Bear Grylls in the highlands NOW

[paris]

On discovery channel NOW ! jan x

[paris]

Is anyone watching it ? Its really good. jan x

[Julia]

That man is either really brave or really stupid, I can't decide which, he goes to some extremes! I would like to watch it but sooner or later he always does something that makes me feel ill so I have to switch off.

[paris]

Brilliant program tonight. You would feel safe with him anywhere in the world. jan x

[scorrie]

The man is a fraud. See here for details:-

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=470155&in_page_id=1770

[Anne x]

Scorrie LOL love the avatar what a sense of humour [lol]

[George Brims]

The man is a fraud. See here for details:-

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=470155&in_page_id=1770

Well he wasn't quite a fraud, since he really was doing some extreme stuff (have *you* ever extracted drinking water from elephant dung?!). However they are now re-editing some of the shows to make it clear he wasn't quite as "lost" as he appeared. Apparently during one episode in the tropics he was taken out to a hotel in Hawaii for the night!

[Riffman]

Well even if he didn't stay in hotels, his film crew ruddy well did.... you surely didnt expect them to surivive on elephant poo and termites did you?

[paris]

In principle hes a born survivor showing how you COULD survive in the wild but for TV no one really expect him or the TV crew to rough it All in the name of TV so they say . Jan x

[Boozeburglar]

I feel what is important is that this chap Grylls has:

a. misrepresented himself as doing things he was not.
b. has quite the most ridiculous name ever heard in the pub.

...Ray Mears does it for real.

(Though I have always suspected that, whether in the jungle of Borneo or the wilderness of Alaska, the camera could pan out and reveal a full BBC catering unit, along with a couple of comfy chairs and a telly, as Mears steps offset into a smoking jacket and slippers, grandly declaring to the tired crew his amazing ability to 'make fire' with his zippo, aided only by flint and petroleum, to the groans of 'I know, I know, you are the Lord of the fire making, you would have been down on the banks of the Thames showing some boatman how to reignite a glowing ember during the Great Fire of London you idiot...' from his long suffering P.A.)

[ciderally]

did watch him last night...and do think he is good tv ..and at least he is now telling us that he isent going to be staying out all night in his deer skin but heres how its done...spoils it a bit for me ...

[scorrie]

Well he wasn't quite a fraud, since he really was doing some extreme stuff (have *you* ever extracted drinking water from elephant dung?!). However they are now re-editing some of the shows to make it clear he wasn't quite as "lost" as he appeared. Apparently during one episode in the tropics he was taken out to a hotel in Hawaii for the night!

I say it is fraudulent. It is all very well telling people that you can make a raft, when a team have actually constructed it for you!! Equally, it is one thing to make a bed between trees and say you can sleep in it, when you will actually be putting your lug down on fine goose-feather Fogarty pillows later.

If you look at the credits for the program you will see that someone else is listed as the "Survival Consultant" meaning that if Bear is lost in the wild he will be OK as long as there is someone there to hold his hand.

I am not saying the guy is a wimp or anything, just that he is not the "Action Man" he is made out to be on the program.

[bekisman]

Scorrie: "The man is a fraud" and "I say it is fraudulent. It is all very well telling people that you can make a raft, when a team have actually constructed it for you!! Equally, it is one thing to make a bed between trees and say you can sleep in it, when you will actually be putting your lug down on fine goose-feather Fogarty pillows later. If you look at the credits for the program you will see that someone else is listed as the "Survival Consultant" meaning that if Bear is lost in the wild he will be OK as long as there is someone there to hold his hand. "

'Someone there to hold his hand?.. Hmmm

In 1998 Bear Grylls became the youngest Britain to climb Everest; At 7.22am on May 26th 1998, Bear entered The Guinness Book of Records as the youngest, and one of only around thirty, British climbers to have successfully climbed Everest and returned alive. He was only 23 years old. The expedition was raising funds for the Rainbow Trust and Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. Previously, in 1997, Bear had become the Youngest Briton to climb Mount Ama Dablam in the Himalayas (22,500 feet), a peak once described by Sir Edmund Hillary as unclimbable'
Prior to the Everest Expedition, Bear, also a Karate Black Belt, spent three years with the British Special Air Service (21 SAS). What makes his story even more remarkable is that during this time he suffered a free-fall parachuting accident in Africa where he broke his back in three places. After months and months of rehabilitation, focusing always on his childhood dream of Everest, he slowly became strong enough to attempt the ultimate ascent of the world's highest peak.
In 2003 Bear successfully completed another ground breaking expedition, leading a team across the freezing North Atlantic Arctic Ocean in a small open rigid inflatable boat. Suffering weeks of frozen spray and icebergs, the expedition was filmed for a documentary, and was raising funds for the Prince's Trust charity. The book on this remarkable journey, 'Facing the Frozen Ocean', and was short-listed as Sports Book of the Year, and Bear was awarded an Honorary commission in the Royal Navy for this record-breaking feat.
Bear was also used by the UK Ministry of Defence to head the Army's anti-drugs TV campaign. His first major TV Series was for Channel Four, called ‘Escape to the Legion', where he went through simulated basic training with Legionnaires in North Africa and told the story of what it is like for a recruit to join the French Foreign Legion.
On the back of the success of the Foreign Legion Documentary, Bear was commissioned to present 15 x 1-hour programmes for a TV Series called 'Man Vs Wild' on Discovery Channel Worldwide, plus also an 8-part TV Series for Channel Four titled 'Born Survivor: Bear Grylls'. These feature Bear being parachuted in to some of the most inhospitable deserts, jungles and mountains on earth and showing what you need to do to survive! The show went on to become the No. 1 cable show in all of America. The book accompanying the Series stayed for 10 weeks in the Sunday Times Bestseller List.

