed in myself.

[Cheeny sighs]

Start looking for more food elsewhere.

Time for plan B.

I'm not sure what plan B is yet, but...

some of these rocks I can flip over and see

if there's any scorpions underneath.

I don't know, scorpions, but [bleep] ton of termites.

And termites with lava.

[bleep] I just dropped it.

That's okay. There's more.

Mmm.

I can see why monkeys like these.

Ow.

[bleep] bit me good.

These ones with the blackheads, they bite.

Termites bite hard.

But I bite harder.

Oh, yeah. There's a little one.

Big pinchers, small tail.

Which means he's not super venomous.

I just want to stab him right in the head.

Wanna get that stinger off.

Cut it off at the first segment.

The lobster of Africa.

He's small, but he's gonna be good, roasted.

No, nothing there.

Ooh, baby.

Another scorpion.

Ah, he's dead, but his little stinger thing

will keep searching for me, so I'll get rid of that.

Another one bites the dust.

We got a scorpion on a stick.

A little pincher claw right there.

Kinda tastes like popcorn.

Wouldn't be mad if I ate this the rest of the challenge.

All right. I finished up my figure four trap.

All the sticks are notched out and good to go.

My finger doesn't hurt.

Hopefully it stays like that.

So last night, I definitely could hear some small animals

walking around my camp.

And so, I went out back and was scouting,

and I found a really good game trail.

So, I think I'm gonna set my figure four trap out

back there and hopefully I'll catch something tomorrow

because I need to eat some food.

Maybe I'll put a trap upon this

this is definitely a game trail.

I made a figure four trap that was big enough

that it could catch like a raccoon or a possum.

But in order to do that,

you need to have a rock that's like three times the weight

of whatever animal you're trying to catch.

I used a piece of mango for bait.

Get this in there, nice and secure.

Hopefully I can balance it.

This is where having a partner actually would come in handy

because it's hard to balance the sticks

without them collapsing.

It's such a hair trigger that, like,

you're like just the slightest thing is gonna make it fall, which is good.

That's what you want.

But when you're trying to balance a massive rock

on top of it, it's definitely hard.

Please stay.

Okay.

So hopefully an animal will come in here

and nibble on the bait.

And once he does, it'll trigger the stick here

and the whole thing will collapse

and the rock will fall on top of it.

Definitely want to try to get some protein

while I'm here, so we'll see.

Hopefully it works.

You know, carefully walk away.

[Shanika] Day eight...

And, um, I am hungry, tired.

I need some food today.

Well, I needed food like, three days ago,

but today it would be awesome.

I came down to check my lines.

It's been about a day since I checked the bait.

I don't know how many more days

I can continue without food,

so hopefully I get some success today.

Ancestors, I'm asking you to help me get some fish.

Oh.

And I got everything I need to go catch some fish.

My rod, my tackle, my enthusiasm and my hunger.

You know, throwing that line out a few times

and haven't been successful yet.

I don't know how many more days

I can continue without food,

so hopefully I get some success today.

Oh.

Ha.

[laughs]

I got a little fish.

Thank you, ancestors.

I was really doubtful because I'm on day six of not eating.

I've never gone that long without food.

It wasn't looking so good.

So, I'm really glad I got this little guy here.

I can use this for some more bait.

It'll give me some energy and some hope to last another day.

Oh, yeah. I got a fish.

I got a fish. It's my fish dance.

Oh, no piece of this fish will go to waste.

I'll definitely eat as much as I can,

and then the rest will be used for bait.

Six days, cast multiple lines.

Finally hit the jackpot.

All right I think it's ready.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you for this little fish.

Oh.

Fish never tasted so good.

The fire roasted flavor of the fish, it hits the spot.

Nothing but bones.

End of day eight, I'm feeling energetic from that fish win.

It lets me know that there are more fish out there.

And they are... they're gonna bite.

Get a little water to wash it down.

Every day I feel like I'm earning my right to be here.

[James] Well, the trap is still up.

So, nothing got in it last night.

I'm feeling tired like it's day 20.

Having not slept much, not eating.

I need to start bringing in some protein.

That's frustrating.

Well, I've taken my first attempt

and got absolutely no food, no nothing.

So now I'm coming up with a...

a new game plan of maybe a fish trap.

Got to get something in my belly.

I think the birds are laughing at me.

Oh, it's a little fish out there.

I could see him when I walk out to get water.

But there's a few big ones.

