Race Across the World (2019–…): Season 3, Episode 2 - Dawson City - Yukon - full transcript
The former gold rush boom town Dawson City is the second checkpoint. The five teams leave Haida Gwaii and head into the heart of the Yukon but who will reach the checkpoint first?
The desire to explore our planet
has never been stronger,
but in travelling over,
are we missing the joys
of journeying through?
Canada, the second largest country
in the world.
From Pacific to Atlantic Ocean -
flight time, seven hours.
But could you successfully navigate
this gruelling 16,000km route
at ground level, all for the price
of doing it by air?
Five pairs of ordinary Brits
are about to undertake just that.
Dad, run! Go, go, go, go!
In a demanding and
challenging race...
All I'm saying is, I'm going to die.
We're all going to die.
...they'll head deep into the wild...
Oh, my God, the sea is ice.
...across vast prairies...
This is awesome. Road trip!
...soar high into the Rockies...
Once in a lifetime, isn't it?
If we see a bear,
I'm going to kill you. Ah!
...to the very edges
of civilisation...
We are going to go into
the remote wilderness here.
We can't get a bus out of here.
We can't get a train out of here.
...without smart phones or bank cards
and with a limited budget.
It's dark, it's raining.
We've got no money.
We'll have to find a car-share.
I don't like this!
They'll need charm...
Parlez-vous anglais?
Mission accomplished.
...hard work...
We're absolutely brassic.
We can claw the money back.
Yeah, we'll work.
...and ingenuity to get them through.
I can give you a ride.
Are you going to kill us? No.
Have they got what it takes
both physically...
It's just the hardest thing
I think I've done.
...and emotionally?
It's hard, but you've just
made us feel like family.
I believe in you. I know.
I just don't believe in me.
I'm not giving up.
The rewards are great...
Mother Nature at her best.
Never seen anything like it.
...and for the first team to the
finish line, a prize of £20,000...
Every second counts.
...in a race...
If they come behind us, Marc,
I'm taking the bag off you.
...across the world.
Breathe through it.
You can cry when you're sat down.
Mid-life crisis is going
really well. Yeah.
I'm quite enjoying my crisis. Yeah.
Let's go. The race began...
That seems to be the biggest
challenge at the minute,
is getting out of the park.
Best friends Tricia and Cathie...
My word!
...overcame a slow start.
I want to see these amazing things.
That's as close as you can get.
Bear spray.
A nervous Marc...
Are we going to come across a bear?
...needed encouragement from
brother Michael.
All right, we know that we're going
to get there today.
While Zainib and Mobeen...
A bit at a time. Ow!
...made a brand-new friend.
I thought you weren't going to cry!
I'm just really happy.
Life lessons from Ladi...
You pay kindness with kindness.
Got it.
...dawned on daughter Monique.
What can we do to repay you?
Aw, thank you so, so much.
While Claudia and her dad Kevin's
slender lead...
Brilliant. Yes!
...came at a cost.
We've gone over the budget. I was
running around that gas station
and you were stood there.
Right, I'm going back to the room.
Today, we have people from
faraway places visiting us.
I ask you to watch over all.
48km off the coast of
mainland Canada...
I'm going to share
how we gather cockles.
You just poke around.
If one's there, it'll squirt.
...the first checkpoint.
Haida Gwaii.
Yes, Kevin! Kevin's on a roll!
Oh, no. You'll never get it.
Too late!
For over 200 years, known as
the Queen Charlotte Islands,
but now back in the hands of
the Haida people.
Why does it squirt water? Scare you.
Oh, it's to scare me? Yeah.
I'm proud to say my family
live mostly off the ocean.
Oh, it's just been an
incredible first week.
We've met some beautiful people,
and people are kind.
Canada is a gorgeous place.
I think we've just
got a taster of it.
On the second leg of the race,
the teams will find out
just how vast Canada is.
Leaving the checkpoint
in the order they arrived,
Claudia and her father, Kevin,
are the first to get going,
their slender two-minute advantage
having come at a cost -
almost a quarter of
their entire race budget.
"Your second checkpoint is
Dawson City." Dawson City.
I know where it is. Do you?! Yep.
Top of the world.
That's where we're going.
Over 2,000km away, just shy of
the Arctic Circle, Dawson City.
Situated on the confluence of
the Klondike and Yukon Rivers,
a boom town, established
when thousands of prospectors
rushed north during
the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898.
Dawson City is there.
Smack-bang in the middle of
the Yukon.
To get there, the teams will
follow in the footsteps of the early
pioneers, as they journey through
one of the largest remaining
areas of wilderness in the world.
500,000 square kilometres of
towering mountains, vast ice fields
and dense forest.
This is going to be a long and
tiring leg. We blew the budget
on the first leg.
Our strategy now is,
minimise the costs.
Going back to basics.
We want to hitch this route, OK?
Ancl camping is the way forward
for us.
It might be cold,
but we've got to do it.
Yeah, we've got sleeping bags,
so that's fine.
So, with that in mind, do we want
to buy a tent right now?
Yeah. Right, come on,
let's go, then. OK.
On our first leg, we spent a hell
of a lot of money, but we also
struggled with our relationship and
not being on the same wavelength.
I think we're still kind of
trying to get to know each other,
actually. As weird as that is
to say, seeing as I've
known him since birth.
When you were a child,
I never really spent
the time with you
that I should have clone,
but now we're doing this, I'm trying
to claw a little bit of that back.
Yeah, it's frightening,
but this is a priceless moment.
Over a period of three nights,
we'll start recovering the cost
of the tent, because we're not
shelling out for accommodation,
and we'll be quids-in then.
Thank you very much indeed.
Standing between the teams
and the mainland,
the Hecate Strait,
the most dangerous body of water
on the west coast,
susceptible to malevolent storms.
The only safe way for the teams
to cross is by ferry,
from the port of Skidegate,
south of the checkpoint.
The next one leaves at 10pm.
We've got some time to kill
before we get the ferry.
Get some food, then
head down to the waterfront.
Also on the move,
the other four teams...
Hi, there.
...departing the checkpoint
within minutes of one another.
Did you put my rucksack in the back?
I did. I wondered if you had
rocks in it or something.
We're going, like, seriously north,
into a part of the world that
I never thought, for
a million years, I'd ever get to.
It's all a bit of an unknown,
so it worries me a little bit.
Because I've started losing my
sight, I want to make sure that
we've got everything
out of every leg.
I do want to experience
everything I can. Yeah.
Ancl actually, I've seen so much more
than I thought I would. Exactly.
The first leg, we learnt how to
hustle, how to get rides.
So the aim, I think, for this route
may be to try and car-share
as much as possible again.
Yeah, I think that's something that
we need to embrace a bit more,
cos that's going to get us the lead.
But I would like to avoid camping.
If you feed me
and you get me a good night's rest,
I'll climb up whatever mountain
you want me to climb up.
Otherwise, I'm going to be
very, very hangry and I'm
going to be very, very tired.
Realistically,
we're going to have to.
Not... Not necessarily.
Thank you so much.
Oh, you're welcome, guys.
To get to the ferry,
Monique and her dad, Ladi,
have called on new friend
Kyle for a set of wheels.
Here we go. Thank you.
We're going to have an adventure.
A chance to make the most of the
remaining time on Haida Gwaii.
Stop singing!
LOUD BUMP
What was that jump? I don't know.
Why is this losing power?
Oh, brilliant.
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
I'm a bit nervous about this leg,
and the fact that
we're going to have to camp. I don't
even think it's about what I want
and what I don't want, like,
it's just the reality.
I can't imagine
it's going to be easy.
Put your hazards on.
Put the hazards on.
Where are the hazards? Oh, Jesus!
I love travelling.
When I say travelling,
I mean holidays! I love holidaying,
but I've never so much as owned
a travelling backpack.
Basically, you just want
to swan across the world.
No, you are kidding me!
Definitely be challenged
on this race.
There's situations that are going
to be totally alien to Monique.
But it's just like, these are
things that happen in life,
but together, we'll be able to
get through them.
Oh!
Just outside the ferry port...
Oh, look, is that a hiking trail?
Do you want to go on
Spirit Lake Trail?
...last to have left the checkpoint,
brothers Marc and Michael.
It says it's a kilom... like,
less than a kilometre
just to get to there.
Make the most of the time that
we've got here.
All I see from that whole sign is,
"Be aware you're in bear country."
I'm sure it'll be all right.
It is quite cool to be in
the forest.
You wanted to see
wildlife and stuff.
I don't want to see a ! bear.
Even though we're brothers, we're
two completely different people.
This picture, I love.
You're, like, hugging me,
like you actually enjoy my company.
So, the youngest memory of my
brother is bright white hair
and really thick red glasses.
Big forehead! I didn't have
a big forehead.
I remember looking at him, thinking,
"Oh, you look cute,"
and then he just opened his mouth.
I kind of liked him
and I wanted to spend time with him,
but we just weren't really close
as siblings, growing up.
I think the gap come
when you went to uni.
All that whole time
was really difficult.
Around the year of when I came out,
and then when Dad died,
and then I went to uni, we didn't
know how to support each other
with all those things that
were all going on at the...
around a similar time. So, it kind
of then resulted in there being
this kind of space between us.
I think we want to have
a relationship, but I think we don't
really know how to get there.
If we see a bear,
we just have to make noise.
I've told you, I don't want to
do it, and I'm scared of it,
and you still want to do it?
I don't want to force you
to do something if you're,
if you don't want to do it.
Well, I don't want to do it. OK.
I'll wait for you up there, but I'm
not going out to find a bear. OK.
I'll do this, then. OK, I'll
wait back over here. All right?
Yeah, that's...
It's really cool.
The largest subspecies of black bear
is indigenous to Haida Gwaii.
Their number unknown, as they are
naturally afraid of humans,
keeping themselves to themselves,
unless provoked.
Cool.
If I hadn't have clone this,
we would have just been
walking back to the ferry port
and sitting there for four hours,
and then I would have missed,
like, seeing all of this.
I don't want to look back
on the experience
and kind of think that I could
have clone more, cos as soon as
I leave this island, that's it.
I just feel bad about Marc,
sitting in the car park!
Nothing's going to happen to him,
I know it's not.
I just want him to be all right.
Hello, hello, hello. Hi, guys. Hi!
How are you? How you doing?
Could we get two tickets to...?