In 2007, he teamed with Gilo Cardozo of Parajet Ltd, Bear became the first man to fly a powered paraglider to a height above Mt Everest in the Himalaya. Sponsored by GKN, the expedition raised over $1 million for Global Angels and other charities, looking after some of the world's poorest children. Bear, along with the Round the World Sailor Dame Ellen MacArthur, is awarded an Honorary Commission by the First Sea Lord and Admiralty Board of the Royal Navy, at the rank of Lieutenant-Commander. Approved by the Queen in recognition of services to Her Majesty's Royal Navy. Bear leads the first team ever to attempt to paramotor over the remote jungle plateau of the Angel Falls, Venezuela, in aid of the charity 'Hope & Homes for Children'. The team were attempting to reach the highest, most remote high tepuis, made famous by Conan Doyle's 'Lost World'..
Gains a BA Hons Degree from London University in Hispanic Studies.
Made an Ambassador for the Prince's Trust Charity, started by His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales.
Bear leads the first team to circumnavigate the UK on jetskis. (In aid of the RNLI Lifeboats.)
Served with the British SAS (21 SAS). Passed UK Special Forces Selection, serving as a sabre soldier, trained in unarmed combat, desert and winter warfare, combat survival, medics, parachuting, signals, evasive driving, climbing and explosives. Served in North Africa twice. http://www.beargrylls.com/ (http://www.beargrylls.com/)
"The man is a fraud"
Of course Scorrie you are entitled to your opinion, but personally I think your comments are ill-conceived and a downright insult to the bloke. It is obvious, from the above, he has no need to prove he 'can' sleep in a hammock and basha sheet - as all good Special Air Service do in the Ulu (jungle to you), I think maybe he came across this during his training with 21 SAS. The programme basically was entertainment, and bottom line was 'how to deal with a situation' - Born Survivor is not an observational documentary series but a ‘how to’ guide to basic survival techniques in extreme environments - he's been there, done that, OK so a raft was built initially for him - do you honestly believe he does not know how to build a raft? (That's taught at Jungle Warfare School near Brunei, by the way - I can vouch for this as I was there in April 1970).

Your comment: "If you look at the credits for the program you will see that someone else is listed as the "Survival Consultant" meaning that if Bear is lost in the wild he will be OK as long as there is someone there to hold his hand" you are not serious, surely? there is also on the credits a list of cameramen, directors etc, I think maybe this 'Survival Consultant' - that would be Mark Weiner - would be there for them? - I think maybe, that an SAS trained individual does not need support in a survival situation? - unless you know different that is?..
I wonder if it really was elephant dung he squeezed to let the resultant 'moisture' drip into his mouth?, was it really a dead camel he cut open, took out the stomach and climbed inside? and maggots which give you 70 calories to the ounce. enough said..
By the way his real name's Edward and Bear is his nickname http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/B/born_survivor/ (http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/B/born_survivor/)
There is just one thing I find a bit weird; he called his son 'Marmaduke'!

[the_big_mac]

If you like that kind of programme then check out "Survivorman".

Its occasionally on discovery channel, but can be found online if you look hard enough.

This guy (Les Stroud) goes of into the wilderness with no crew, and makes the film himself over 7 days in which he has to find his way out. Makes really good watching, he's my favorite of the three tv survival folk.

He also done a programme similar to that of "Its not easy being green".

[scotsboy]

I remember meeting the Bush Tucker Man at a convenience store in Cairns, loading up with Corn flakes etc, asked him if he had run out of Witchetty grubs......can't type his response as I would get a ban, but it was something along the lines that he preferred the produce he was in the process of purchasing:)

[Boozeburglar]

Ah yes, Bush Tucker Man, the original and best imho

:)