I'm hoping to get the fish trap set up.

I've made a few fish baskets before using different materials.

The one that I'm comfortable building

and had some success with is basically a big funnel.

And it has an odd number of main stalks that come up.

And then I would weave the reed up until you had a cone.

So that'll be the framework for the basket.

Big bird of prey coming in.

Looks like a fish eagle.

Cool.

Like so many things out here.

Unique and beautiful.

Yes. There's fish in the pond.

You may have some.

Dang there's some big fish in there.

I've been focused on getting that trap done.

That may be the only way to get those fish.

Must have patience.

I'm spending hours and hours weaving.

Partner, please take over now.

Oh, wait.

I'm alone.

There's several hundred loops to make that basket.

All right.

The top part of the basket allows the fish to come in

and discourages them from coming out.

Bait it and set it.

I'm putting it in the middle of the watering hole

where I see all the big fish moving.

[laughs]

They're going crazy over here.

Water's not deep there, but that's where the fish were, so.

I can leave that trap there as long as I want.

Right now, I'm thinking for the rest of the night,

and hopefully they'll be there in the morning.

[rustling]

[Kaila speaking]

Something's crashing around here like hell.

They got really, really close with it

and back on my shoulder here.

I can hear 'em still beating around here.

I don't know if it's like a Jaguar or something else.

Just staying aware.

Just keeping my fire going.

[Kaila speaking]

Hey.

Get out of here.

Get out of here.

[Cheeny] So, I feel like I need to have a best friend out here

to help keep me company at night.

Wow.

It's an oryx skull.

That's cool.

What an amazing find.

Named him AJ.

AJ is my buddy.

My number one.

I want to put him somewhere where I can see him.

These nights won't be so lonely now.

I have someone to talk to.

Yeah, what's up AJ?

I know, dude. It sucks.

It's cold.

At least we got each other right, buddy?

[Kaila] Last night there was a really big animal in my camp,

so I just want to scope out the area really quick

and see if I see any signs of anything.

That's definitely like right up in through here.

I don't know.

Whatever it was, got pretty close to the camp too.

I could hear it right up in here.

Like it was big enough that like it was moving the trees.

Being out here alone with the animals and stuff,

it's a little concerning.

I want to get out and explore and stuff,

but I just want to be really cautious

because there's so many predators in the area.

[James] I'm going to go check the fish trap.

I do feel somewhat like an expert building a trap.

You set it out there to see if I can catch some of the bigger catfish.

Nothing.

Well, now what do I do?

I decide to go to my Plan B, which is using the basket

as almost like a net and trolling with it as I walk through the water.

So, I'm dragging it right along the bottom of the mud.

And in this dark, muddy water,

the fish don't always know where they're going.

And maybe they'll just swim right in.

Oh, wow. First catch.

Not a lot, but it's a start.

And these look like a type of bream

that they're just not very tall.

Yeah.

So, this will be the first food

I've actually had since I've been out here.

It definitely lifts the spirits.

I'm gonna go try these out.

I've got five smalls.

Oh, they're not super, teeny tiny.

But it's protein.

Taste like fish. Grilled fish.

Which actually grilled fish are pretty good.

Not exactly a full size meal, but it's infinitely more than

I had yesterday and the day before.

I feel a little better now.

I have an ability to survive and complete a challenge.

I feel proud about this win.

There's no telling what's right around the corner.

[Terra] All right.

So, now that I have the fire, from here on out,

it has to be smart survival.

No more overexertion.

Just basic needs until I can get something in my belly,

something to give me energy back.

So, I've got to play it smart.

Otherwise I'm never gonna make it.

It's amazing how sparse this place is for food.

I can't believe there's not one damn fruit tree

or cactus around.

My biggest regret about my previous challenge

was not being able to showcase most of the skills

that I actually do have.

And I don't want to crawl to the finish line.

I want to get to extraction strong

and I want to be able to complete

even more of the challenge if it was brought to me.

[Terra] This is exactly what I needed right now.

More stuff to go wrong.

Just kind of praying that something good happens today.

Hey.

There is a snake right there.

Good. [bleep].

We saw a snake up in this tree.

I could really, really use this meat right now.

I'm pretty much willing to try anything

I can to get this snake down.

[grunting]

It's moving.

[grunting]

[Terra] My best option is to just keep throwing stuff at it

and [bleep] hit it and get it out of the tree.

[grunting]

[Tera] Damn it.

[rumbling]

Holy crap.