Prince Rupert? Yes, please.
I'm so glad we're here.
At least the ferry's warm.
It's like we never left.
All five teams aboard for an
eight-hour voyage to the mainland.
So, a good night's sleep ahead.
Didn't get eaten, then? No.
As the ferry docks
at Prince Rupert...
Are we coming in? Yes.
The race is on!
We're looking for a ride.
We just want to try and get
as far up as possible.
For two people, it would be OK.
...awaiting the teams,
a 2,000km journey north,
along one of the most isolated
highways in the world.
The vast wilderness only
occasionally broken
by the odd small settlement
or gas stop.
Where intrepid Canadians
can be found patiently
searching for lifts in the absence
of regular transport links.
Oh, beats walking, doesn't it?
Come here.
Three teams successfully hustle
ride shares to begin their push
towards the Yukon.
But Tricia and Cathie
have a different plan.
We've got to get up to
Dawson now, in Yukon. Oh, OK.
They've found a shuttle bus to
Terrace, 144km away.
But beyond there, with the roads
predominantly used by loggers
and miners, they'll be
hard pushed to find
any public transport whatsoever.
Are you trying to find
transportation from there?
Yeah. ls there any there? Nothing.
Nothing. Yeah.
I just need to go, because
it's a race and I'm, like,
I'm now in race mode.
Tricia, she'll want to get going.
She'll be like,
"Right, let's go, let's go,
let's keep on the move." Whereas
I don't like being in a position
where I don't know what's
going to happen next,
and I'll want the basic plan.
So it looks like we're
going down plan two. Mm.
Ferry to Prince Rupert,
lift into town...
You can't plan for everything.
Weather, buses, trains,
I think that will slow us down.
We've actually created a new plan.
Of course.
So, we're now on plan four. OK.
It has to be done my way, otherwise,
I'll just do it again.
Like the dishes.
I can't help myself, I'm afraid,
it's just me.
We're going up into a remote area.
Ancl hitching a lift.
We're reliant on... Other people.
Other people's time scales.
We could potentially hire a car.
I mean... I was thinking, hiring a
car is going to be really expensive.
But if you think about how much
we've spent on buses...
But then, we have got
fuel to put in.
It's so expensive. It's going
to be a huge chunk of money.
If we've got no choice and there are
no buses, then we'll have to do it.
Depending on the cost.
Depending on the cost.
I mean, what we'll need to do
is find out.
We need to get there.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
I just feel awful that you're the
only driver and I can't share it
with you. You're taking all the
workload on it. I'll do the driving,
you do the planning on this one.
99km further up the highway...
We were thinking maybe getting
dropped off at Kitwanga, which is
just, I think, after Terrace.
Actually, that's where we
want to go. Really? Yes.
...travelling at zero cost,
Zainib and Mobeen.
On their way to the village
of Kitwanga, with new-found
friends Janice and David.
Ancl how did you and Dave meet?
First day at med school.
First clay, that's like us!
Aw, that's so cute! That's like us.
I needed a light.
Janice was the only one
smoking in the group.
I was in first year of university.
I went to Glasgow.
Ancl at the time, I saw her, and I...
I pulled out a cigarette. She had
a cigarette! That is so strange.
The first time I met Zainib
was at med school.
I just saw her walking past.
I thought, "Wow, who's this girl?"
She used to wear the headscarf.
Ancl she was smoking.
It was just such a juxtaposition
of what I thought
a head-scarf-wearing girl would be.
Ancl I thought, "Who is this person?"
Our parents wouldn't let us
have the big wedding day...
Until you graduated.
Until had my graduation confirmed.
We're both retired, actually.
We were, uh, rural GPs.
No way.
We work in the NHS. Oh, you do?
What are the chances?
At home, I think we were both
individuals that had always
clone things that were
expected of us.
You're going to go to uni,
you're going to have the best job,
you're going to be the doctor.
You are going to marry a doctor.
You're going to have lots of babies
that are all going to be doctors.
F that. That's exhausting.
What I want to do is take my
backpack and go explore the world.
They're so cool, man.
Bye. See you, Janice, Dave.
Right, let's, let's work the ground.
Hi, sir, we're trying to get to
Dease Lake, sir,
or even further north.
That's a long drive by yourself.
It is a long drive.
Exactly, so you,
good for you to have company?
Sleeper's got room.
If you're up for it?
If you're happy to take us,
yeah, yeah.
How do we get in? Woo!
With their second free
ride of the day...
The view from here is
so good cos you're high up.
You can just see everything.
Positive vibes today.
I knew it would work out.
We're making progress.
Woohoo!
...husband and wife leap onwards
towards Dease Lake.
Behind them, the first
town on the highway north, Terrace,
is the last major settlement
for over a thousand kilometres...
Watch the step.
Thank you, Ray.
...so it's now or never for Tricia
and Cathie to make a big call.
We're looking to hire a car to
go from here to Dawson, one way.
OK.
Well, you know, if you want to do it
for 140, that would be amazing.
Unfortunately not, I'm sorry.
We're kind of blasting
the budget this week.
And there's another snag.
That's an extra clay, isn't it? Yeah.
With nowhere to off-hire
in Dawson City,
they will only be able to
drive as far as Whitehorse,
more than 500km shy
of the checkpoint.
Whitehorse is quite a big town,
so we're more than likely
to get a lift there.
It's up, it's up to you, love.
OK, so, we'll go with the car,
shall we? Yeah.
Thank you very much. Thank you so
much, ladies.
This is expensive,
so there is a risk,
but we're taking
matters into our own hands
and taking control of it. Yep.
Ancl if we see a job
that we can do...
Yeah, then we'll work.
..then we'll work. Yeah.
Happy days.
Watch out, here comes Cathie.
Next stop - Yukon.
It's a bit like
Thelma & Louise, without...
Yeah, without the cliff ending.
Or the killing spree.
No, we don't want to do that.
No. No.
As the girls buckle in for two
days on the road to Whitehorse...
I spy with my dodgy eyes,
something beginning with T.
Trees.
Oh, darn it!
...their competition is
hot on their heels.
I think that's
Trish and Cathie, Dad.
I think we need give them a little
wave, then.
White car's going for it.
Overtaking.
It's Claudia and Kev.
That'll really wind them
up, that will.
I think they've hired a car.
That's a big deal.
That's, that's a lot of money.
All we've spent is 60 bucks,
so at the moment, I'd say
that we're winning.
Sticking to their
no-frills strategy...
Oh! Wow! Oh, my God!
Whoa, look at him.
...Claudia and Kevin have reached
Meziadin Lake.
Oh, wow.
That's stunning.
Teeming with rainbow trout
and sockeye salmon...
Thank you very much.
You have a good journey.
...it's a popular base for
intrepid travellers...
I've just never seen
anything like it.
...exploring the surrounding
wilderness.
Today, we have clone over 400K.
We've seen grizzly bears.
Taken in the most beautiful scenery.
Ancl it's cost us 38 quid.
I think this is my favourite
place yet.
It's just stunning.
Let's go and get to work, then, eh?
It says it's five minutes
to put it up.
Right, I'm timing it from now.
OK.
So, that goes into there.
You're at four minutes.
OK.
Dad's in his element.
My father was a cub scout leader
for 30 years
and I was in the cub scouts,
and it was a massive
part of my childhood.
My mum would kick us out the
house at 8:30 in the morning,
during the summer holidays
and we were told to be back home
for 5:30 in the afternoon.
Did you use your compass
to get home?! Absolutely.
We would go off for miles.
Nine minutes.
Taking part in the race,
I get to relive my childhood.
Ancl I'm going to do it with
my daughter, which is even,
you know, even more special.
Done, time check?
13 minutes 59 seconds.
You know, I don't want
to peak too soon, do I?
I'm really chuffed with what
we've been able to do today.
We've grown quite strong as a team.
We're not bickering.
We're in a good place.
We're living it. We're living
the dream. Yeah, I agree.
150km to the south...
Oh, bear, oh, bear, come right here.
Eat me or take me to the camp site.
Oh.
...also looking to pitch a tent
for the night, Monique and Ladi.
I can't do it. You can, Mon.
Let's get to where
we're going to, yeah?
Their free ride off the ferry
has helped them reach Kitwanga,
the place of rabbits.
This route is going
into the wilderness.
We haven't even got like that
far out of, um, Prince Rupert.
Ancl it's already seeming
like there's one gas station,
a shit load of flies
and nothing else.
I don't understand.
All I'm saying is, I'm going to die.
We're all going to die.
OK, we have a tent.
It's me and you, sweetheart.
Me and you.
I really would like to go and try
and secure a lift
but, honestly, I am tired...
Well, I can go
and see what the, what the craic is.
I can see if anyone's going
towards Whitehorse.
Whitehorse, I think
that sounds like a plan.
What are they called? Winterba...
Win nebega? Win nebagel?
I've just got my fingers
and toes crossed that someone's
able to help us out.
I know this is supposed to be
an adventure, but I'm a bit tired,
I'm a bit frustrated.
My feet are killing me.
Hiya, my name's Monique. Hi.
I was wondering
whether you were heading in the
direction of Whitehorse tomorrow?
No. No? OK, all right. No worries.
Thank you. Bye. Bye.
It literally goes, like, highs
and then you just get massive lows.
Ancl when you're in those massive
lows, it's hard
to, like, remember
the positive things.
Like,
we will make it to checkpoint two.
But in those moments, it's just so
frustrating. I just want to go home.
I just had a quick question,
whether by any chance,
you'd be travelling in the direction
of Whitehorse tomorrow?
Up Highway 37, essentially.
We are going up 37. Yes?
Where are you guys going to be?
Just in that green tent over there.
OK. My name's Monique, by the way.
I'm James.
Hi, James, nice to meet you.
Thank you.
A result!
H ow lovely.
In the bag, a ride in the lap of
luxury,
potentially all the way
to Whitehorse.
Tonight is going to be
uncomfortable for Monique.
She has been in a privileged
position of which, sometimes,
I don't think she truly recognises.
But hopefully,
because she's clone this,
she would have gone through
a little bit of adversity
and know that she'll be able to get
through anything.
Night, Dad. Love you.
Night, Mon. Love you, too.
This is so uncomfortable.
COYOTE HOWLS
I'm going to have the clearly
very fruity pancakes.
24 hours since
arriving on the mainland...
That sounds really nice.
...Marc and Michael have only
reached Terrace.
This looks pretty amazing.
Oh...
This is our different
start to the clay.
After their spat on Haida Gwaii,
trying out an alternative approach.
We had a good night's sleep,
we've had some really good food...
I think the race is - for different
people, it's about different things.
Ancl I think I'm just finding out
that it's not about winning,
it's about sort of getting me
brother back.
I just want to have a,
a good experience with him,
rather than constantly arguing.
I think the only way we can do it
is if we just relax a little bit
and enjoy it.
Ancl we really wanted to do the
rafting together.
Even if it costs a bit of money,
we're just going to do it.
That was nice, though,
that breakfast. Yeah.
I feel pretty good.
So, I think we'll go see if
we can rent a car and head out.
That would be a result.
The boys' new plan -
to drive a hire car north.
Leaving the highway at Whitehorse,
on a detour to Haines junction.
The ideal jumping-off point
to explore the area's many rivers.
It's $480.
Yeah, it's expensive. I think this
whole leg's going to be expensive.
But Marc was having
a few difficult clays,
so as long as he feels more
comfortable, I think it's worth it.
This is nice.
Keeping it calm and cool
and trying not to poke the bear!
Road trip to Whitehorse.
Whoop-whoop.
When we were younger, can you
imagine the two of us doing this?
Hiring a car and driving...
I would have just refused.
It seems super easy.
Michael...
Stop, man.
Is it the right way? Where are we?
We're going to get lost!
It's just beautiful.
Look how much snow there still is
piled up. I know.
The other team to hire a car,
Tricia and Cathie,
have made their dollars count,
reaching jade City.
With a population of around
30 people, a city in name only,
known for its huge jade deposits.
Outside the town, on the shores
of Vines Lake...
...Christie's cabin in the woods.
What an amazing place you've got
here. Wow.
It is stunning.
The girls have answered an ad
in the jobs directory - free bed
and board, in exchange for some
elbow grease.
OK, so this is the old dilapidated
shack that I want to dismantle.
Great.
We've decided not to camp because
bears aren't on the happy list.
Ancl the tent was going to
cost about $200, anyway.
We would rather put the money
into a vehicle to get us up here.
We need to get this side
and that side off,
and then the roof should come off.
Hang on, Trish, hold on.
If you just bear with me a minute,
while I get this bit off. Yeah.
Obviously, we're blasting
the budget this week.
Helping Christie today, it
means that we don't have to
pay for accommodation tonight.
Or food. Or food.
So, that's a huge help
to our budget.
You're doing neat
destruction, you are.
Well, I am neat.
Marvellous.
This is quite satisfying, actually.
It is, actually, isn't it?
I absolutely love doing
this kind of stuff.
And I don't get to do it very often
because everybody panics that
I'm going to hurt myself.
OK. Mind the, all the nails.
The nai...
Yeah, mind the nails.
I spend all day in a windowless
office, staring at a large computer
screen - managing rotas, managing
time off, doing the finance.
So, working outside is
absolute bliss.
Wahey! Good work.
Back home in Bridgend, South Wales,
Cathie runs two community
pharmacies with her husband, Gareth,
employing 17 staff.
The past couple of years have been
emotionally draining.
The responsibility to make
sure that the staff were safe,
customers and patients were safe,
weighed very, very heavily on us.
I've got to take a photograph.
It's just too beautiful.
Corning away on this break...
I'm calling it a break, look,
I'm not even calling it a race,
I'm calling it a break.
It's the perfect antidote, really.
There's not a sound.
It's silent.
Absolutely silent.
Initially, my motivation for doing
this was to support Tricia.
But as time's gone on,
it's giving me
an opportunity to do
something just for me.
It's allowing me some selfish time
and that's - it feels good!
It's not something I'm used to.
It's just perfect.
Being comfortable, being warm,
it's put me in such a good mood.
This is how you want to travel.
470km to the south, Monique
and Ladi are travelling in style...
A huge, huge thank you.
Honestly, you don't
know how much it means to us.
Oh, you're welcome.
...with Good Samaritans
James and Anne.
Just seeing these snow-capped
mountains, that is something.
They've entered
Bear Glacier Provincial Park,
part of 58 million acres of
protected land bordering
the highway to Dawson.
Over there, babes. That's the
glacier. That is a "glazier".
It's a glacier. It's not.
Fox's Glacier Mints.
You're not feeling it, Mon?
No, but you go for it,
you live your best life.
Visible from the highway,
the toe of Bear Glacier.
All right, that's going to be the
view for lunch right there. Oh, wow.
In retreat since
the mid-20th century,
it has left Strohn Lake in its wake.
That is just awesome. You can
just see a sweeping river. Yeah.
And just carves its way. And you can
see the blue inside it.
I know, when you see the colour,
the blue is really
pronounced inside the ice.
It's moments like this where
I'm, like, annoyed that
I don't have my phone with me,
but it'd be a great lnsta Story.
I spend a lot of time on my phone,
whether it be
TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat,
immersed in that whole world.
OK, how do you want this, Mon?
Try and get the glacier in it. Yeah!
Maybe this is why we're on this,
because you can experience your
surroundings, instead of scrolling.
It's nice to go around with people
that actually enjoy the scenery
and, you know, take it all in.
Not many people get to see
a glacier,
but we've seen a glacier now. Their
enthusiasm is rubbing off on me.
I'm definitely appreciating
the scenes a bit more.
Nature, man, a wonderful thing.
As the wilderness casts its spell...
Isn't that a pretty bridge? Yeah.
Do you want to go over it?
Yeah, of course.
...Zainib and Mobeen have shot ahead
with yet another free ride.
This is wobbly, a little.
BRIDGE CREAKS
It makes noises! I don't think
we should test the
structural capability.
American Bill helping them become
the first team to enter the Yukon.
Twice the size of the UK, but with
a population that wouldn't fill
half of Wembley Stadium, the Yukon
is named after the indigenous
word for its 3,000km-long river,
Yukanna, or "great river".
Crossing it at the Miles Canyon
Suspension Bridge...
What a view.
...husband and wife are minutes
outside the Yukon's capital,
Whitehorse,
and within sight of the checkpoint.
What a beautiful spring day.
It's really nice. I think
we're getting used to it, aren't we,
with the backpack lifestyle?
I'm having fun.
I have almost forgotten what my life
back home used to be like,
and it's just like this
is my new life,
living on the road, clay by clay,
is like the new normal.
Let's move on to Whitehorse.
Let's go!
But riding their luck,
they've decided to take
a detour of 270km to the
tiny town of Burwash Landing
for a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity in the jobs directory,
working in exchange for a plane ride
over Kluane National Park.
I've never been in
a light aircraft before,
but I think it's Burwash Landing.
Do you? Sure, I can take you there.
Are you sure? Why not? No way!
But Bill will leave them in Burwash
as he continues to Alaska,
which means that to rejoin
the highway to Dawson City,
they'll need to retrace their steps
under their own steam.
Nice! My own bed again.
No camping for me.
I'm proper excited,
I can't wait to get onto my plane.
I'm going to be a bit scared,
but it's one of those things you
have to try, a bit like the skiing.
The race is definitely there at the
back of our minds, but ultimately,
it's the experience that we're
going through together...
Yeah. ..that is so important.
If I can be here for a long time,
and a good time, then that is just,
yeah, that'll be the best.
437km away...
It's a waiting game.
...Claudia and Kevin have managed to
car-share their way to
Watson Lake...
Sorry to trouble you. I'm travelling
with my daughter up to Whitehorse,
and we're looking to see
if we can grab rides along the way.
Not from us, you can't be. ..but are
finding a way out tough going.
We're just in a dead end,
it's just... it's just shit.
HE LAUGHS
It feels like we're in the middle
of nowhere!
Come on!
80 years ago, a homesick US soldier
working on construction
of the Alaska Highway put up a sign
here pointing wistfully
towards his home town.
To date, 80,000 people
have followed suit.
The visitor centre,
is that open down there, is it?
After a fruitless day trying
to find a ride... Hi, there.
We're trying to get to Whitehorse.
I'm just triple-checking that
there is no public transport
around this area?
We have a shuttle... Oh, you do?
...and it goes on Monday,
Wednesday, Fridays.
Tomorrow's Monday. Right. ..father
and daughter bite the bullet.
They do have a bus shuttle, but it's
not until tomorrow morning... Right.
...at 7am, and it's $150 each. Whoa.
It's another 300 bucks for a room
for the night,
cos there's no campsite here.
So we did a quarter of the budget in
the first week,
we're now edging same again
for the second week.
But I think eight hours is enough
to call it a clay. Gutted. Argh!
Let's go to the hotel, see if we
can get a room for the night.
Bus ride in the morning.
Tomorrow's another clay. Yep.
Oh. Right, I'll hold your drink.
It feels weird, being on the
left-hand side of the car.
Three more teams close in on the
Yukon. We've just come into Yukon!
Wow! Woohoo! Amazing!
So I heard that you could just pick
up gold on the side of the road?
Yeah, I don't know about that.
Oh, there's a bear,
slow down, slow down, slow down.
Yay, I've seen a bear.
Another one here on the left.
Oh, yeah! Bloody hell!
Look at you, living
your best life right now.
This is right up my street.
Having said goodbye to Bill, Zainib
and Mobeen are back on their own.
Is it bad under there?
Yeah. You're going to have to
hose me down afterwards as well.
I'm not a good flyer, but this is
something that I have to try.
I think once we've come off the
flight and had the experience,
I think she'll think it's worth it.
You guys did such a good job,
we'll take you up,
give you a little treat here.
Go right over on the
right-hand side.
You know, it's fun, it's freeing
doing the things that I'm
actually most apprehensive about.
I am feeling pretty excited.
John, have you ever crashed a plane?
No. No. That's all right.
It's not going to be the first time.
We're not going to start today,
either.
Growing up, I did have lots of
ambition,
but I was actually very sheltered
and wrapped in cotton
wool for a long time.
Here we go!
I think this race has the potential
to bring out that feeling of
when I was that little girl
who's going on an adventure,
who's got all these fun things
to do.
Woo!
HE LAUGHS
Look. Oh, my God!
This is so good!
The reward for their hard work,
a bird's-eye view
of Kluane National Park...
Ooh! Ooh!
...where over 2,000 ancient glaciers
converge, as they carve
their way through the tallest
peaks in Canada...
Spectacular!
..Including the highest of them all,
at nearly 20,0001'; Mount Logan.
This can't be real,
like, it looks like otherworldly.
I'm going to remember this forever.
Yeah, 100%.
The journey back to Whitehorse
from here's about
three hours of driving.
Yeah, I'm a bit worried about that.
That landscape is just incredible.
Sharing the driving has helped Marc
and Michael make up ground
on their competitors.
We've had a really good
couple of clays. We needed to move.
So I think we can confidently now
take the pressure off
and just enjoy our surroundings.
The first nations here were
the native people here.
We have a cultural
respect for the wolf.
In the experienced hands
of wilderness guide Ron,
elder of the Wolf Clan... OK,
here, full-grown, I would say,
but it's not, like, a real big one.
...the brothers are about to take
a leap onto the fast-flowing
waters of the River Dezadeash...
It's going pretty quick, that.
Ooh! That's moving.
...one of the many
flowing from the Ruby Mountains.
Usually, what happens when it comes
to any kind of danger,
I double it or times it by ten.
My imagination just gets
the better of me.
Oh, wow, we're actually going.
There's just a fear in my head that
I've built up for no reason.
Oh, no!
Failed!
In the start, I thought this
was going to be a lot of hard work,
but once you get a rhythm,
it's quite nice to row.
Look, moose!
Yeah, you can see it there.
Look at that! How cool is that?
See, for the First Nations here,
the native people,
the river was a life system.
They didn't see it as recreation.
Ancl when I first got a canoe,
my mother thought I was nuts.
Today has been pretty awesome.
I've put myself in uncomfortable
situations in order to try
and grow from it.
Ancl I just feel a bit happier that
I feel confident that
I can do something.
It's kind of given me a bit of hope,
so I'm looking forward to
the rest of it now.
I think you guys are
on a heck of an adventure with this,
for sure. You're going to be
storytellers,
cos experience gives you stories.
That really was the first day
where we can both say
we've had a good day.
Hopefully, we can kind of
build on that.
But it's hard because we off-hire
our car tomorrow.
Spent almost half the budget in two
legs. The pressure is back on again.
Got to try and get to Dawson
without paying for anything.
Back on terra firm a...
We have to get back to Whitehorse.
Would you be willing to take us for
some cash? Yeah, I can get you back.
Hi-ho, it's off to Whitehorse we go!
...Zainib and Mobeen's luck
continues to hold out.
Just outside of Whitehorse...
All right!
I think we're ready to get to work.
...after spending big on their bus
out of Watson Lake, Claudia
and Kevin roll up their sleeves,
in return for free bed and board.
We're absolutely brassic.
Bearing in mind
we're still trying to claw back
from the budget
that we've lost
previously from the first leg,
so, yeah, we've just got to crack
on. There's a rogue one there.
Have you clone this side yet? I've
just clone the straight line down.
Look at that, that's a nice size,
innit, eh? I don't mind
shovelling shit. At the end of the
clay, there needs to be a certain
amount of money in the pot, and
I love clogs. They're nice things,
they'll listen to you and
they never argue back, do they?
Yeah, all right,
I'll do yours next.
Among the 100 residents ofjocelyn's
kennels, three new arrivals.
Hi, Puppies! Hi! Oh!
There we go. Here, you've
got to cuddle. Oh, my God!
Hi.
Oh! Hello...
Me and Dad just love clogs.
I've had clogs all my life and
they're just lovely to have around.
The family dog was
a Labrador rescue,
and that was the size of Mo
when we got her.
It's just such a lovely dog,
really well natured with kids,
It's the perfect pub dog to have.
Yeah, I reckon I was,
like, five or six.
I don't think I've had
your stereotypical upbringing.
I grew up living above a pub.
The dog and me, I think
we spent most of the time upstairs,
whilst both parents
worked downstairs,
so I didn't really get to see them.
It was a real struggle.
I was working seven clays a week.
The business had to survive,
I had to work, and it's not until
moments like now that you look back
and think, "Christ, I should have
clone that so bloody differently."
This is something that I am going to
live with for the rest of my life.
Taking part in the race with
my daughter, let's face it,
it's make-or-break.
I want to live for the future. Yeah.
Oop, there you go. Ready?
There you go. Oops!
I think Dad's having a good time.
Included with Claudia and Kevin's
accommodation, the perfect
antidote to a life on the road.
I think that'll do it
for the minute.
Ain't it funny how our moods have
changed from yesterday?
That's the thing, isn't it, with
clogs? It doesn't matter how bad
your clay is, the clogs will always
cheer you up. Yeah.
Especially puppies. I think it's
kind of just reset our mind.
It sucks, what happened yesterday.
We know that we haven't performed
as well as we could have clone,
but this is where we're starting to
claw those moments back.
I think Dad's grown massively since
we started the journey.
Oh, Shit!
Woohoo! He's been a lot more
calmer in his approach to me,
he's been a bit more patient.
Oh, God, I can't believe
it's so cold!
Ancl the positivity was just what we
needed. It kept me going this leg.
One push tomorrow. Yeah.
No-one's going to want to give us
a lift, smelling like dog shit.
With winter temperatures that
can fall below -40 degrees,
the Yukon's capital earns its
reputation as the Wilderness City.
This is it! We've made it to
Whitehorse. It's a significant town.
Drop off at vehicle rentals.
Reaching here,
the teams face one final hurdle,
533km of the North Klondike Highway
to Dawson City...
I wonder how many miles I've driven.
A lot.
Well, I'll be sad to let the car go.
...a journey Tricia and Cathie must
undertake... It did us proud.
Bye-bye, car. Done. ..without
the comfort of their hire car.
Are you heading up to Dawson, by any
chance? I'm sorry, I'm not,
I'm heading the other way to Alaska.
Up to this point, we've
been in control of how we travel,
how far we travel.
Control of our fate.
Yeah, and now not having that now,
I'm back to having to
rely on people again.
I don't suppose you're heading
north? No, I'll be headed west.
Thank you, anyway.
It's like, "Eurgh!"
You don't fancy going to Dawson,
do you, with two lovely ladies
who will entertain you all the way?
I can take you to Carmacks,
which is two hours from here.
Erm, I don't...
It's just a truck stop, really,
people do stop. Yeah.
You've never been here before. No.
I can tell lies the whole way.
OK, sounds good!
At least we'll be on our way.
Two hours further, closer. Yeah.
Ancl then there's accommodation
there, if we get completely stuck.
We're good to go.
Carmacks, here we come.
As the girls head to Carmacks,
still 356km shy of Dawson City...
I don't know if we've told you yet,
but on the ferry, we'll be eating
mustard sandwiches,
so this is like gourmet.
...Monique and Ladi have clocked up
over 1,100km with
James and Anne...
I'm not saying that
I don't like the beach
and relaxing just doing nothing,
but I like the exploring part.
Yeah, I'm not fully convinced yet.
This is what we like to do,
we like to help people, and God
put our paths to cross for a reason,
so we could spend this time
together. You have been an
absolute godsend to the both of us,
you really have, seriously.
Yes, major help.
...but at a campsite just
outside the city,
it's time to go their separate ways.
Bye! I'm going to miss that RV van.
Yeah, I'm going to miss
James and Anne.
At a gas stop on the other side
of town...
Why's there no buses?
This is the frustrating thing.
...Zainib and Mobeen's hot streak is
under threat.
No luck at all.
This has been our longest wait,
right?
I think we were really lucky
in the previous journeys to catch
a ride pretty quickly.
So, yeah, I am frustrated at it.
We're probably not going to get to
Dawson City today.
If you guys don't get
a ride by 7:30, I'll come back
if you guys need a place to sleep.
Aw, you're so sweet, what's
your name? Adam. Adam, I'm Zainib.
Nice to meet you.
I've got a three-bedroom trailer.
You've got your own bedroom
with the bed in it.
I've known Zainib about 12 years.
In my mind, I don't think there's
any more I need to know about her.
Have you got a shower? No shower.
I could come here and shower,
though, right? Come here and shower.
Are your clogs friendly? Yes.
Are you going to kill us? No.
OK. I'm just a kind person. I'm not
comfortable with that at all.
I just don't get her sometimes.
I think we've got a few hours
to try and get up the road.
Would you come back for us?
I'll come back. Yeah, yeah.
I'll come back at 7:30.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Awesome!
Love, are you serious?
Yeah! You know what a trailer is?
Yeah, I know what a trailer is.
It's a little box! I know.
He's going to be in it,
clogs are going to be in it.
Ancl we're going to have
our own bedroom.
I can't believe you're... especially
you, someone that is very
particular about where they stay,
I'd rather get a tent
and stay in a tent.
I think it says a lot about someone
if they come here and offer us that.
Yeah, but also, their appearance
says a lot about someone. I just
don't feel comfortable... That's
fine! ..staying at this guy's house.
We'll do what you feel
comfortable with.
With husband and wife going nowhere,
the three remaining teams have
converged on Whitehorse.
Are you, by any chance, heading up
towards Dawson City?
Later on today, I am, yes.
Also looking for a way out...
Mind doing a car=share?
I have a dentist's appointment at
1:15, so it'll be around two.
Can I...? Two o'clock will be fine.
OK.
...no longer with
their set of wheels...
Are you heading to Dawson City?
I'm not going to Dawson. I wish I
was. Aw, that's a shame! Thank you.
I really thought that was
Santa Claus then.
...Marc and Michael have
a new-found drive.
If you was going there,
we'd give you gas money.
I think the experiences that we had
yesterday just gave me
a bit of a kick. I want to be here
and I want to see more,
and I'm ready to do whatever it
takes. Now I want to win it.
But I'm not going to dance,
I'll leave the dancing to him.
Let's just get to Dawson.
Psych myself up for it.
Searching for the ideal gas station
to find a ride north...
There you go, Takhini Gas!
...Claudia and Kevin.
So, do you think we could perch
ourselves, like, at the end there?
Here they are. Oh, my God.
Why's she got Kevin and Claudia
in the back seat in that car?
It does look like someone's
in the back seat. No way! No way!
This is my spot.
I will piss everywhere to make
my territory, if I have to.
Have you been here long?
We've been here since 6am. No!
Bloody hell, eh?
The plot thickens, don't it?
It's going to be even harder now
to try and secure a lift
in the same spot.
Just get that board out,
let's just start working it.
They've got two signs, one biggie.
Yeah, that's fine, but we've got the
personality, so let's just get out
there and we just pull something
out the bag, yeah?
At least we're all
in the shit together.
You're not going to Dawson City,
by any chance?
Do you have space
for me and my wife?
Can you make room?
I'll contribute to some gas.
Please. Yeah, please have a think.
Oh, my God,
if we get this and we pull it off...
She's driving off. What?
I think she's driving off.
OK, come on! Oh, yes!
Ah, yes! Oh, my God.
There you go, see?
It can be done.
We've just got to keep working it.
Oh, relieved, man.
I don't want to look at
Claudia and Kevin
cos I feel sick. I just don't
want to carry on doing this,
it's soul-destroying, I don't
want to do it any more.
I know you want to give up,
but we don't have to give up.
We're in this together,
you're not on your own, eh?
Let's just stick with it,
let's just keep to just a little bit
at a time, yeah?
Dawson City, woohoo!
Finally here, what do you think?
There's no-one around.
Hello?
Dad, I feel like we're in a Western,
do you not? It's so bizarre!
I feel like there's going to be
some tumbleweed come rolling
through.
Well, it's the frontier, innit? It's
the real thing, it's the real deal.
To reach the second checkpoint...
...the teams receive directions
via their GPS tracker.
"Proceed to Diamond Tooth Gerties."
Diamond Tooth Gerties?
Whereabouts is that? It's just
here, Diamond Tooth Gerties.
OK, thank you so much for your
help. Amazing, thank you so much.
It's a gambling hall. I thought
Diamond Tooth Gerties was a dentist.
"Make your way to Bombay Peggy's."
Their final destination,
former brothel Bombay Peggy's.
Excuse me, do you know where
Bombay Peggy's is?
OK, thank you.
Confusing. Is it that way?
Bombay Peggy's. Here it is! Come on.
Which one, this one? Thank God!
Can I just get you to sign in right
over there? Oh. Dad, are you ready?
I am ready like Freddie.
- Stop! We're second.
Cathie and Trish.
I wonder how the hell they managed
to get up here a clay in front of us.
And we shake it side to side.
Striking gold with a lead of
25 hours, Tricia and Cathie.
Oh! Is that a bit of gold?
We have hammered the budget,
but we're number one!
I know, I know.
That's a good piece!
But it makes all that expense
worthwhile. Yeah, it does.
We smashed it. Spent next to nothing
and come second.
You know why we've spent next to
nothing?
Why? Because we camped out.
I know, God.
It just goes to show that
I can suck it up when I need to.
Let us never do that again.
You're traumatised, but... PTSD,
Ah, yes!
They've only just got in.
An hour before us. Nice!
I think Zainib was the driving
force in this leg,
and I think she smashed it.
You were still quite bossy.
There was only one thing I didn't
want to do, stay in some guy's
trailer who didn't have
a shower and had clogs.
What's wrong with that?
After six days on the road,
three teams are safely in Dawson.
Who's that? It's Kevin and Claudia.
I'm getting a bit sad.
Oh, no, you're not. Who the
is that in my car? Don't know.
Two still have some way to go.
Have you got room for myself
and my daughter?
Oh, fantastic! Thank you so much!
Yeah, you think you've come to
the end of the road
and then, all of a sudden,
we're back in the race again.
"The team in fifth place will be
eliminated from the race."
Is this really happening?
Heading high into the Rockies...
Oh, my God, that's awesome!
. Some 508T...
Whee! Wow! Whoa, whoa, whoa!
...others come crashing down.
Monique's injured herself.
Oh, my God!
I feel like I'm swimming uphill.
It could be game-changing.
I'm shocked and happy, all in one.
We've come all this way,
and I can't, I can't...
We are screwed!
has never been stronger,
but in travelling over,
are we missing the joys
of journeying through?
Canada, the second largest country
in the world.
From Pacific to Atlantic Ocean -
flight time, seven hours.
But could you successfully navigate
this gruelling 16,000km route
at ground level, all for the price
of doing it by air?
Five pairs of ordinary Brits
are about to undertake just that.
Dad, run! Go, go, go, go!
In a demanding and
challenging race...
All I'm saying is, I'm going to die.
We're all going to die.
...they'll head deep into the wild...
Oh, my God, the sea is ice.
...across vast prairies...
This is awesome. Road trip!
...soar high into the Rockies...
Once in a lifetime, isn't it?
If we see a bear,
I'm going to kill you. Ah!
...to the very edges
of civilisation...
We are going to go into
the remote wilderness here.
We can't get a bus out of here.
We can't get a train out of here.
...without smart phones or bank cards
and with a limited budget.
It's dark, it's raining.
We've got no money.
We'll have to find a car-share.
I don't like this!
They'll need charm...
Parlez-vous anglais?
Mission accomplished.
...hard work...
We're absolutely brassic.
We can claw the money back.
Yeah, we'll work.
...and ingenuity to get them through.
I can give you a ride.
Are you going to kill us? No.
Have they got what it takes
both physically...
It's just the hardest thing
I think I've done.
...and emotionally?
It's hard, but you've just
made us feel like family.
I believe in you. I know.
I just don't believe in me.
I'm not giving up.
The rewards are great...
Mother Nature at her best.
Never seen anything like it.
...and for the first team to the
finish line, a prize of £20,000...
Every second counts.
...in a race...
If they come behind us, Marc,
I'm taking the bag off you.
...across the world.
Breathe through it.
You can cry when you're sat down.
Mid-life crisis is going
really well. Yeah.
I'm quite enjoying my crisis. Yeah.
Let's go. The race began...
That seems to be the biggest
challenge at the minute,
is getting out of the park.
Best friends Tricia and Cathie...
My word!
...overcame a slow start.
I want to see these amazing things.
That's as close as you can get.
Bear spray.
A nervous Marc...
Are we going to come across a bear?
...needed encouragement from
brother Michael.
All right, we know that we're going
to get there today.
While Zainib and Mobeen...
A bit at a time. Ow!
...made a brand-new friend.
I thought you weren't going to cry!
I'm just really happy.
Life lessons from Ladi...
You pay kindness with kindness.
Got it.
...dawned on daughter Monique.
What can we do to repay you?
Aw, thank you so, so much.
While Claudia and her dad Kevin's
slender lead...
Brilliant. Yes!
...came at a cost.
We've gone over the budget. I was
running around that gas station
and you were stood there.
Right, I'm going back to the room.
Today, we have people from
faraway places visiting us.
I ask you to watch over all.
48km off the coast of
mainland Canada...
I'm going to share
how we gather cockles.
You just poke around.
If one's there, it'll squirt.
...the first checkpoint.
Haida Gwaii.
Yes, Kevin! Kevin's on a roll!
Oh, no. You'll never get it.
Too late!
For over 200 years, known as
the Queen Charlotte Islands,
but now back in the hands of
the Haida people.
Why does it squirt water? Scare you.
Oh, it's to scare me? Yeah.
I'm proud to say my family
live mostly off the ocean.
Oh, it's just been an
incredible first week.
We've met some beautiful people,
and people are kind.
Canada is a gorgeous place.
I think we've just
got a taster of it.
On the second leg of the race,
the teams will find out
just how vast Canada is.
Leaving the checkpoint
in the order they arrived,
Claudia and her father, Kevin,
are the first to get going,
their slender two-minute advantage
having come at a cost -
almost a quarter of
their entire race budget.
"Your second checkpoint is
Dawson City." Dawson City.
I know where it is. Do you?! Yep.
Top of the world.
That's where we're going.
Over 2,000km away, just shy of
the Arctic Circle, Dawson City.
Situated on the confluence of
the Klondike and Yukon Rivers,
a boom town, established
when thousands of prospectors
rushed north during
the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898.
Dawson City is there.
Smack-bang in the middle of
the Yukon.
To get there, the teams will
follow in the footsteps of the early
pioneers, as they journey through
one of the largest remaining
areas of wilderness in the world.
500,000 square kilometres of
towering mountains, vast ice fields
and dense forest.
This is going to be a long and
tiring leg. We blew the budget
on the first leg.
Our strategy now is,
minimise the costs.
Going back to basics.
We want to hitch this route, OK?
Ancl camping is the way forward
for us.
It might be cold,
but we've got to do it.
Yeah, we've got sleeping bags,
so that's fine.
So, with that in mind, do we want
to buy a tent right now?
Yeah. Right, come on,
let's go, then. OK.
On our first leg, we spent a hell
of a lot of money, but we also
struggled with our relationship and
not being on the same wavelength.
I think we're still kind of
trying to get to know each other,
actually. As weird as that is
to say, seeing as I've
known him since birth.
When you were a child,
I never really spent
the time with you
that I should have clone,
but now we're doing this, I'm trying
to claw a little bit of that back.
Yeah, it's frightening,
but this is a priceless moment.
Over a period of three nights,
we'll start recovering the cost
of the tent, because we're not
shelling out for accommodation,
and we'll be quids-in then.
Thank you very much indeed.
Standing between the teams
and the mainland,
the Hecate Strait,
the most dangerous body of water
on the west coast,
susceptible to malevolent storms.
The only safe way for the teams
to cross is by ferry,
from the port of Skidegate,
south of the checkpoint.
The next one leaves at 10pm.
We've got some time to kill
before we get the ferry.
Get some food, then
head down to the waterfront.
Also on the move,
the other four teams...
Hi, there.
...departing the checkpoint
within minutes of one another.
Did you put my rucksack in the back?
I did. I wondered if you had
rocks in it or something.
We're going, like, seriously north,
into a part of the world that
I never thought, for
a million years, I'd ever get to.
It's all a bit of an unknown,
so it worries me a little bit.
Because I've started losing my
sight, I want to make sure that
we've got everything
out of every leg.
I do want to experience
everything I can. Yeah.
Ancl actually, I've seen so much more
than I thought I would. Exactly.
The first leg, we learnt how to
hustle, how to get rides.
So the aim, I think, for this route
may be to try and car-share
as much as possible again.
Yeah, I think that's something that
we need to embrace a bit more,
cos that's going to get us the lead.
But I would like to avoid camping.
If you feed me
and you get me a good night's rest,
I'll climb up whatever mountain
you want me to climb up.
Otherwise, I'm going to be
very, very hangry and I'm
going to be very, very tired.
Realistically,
we're going to have to.
Not... Not necessarily.
Thank you so much.
Oh, you're welcome, guys.
To get to the ferry,
Monique and her dad, Ladi,
have called on new friend
Kyle for a set of wheels.
Here we go. Thank you.
We're going to have an adventure.
A chance to make the most of the
remaining time on Haida Gwaii.
Stop singing!
LOUD BUMP
What was that jump? I don't know.
Why is this losing power?
Oh, brilliant.
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
I'm a bit nervous about this leg,
and the fact that
we're going to have to camp. I don't
even think it's about what I want
and what I don't want, like,
it's just the reality.
I can't imagine
it's going to be easy.
Put your hazards on.
Put the hazards on.
Where are the hazards? Oh, Jesus!
I love travelling.
When I say travelling,
I mean holidays! I love holidaying,
but I've never so much as owned
a travelling backpack.
Basically, you just want
to swan across the world.
No, you are kidding me!
Definitely be challenged
on this race.
There's situations that are going
to be totally alien to Monique.
But it's just like, these are
things that happen in life,
but together, we'll be able to
get through them.
Oh!
Just outside the ferry port...
Oh, look, is that a hiking trail?
Do you want to go on
Spirit Lake Trail?
...last to have left the checkpoint,
brothers Marc and Michael.
It says it's a kilom... like,
less than a kilometre
just to get to there.
Make the most of the time that
we've got here.
All I see from that whole sign is,
"Be aware you're in bear country."
I'm sure it'll be all right.
It is quite cool to be in
the forest.
You wanted to see
wildlife and stuff.
I don't want to see a ! bear.
Even though we're brothers, we're
two completely different people.
This picture, I love.
You're, like, hugging me,
like you actually enjoy my company.
So, the youngest memory of my
brother is bright white hair
and really thick red glasses.
Big forehead! I didn't have
a big forehead.
I remember looking at him, thinking,
"Oh, you look cute,"
and then he just opened his mouth.
I kind of liked him
and I wanted to spend time with him,
but we just weren't really close
as siblings, growing up.
I think the gap come
when you went to uni.
All that whole time
was really difficult.
Around the year of when I came out,
and then when Dad died,
and then I went to uni, we didn't
know how to support each other
with all those things that
were all going on at the...
around a similar time. So, it kind
of then resulted in there being
this kind of space between us.
I think we want to have
a relationship, but I think we don't
really know how to get there.
If we see a bear,
we just have to make noise.
I've told you, I don't want to
do it, and I'm scared of it,
and you still want to do it?
I don't want to force you
to do something if you're,
if you don't want to do it.
Well, I don't want to do it. OK.
I'll wait for you up there, but I'm
not going out to find a bear. OK.
I'll do this, then. OK, I'll
wait back over here. All right?
Yeah, that's...
It's really cool.
The largest subspecies of black bear
is indigenous to Haida Gwaii.
Their number unknown, as they are
naturally afraid of humans,
keeping themselves to themselves,
unless provoked.
Cool.
If I hadn't have clone this,
we would have just been
walking back to the ferry port
and sitting there for four hours,
and then I would have missed,
like, seeing all of this.
I don't want to look back
on the experience
and kind of think that I could
have clone more, cos as soon as
I leave this island, that's it.
I just feel bad about Marc,
sitting in the car park!
Nothing's going to happen to him,
I know it's not.
I just want him to be all right.
Hello, hello, hello. Hi, guys. Hi!
How are you? How you doing?
Could we get two tickets to...?
Prince Rupert? Yes, please.
I'm so glad we're here.
At least the ferry's warm.
It's like we never left.
All five teams aboard for an
eight-hour voyage to the mainland.
So, a good night's sleep ahead.
Didn't get eaten, then? No.
As the ferry docks
at Prince Rupert...
Are we coming in? Yes.
The race is on!
We're looking for a ride.
We just want to try and get
as far up as possible.
For two people, it would be OK.
...awaiting the teams,
a 2,000km journey north,
along one of the most isolated
highways in the world.
The vast wilderness only
occasionally broken
by the odd small settlement
or gas stop.
Where intrepid Canadians
can be found patiently
searching for lifts in the absence
of regular transport links.
Oh, beats walking, doesn't it?
Come here.
Three teams successfully hustle
ride shares to begin their push
towards the Yukon.
But Tricia and Cathie
have a different plan.
We've got to get up to
Dawson now, in Yukon. Oh, OK.
They've found a shuttle bus to
Terrace, 144km away.
But beyond there, with the roads
predominantly used by loggers
and miners, they'll be
hard pushed to find
any public transport whatsoever.
Are you trying to find
transportation from there?
Yeah. ls there any there? Nothing.
Nothing. Yeah.
I just need to go, because
it's a race and I'm, like,
I'm now in race mode.
Tricia, she'll want to get going.
She'll be like,
"Right, let's go, let's go,
let's keep on the move." Whereas
I don't like being in a position
where I don't know what's
going to happen next,
and I'll want the basic plan.
So it looks like we're
going down plan two. Mm.
Ferry to Prince Rupert,
lift into town...
You can't plan for everything.
Weather, buses, trains,
I think that will slow us down.
We've actually created a new plan.
Of course.
So, we're now on plan four. OK.
It has to be done my way, otherwise,
I'll just do it again.
Like the dishes.
I can't help myself, I'm afraid,
it's just me.
We're going up into a remote area.
Ancl hitching a lift.
We're reliant on... Other people.
Other people's time scales.
We could potentially hire a car.
I mean... I was thinking, hiring a
car is going to be really expensive.
But if you think about how much
we've spent on buses...
But then, we have got
fuel to put in.
It's so expensive. It's going
to be a huge chunk of money.
If we've got no choice and there are
no buses, then we'll have to do it.
Depending on the cost.
Depending on the cost.
I mean, what we'll need to do
is find out.
We need to get there.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
I just feel awful that you're the
only driver and I can't share it
with you. You're taking all the
workload on it. I'll do the driving,
you do the planning on this one.
99km further up the highway...
We were thinking maybe getting
dropped off at Kitwanga, which is
just, I think, after Terrace.
Actually, that's where we
want to go. Really? Yes.
...travelling at zero cost,
Zainib and Mobeen.
On their way to the village
of Kitwanga, with new-found
friends Janice and David.
Ancl how did you and Dave meet?
First day at med school.
First clay, that's like us!
Aw, that's so cute! That's like us.
I needed a light.
Janice was the only one
smoking in the group.
I was in first year of university.
I went to Glasgow.
Ancl at the time, I saw her, and I...
I pulled out a cigarette. She had
a cigarette! That is so strange.
The first time I met Zainib
was at med school.
I just saw her walking past.
I thought, "Wow, who's this girl?"
She used to wear the headscarf.
Ancl she was smoking.
It was just such a juxtaposition
of what I thought
a head-scarf-wearing girl would be.
Ancl I thought, "Who is this person?"
Our parents wouldn't let us
have the big wedding day...
Until you graduated.
Until had my graduation confirmed.
We're both retired, actually.
We were, uh, rural GPs.
No way.
We work in the NHS. Oh, you do?
What are the chances?
At home, I think we were both
individuals that had always
clone things that were
expected of us.
You're going to go to uni,
you're going to have the best job,
you're going to be the doctor.
You are going to marry a doctor.
You're going to have lots of babies
that are all going to be doctors.
F that. That's exhausting.
What I want to do is take my
backpack and go explore the world.
They're so cool, man.
Bye. See you, Janice, Dave.
Right, let's, let's work the ground.
Hi, sir, we're trying to get to
Dease Lake, sir,
or even further north.
That's a long drive by yourself.
It is a long drive.
Exactly, so you,
good for you to have company?
Sleeper's got room.
If you're up for it?
If you're happy to take us,
yeah, yeah.
How do we get in? Woo!
With their second free
ride of the day...
The view from here is
so good cos you're high up.
You can just see everything.
Positive vibes today.
I knew it would work out.
We're making progress.
Woohoo!
...husband and wife leap onwards
towards Dease Lake.
Behind them, the first
town on the highway north, Terrace,
is the last major settlement
for over a thousand kilometres...
Watch the step.
Thank you, Ray.
...so it's now or never for Tricia
and Cathie to make a big call.
We're looking to hire a car to
go from here to Dawson, one way.
OK.
Well, you know, if you want to do it
for 140, that would be amazing.
Unfortunately not, I'm sorry.
We're kind of blasting
the budget this week.
And there's another snag.
That's an extra clay, isn't it? Yeah.
With nowhere to off-hire
in Dawson City,
they will only be able to
drive as far as Whitehorse,
more than 500km shy
of the checkpoint.
Whitehorse is quite a big town,
so we're more than likely
to get a lift there.
It's up, it's up to you, love.
OK, so, we'll go with the car,
shall we? Yeah.
Thank you very much. Thank you so
much, ladies.
This is expensive,
so there is a risk,
but we're taking
matters into our own hands
and taking control of it. Yep.
Ancl if we see a job
that we can do...
Yeah, then we'll work.
..then we'll work. Yeah.
Happy days.
Watch out, here comes Cathie.
Next stop - Yukon.
It's a bit like
Thelma & Louise, without...
Yeah, without the cliff ending.
Or the killing spree.
No, we don't want to do that.
No. No.
As the girls buckle in for two
days on the road to Whitehorse...
I spy with my dodgy eyes,
something beginning with T.
Trees.
Oh, darn it!
...their competition is
hot on their heels.
I think that's
Trish and Cathie, Dad.
I think we need give them a little
wave, then.
White car's going for it.
Overtaking.
It's Claudia and Kev.
That'll really wind them
up, that will.
I think they've hired a car.
That's a big deal.
That's, that's a lot of money.
All we've spent is 60 bucks,
so at the moment, I'd say
that we're winning.
Sticking to their
no-frills strategy...
Oh! Wow! Oh, my God!
Whoa, look at him.
...Claudia and Kevin have reached
Meziadin Lake.
Oh, wow.
That's stunning.
Teeming with rainbow trout
and sockeye salmon...
Thank you very much.
You have a good journey.
...it's a popular base for
intrepid travellers...
I've just never seen
anything like it.
...exploring the surrounding
wilderness.
Today, we have clone over 400K.
We've seen grizzly bears.
Taken in the most beautiful scenery.
Ancl it's cost us 38 quid.
I think this is my favourite
place yet.
It's just stunning.
Let's go and get to work, then, eh?
It says it's five minutes
to put it up.
Right, I'm timing it from now.
OK.
So, that goes into there.
You're at four minutes.
OK.
Dad's in his element.
My father was a cub scout leader
for 30 years
and I was in the cub scouts,
and it was a massive
part of my childhood.
My mum would kick us out the
house at 8:30 in the morning,
during the summer holidays
and we were told to be back home
for 5:30 in the afternoon.
Did you use your compass
to get home?! Absolutely.
We would go off for miles.
Nine minutes.
Taking part in the race,
I get to relive my childhood.
Ancl I'm going to do it with
my daughter, which is even,
you know, even more special.
Done, time check?
13 minutes 59 seconds.
You know, I don't want
to peak too soon, do I?
I'm really chuffed with what
we've been able to do today.
We've grown quite strong as a team.
We're not bickering.
We're in a good place.
We're living it. We're living
the dream. Yeah, I agree.
150km to the south...
Oh, bear, oh, bear, come right here.
Eat me or take me to the camp site.
Oh.
...also looking to pitch a tent
for the night, Monique and Ladi.
I can't do it. You can, Mon.
Let's get to where
we're going to, yeah?
Their free ride off the ferry
has helped them reach Kitwanga,
the place of rabbits.
This route is going
into the wilderness.
We haven't even got like that
far out of, um, Prince Rupert.
Ancl it's already seeming
like there's one gas station,
a shit load of flies
and nothing else.
I don't understand.
All I'm saying is, I'm going to die.
We're all going to die.
OK, we have a tent.
It's me and you, sweetheart.
Me and you.
I really would like to go and try
and secure a lift
but, honestly, I am tired...
Well, I can go
and see what the, what the craic is.
I can see if anyone's going
towards Whitehorse.
Whitehorse, I think
that sounds like a plan.
What are they called? Winterba...
Win nebega? Win nebagel?
I've just got my fingers
and toes crossed that someone's
able to help us out.
I know this is supposed to be
an adventure, but I'm a bit tired,
I'm a bit frustrated.
My feet are killing me.
Hiya, my name's Monique. Hi.
I was wondering
whether you were heading in the
direction of Whitehorse tomorrow?
No. No? OK, all right. No worries.
Thank you. Bye. Bye.
It literally goes, like, highs
and then you just get massive lows.
Ancl when you're in those massive
lows, it's hard
to, like, remember
the positive things.
Like,
we will make it to checkpoint two.
But in those moments, it's just so
frustrating. I just want to go home.
I just had a quick question,
whether by any chance,
you'd be travelling in the direction
of Whitehorse tomorrow?
Up Highway 37, essentially.
We are going up 37. Yes?
Where are you guys going to be?
Just in that green tent over there.
OK. My name's Monique, by the way.
I'm James.
Hi, James, nice to meet you.
Thank you.
A result!
H ow lovely.
In the bag, a ride in the lap of
luxury,
potentially all the way
to Whitehorse.
Tonight is going to be
uncomfortable for Monique.
She has been in a privileged
position of which, sometimes,
I don't think she truly recognises.
But hopefully,
because she's clone this,
she would have gone through
a little bit of adversity
and know that she'll be able to get
through anything.
Night, Dad. Love you.
Night, Mon. Love you, too.
This is so uncomfortable.
COYOTE HOWLS
I'm going to have the clearly
very fruity pancakes.
24 hours since
arriving on the mainland...
That sounds really nice.
...Marc and Michael have only
reached Terrace.
This looks pretty amazing.
Oh...
This is our different
start to the clay.
After their spat on Haida Gwaii,
trying out an alternative approach.
We had a good night's sleep,
we've had some really good food...
I think the race is - for different
people, it's about different things.
Ancl I think I'm just finding out
that it's not about winning,
it's about sort of getting me
brother back.
I just want to have a,
a good experience with him,
rather than constantly arguing.
I think the only way we can do it
is if we just relax a little bit
and enjoy it.
Ancl we really wanted to do the
rafting together.
Even if it costs a bit of money,
we're just going to do it.
That was nice, though,
that breakfast. Yeah.
I feel pretty good.
So, I think we'll go see if
we can rent a car and head out.
That would be a result.
The boys' new plan -
to drive a hire car north.
Leaving the highway at Whitehorse,
on a detour to Haines junction.
The ideal jumping-off point
to explore the area's many rivers.
It's $480.
Yeah, it's expensive. I think this
whole leg's going to be expensive.
But Marc was having
a few difficult clays,
so as long as he feels more
comfortable, I think it's worth it.
This is nice.
Keeping it calm and cool
and trying not to poke the bear!
Road trip to Whitehorse.
Whoop-whoop.
When we were younger, can you
imagine the two of us doing this?
Hiring a car and driving...
I would have just refused.
It seems super easy.
Michael...
Stop, man.
Is it the right way? Where are we?
We're going to get lost!
It's just beautiful.
Look how much snow there still is
piled up. I know.
The other team to hire a car,
Tricia and Cathie,
have made their dollars count,
reaching jade City.
With a population of around
30 people, a city in name only,
known for its huge jade deposits.
Outside the town, on the shores
of Vines Lake...
...Christie's cabin in the woods.
What an amazing place you've got
here. Wow.
It is stunning.
The girls have answered an ad
in the jobs directory - free bed
and board, in exchange for some
elbow grease.
OK, so this is the old dilapidated
shack that I want to dismantle.
Great.
We've decided not to camp because
bears aren't on the happy list.
Ancl the tent was going to
cost about $200, anyway.
We would rather put the money
into a vehicle to get us up here.
We need to get this side
and that side off,
and then the roof should come off.
Hang on, Trish, hold on.
If you just bear with me a minute,
while I get this bit off. Yeah.
Obviously, we're blasting
the budget this week.
Helping Christie today, it
means that we don't have to
pay for accommodation tonight.
Or food. Or food.
So, that's a huge help
to our budget.
You're doing neat
destruction, you are.
Well, I am neat.
Marvellous.
This is quite satisfying, actually.
It is, actually, isn't it?
I absolutely love doing
this kind of stuff.
And I don't get to do it very often
because everybody panics that
I'm going to hurt myself.
OK. Mind the, all the nails.
The nai...
Yeah, mind the nails.
I spend all day in a windowless
office, staring at a large computer
screen - managing rotas, managing
time off, doing the finance.
So, working outside is
absolute bliss.
Wahey! Good work.
Back home in Bridgend, South Wales,
Cathie runs two community
pharmacies with her husband, Gareth,
employing 17 staff.
The past couple of years have been
emotionally draining.
The responsibility to make
sure that the staff were safe,
customers and patients were safe,
weighed very, very heavily on us.
I've got to take a photograph.
It's just too beautiful.
Corning away on this break...
I'm calling it a break, look,
I'm not even calling it a race,
I'm calling it a break.
It's the perfect antidote, really.
There's not a sound.
It's silent.
Absolutely silent.
Initially, my motivation for doing
this was to support Tricia.
But as time's gone on,
it's giving me
an opportunity to do
something just for me.
It's allowing me some selfish time
and that's - it feels good!
It's not something I'm used to.
It's just perfect.
Being comfortable, being warm,
it's put me in such a good mood.
This is how you want to travel.
470km to the south, Monique
and Ladi are travelling in style...
A huge, huge thank you.
Honestly, you don't
know how much it means to us.
Oh, you're welcome.
...with Good Samaritans
James and Anne.
Just seeing these snow-capped
mountains, that is something.
They've entered
Bear Glacier Provincial Park,
part of 58 million acres of
protected land bordering
the highway to Dawson.
Over there, babes. That's the
glacier. That is a "glazier".
It's a glacier. It's not.
Fox's Glacier Mints.
You're not feeling it, Mon?
No, but you go for it,
you live your best life.
Visible from the highway,
the toe of Bear Glacier.
All right, that's going to be the
view for lunch right there. Oh, wow.
In retreat since
the mid-20th century,
it has left Strohn Lake in its wake.
That is just awesome. You can
just see a sweeping river. Yeah.
And just carves its way. And you can
see the blue inside it.
I know, when you see the colour,
the blue is really
pronounced inside the ice.
It's moments like this where
I'm, like, annoyed that
I don't have my phone with me,
but it'd be a great lnsta Story.
I spend a lot of time on my phone,
whether it be
TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat,
immersed in that whole world.
OK, how do you want this, Mon?
Try and get the glacier in it. Yeah!
Maybe this is why we're on this,
because you can experience your
surroundings, instead of scrolling.
It's nice to go around with people
that actually enjoy the scenery
and, you know, take it all in.
Not many people get to see
a glacier,
but we've seen a glacier now. Their
enthusiasm is rubbing off on me.
I'm definitely appreciating
the scenes a bit more.
Nature, man, a wonderful thing.
As the wilderness casts its spell...
Isn't that a pretty bridge? Yeah.
Do you want to go over it?
Yeah, of course.
...Zainib and Mobeen have shot ahead
with yet another free ride.
This is wobbly, a little.
BRIDGE CREAKS
It makes noises! I don't think
we should test the
structural capability.
American Bill helping them become
the first team to enter the Yukon.
Twice the size of the UK, but with
a population that wouldn't fill
half of Wembley Stadium, the Yukon
is named after the indigenous
word for its 3,000km-long river,
Yukanna, or "great river".
Crossing it at the Miles Canyon
Suspension Bridge...
What a view.
...husband and wife are minutes
outside the Yukon's capital,
Whitehorse,
and within sight of the checkpoint.
What a beautiful spring day.
It's really nice. I think
we're getting used to it, aren't we,
with the backpack lifestyle?
I'm having fun.
I have almost forgotten what my life
back home used to be like,
and it's just like this
is my new life,
living on the road, clay by clay,
is like the new normal.
Let's move on to Whitehorse.
Let's go!
But riding their luck,
they've decided to take
a detour of 270km to the
tiny town of Burwash Landing
for a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity in the jobs directory,
working in exchange for a plane ride
over Kluane National Park.
I've never been in
a light aircraft before,
but I think it's Burwash Landing.
Do you? Sure, I can take you there.
Are you sure? Why not? No way!
But Bill will leave them in Burwash
as he continues to Alaska,
which means that to rejoin
the highway to Dawson City,
they'll need to retrace their steps
under their own steam.
Nice! My own bed again.
No camping for me.
I'm proper excited,
I can't wait to get onto my plane.
I'm going to be a bit scared,
but it's one of those things you
have to try, a bit like the skiing.
The race is definitely there at the
back of our minds, but ultimately,
it's the experience that we're
going through together...
Yeah. ..that is so important.
If I can be here for a long time,
and a good time, then that is just,
yeah, that'll be the best.
437km away...
It's a waiting game.
...Claudia and Kevin have managed to
car-share their way to
Watson Lake...
Sorry to trouble you. I'm travelling
with my daughter up to Whitehorse,
and we're looking to see
if we can grab rides along the way.
Not from us, you can't be. ..but are
finding a way out tough going.
We're just in a dead end,
it's just... it's just shit.
HE LAUGHS
It feels like we're in the middle
of nowhere!
Come on!
80 years ago, a homesick US soldier
working on construction
of the Alaska Highway put up a sign
here pointing wistfully
towards his home town.
To date, 80,000 people
have followed suit.
The visitor centre,
is that open down there, is it?
After a fruitless day trying
to find a ride... Hi, there.
We're trying to get to Whitehorse.
I'm just triple-checking that
there is no public transport
around this area?
We have a shuttle... Oh, you do?
...and it goes on Monday,
Wednesday, Fridays.
Tomorrow's Monday. Right. ..father
and daughter bite the bullet.
They do have a bus shuttle, but it's
not until tomorrow morning... Right.
...at 7am, and it's $150 each. Whoa.
It's another 300 bucks for a room
for the night,
cos there's no campsite here.
So we did a quarter of the budget in
the first week,
we're now edging same again
for the second week.
But I think eight hours is enough
to call it a clay. Gutted. Argh!
Let's go to the hotel, see if we
can get a room for the night.
Bus ride in the morning.
Tomorrow's another clay. Yep.
Oh. Right, I'll hold your drink.
It feels weird, being on the
left-hand side of the car.
Three more teams close in on the
Yukon. We've just come into Yukon!
Wow! Woohoo! Amazing!
So I heard that you could just pick
up gold on the side of the road?
Yeah, I don't know about that.
Oh, there's a bear,
slow down, slow down, slow down.
Yay, I've seen a bear.
Another one here on the left.
Oh, yeah! Bloody hell!
Look at you, living
your best life right now.
This is right up my street.
Having said goodbye to Bill, Zainib
and Mobeen are back on their own.
Is it bad under there?
Yeah. You're going to have to
hose me down afterwards as well.
I'm not a good flyer, but this is
something that I have to try.
I think once we've come off the
flight and had the experience,
I think she'll think it's worth it.
You guys did such a good job,
we'll take you up,
give you a little treat here.
Go right over on the
right-hand side.
You know, it's fun, it's freeing
doing the things that I'm
actually most apprehensive about.
I am feeling pretty excited.
John, have you ever crashed a plane?
No. No. That's all right.
It's not going to be the first time.
We're not going to start today,
either.
Growing up, I did have lots of
ambition,
but I was actually very sheltered
and wrapped in cotton
wool for a long time.
Here we go!
I think this race has the potential
to bring out that feeling of
when I was that little girl
who's going on an adventure,
who's got all these fun things
to do.
Woo!
HE LAUGHS
Look. Oh, my God!
This is so good!
The reward for their hard work,
a bird's-eye view
of Kluane National Park...
Ooh! Ooh!
...where over 2,000 ancient glaciers
converge, as they carve
their way through the tallest
peaks in Canada...
Spectacular!
..Including the highest of them all,
at nearly 20,0001'; Mount Logan.
This can't be real,
like, it looks like otherworldly.
I'm going to remember this forever.
Yeah, 100%.
The journey back to Whitehorse
from here's about
three hours of driving.
Yeah, I'm a bit worried about that.
That landscape is just incredible.
Sharing the driving has helped Marc
and Michael make up ground
on their competitors.
We've had a really good
couple of clays. We needed to move.
So I think we can confidently now
take the pressure off
and just enjoy our surroundings.
The first nations here were
the native people here.
We have a cultural
respect for the wolf.
In the experienced hands
of wilderness guide Ron,
elder of the Wolf Clan... OK,
here, full-grown, I would say,
but it's not, like, a real big one.
...the brothers are about to take
a leap onto the fast-flowing
waters of the River Dezadeash...
It's going pretty quick, that.
Ooh! That's moving.
...one of the many
flowing from the Ruby Mountains.
Usually, what happens when it comes
to any kind of danger,
I double it or times it by ten.
My imagination just gets
the better of me.
Oh, wow, we're actually going.
There's just a fear in my head that
I've built up for no reason.
Oh, no!
Failed!
In the start, I thought this
was going to be a lot of hard work,
but once you get a rhythm,
it's quite nice to row.
Look, moose!
Yeah, you can see it there.
Look at that! How cool is that?
See, for the First Nations here,
the native people,
the river was a life system.
They didn't see it as recreation.
Ancl when I first got a canoe,
my mother thought I was nuts.
Today has been pretty awesome.
I've put myself in uncomfortable
situations in order to try
and grow from it.
Ancl I just feel a bit happier that
I feel confident that
I can do something.
It's kind of given me a bit of hope,
so I'm looking forward to
the rest of it now.
I think you guys are
on a heck of an adventure with this,
for sure. You're going to be
storytellers,
cos experience gives you stories.
That really was the first day
where we can both say
we've had a good day.
Hopefully, we can kind of
build on that.
But it's hard because we off-hire
our car tomorrow.
Spent almost half the budget in two
legs. The pressure is back on again.
Got to try and get to Dawson
without paying for anything.
Back on terra firm a...
We have to get back to Whitehorse.
Would you be willing to take us for
some cash? Yeah, I can get you back.
Hi-ho, it's off to Whitehorse we go!
...Zainib and Mobeen's luck
continues to hold out.
Just outside of Whitehorse...
All right!
I think we're ready to get to work.
...after spending big on their bus
out of Watson Lake, Claudia
and Kevin roll up their sleeves,
in return for free bed and board.
We're absolutely brassic.
Bearing in mind
we're still trying to claw back
from the budget
that we've lost
previously from the first leg,
so, yeah, we've just got to crack
on. There's a rogue one there.
Have you clone this side yet? I've
just clone the straight line down.
Look at that, that's a nice size,
innit, eh? I don't mind
shovelling shit. At the end of the
clay, there needs to be a certain
amount of money in the pot, and
I love clogs. They're nice things,
they'll listen to you and
they never argue back, do they?
Yeah, all right,
I'll do yours next.
Among the 100 residents ofjocelyn's
kennels, three new arrivals.
Hi, Puppies! Hi! Oh!
There we go. Here, you've
got to cuddle. Oh, my God!
Hi.
Oh! Hello...
Me and Dad just love clogs.
I've had clogs all my life and
they're just lovely to have around.
The family dog was
a Labrador rescue,
and that was the size of Mo
when we got her.
It's just such a lovely dog,
really well natured with kids,
It's the perfect pub dog to have.
Yeah, I reckon I was,
like, five or six.
I don't think I've had
your stereotypical upbringing.
I grew up living above a pub.
The dog and me, I think
we spent most of the time upstairs,
whilst both parents
worked downstairs,
so I didn't really get to see them.
It was a real struggle.
I was working seven clays a week.
The business had to survive,
I had to work, and it's not until
moments like now that you look back
and think, "Christ, I should have
clone that so bloody differently."
This is something that I am going to
live with for the rest of my life.
Taking part in the race with
my daughter, let's face it,
it's make-or-break.
I want to live for the future. Yeah.
Oop, there you go. Ready?
There you go. Oops!
I think Dad's having a good time.
Included with Claudia and Kevin's
accommodation, the perfect
antidote to a life on the road.
I think that'll do it
for the minute.
Ain't it funny how our moods have
changed from yesterday?
That's the thing, isn't it, with
clogs? It doesn't matter how bad
your clay is, the clogs will always
cheer you up. Yeah.
Especially puppies. I think it's
kind of just reset our mind.
It sucks, what happened yesterday.
We know that we haven't performed
as well as we could have clone,
but this is where we're starting to
claw those moments back.
I think Dad's grown massively since
we started the journey.
Oh, Shit!
Woohoo! He's been a lot more
calmer in his approach to me,
he's been a bit more patient.
Oh, God, I can't believe
it's so cold!
Ancl the positivity was just what we
needed. It kept me going this leg.
One push tomorrow. Yeah.
No-one's going to want to give us
a lift, smelling like dog shit.
With winter temperatures that
can fall below -40 degrees,
the Yukon's capital earns its
reputation as the Wilderness City.
This is it! We've made it to
Whitehorse. It's a significant town.
Drop off at vehicle rentals.
Reaching here,
the teams face one final hurdle,
533km of the North Klondike Highway
to Dawson City...
I wonder how many miles I've driven.
A lot.
Well, I'll be sad to let the car go.
...a journey Tricia and Cathie must
undertake... It did us proud.
Bye-bye, car. Done. ..without
the comfort of their hire car.
Are you heading up to Dawson, by any
chance? I'm sorry, I'm not,
I'm heading the other way to Alaska.
Up to this point, we've
been in control of how we travel,
how far we travel.
Control of our fate.
Yeah, and now not having that now,
I'm back to having to
rely on people again.
I don't suppose you're heading
north? No, I'll be headed west.
Thank you, anyway.
It's like, "Eurgh!"
You don't fancy going to Dawson,
do you, with two lovely ladies
who will entertain you all the way?
I can take you to Carmacks,
which is two hours from here.
Erm, I don't...
It's just a truck stop, really,
people do stop. Yeah.
You've never been here before. No.
I can tell lies the whole way.
OK, sounds good!
At least we'll be on our way.
Two hours further, closer. Yeah.
Ancl then there's accommodation
there, if we get completely stuck.
We're good to go.
Carmacks, here we come.
As the girls head to Carmacks,
still 356km shy of Dawson City...
I don't know if we've told you yet,
but on the ferry, we'll be eating
mustard sandwiches,
so this is like gourmet.
...Monique and Ladi have clocked up
over 1,100km with
James and Anne...
I'm not saying that
I don't like the beach
and relaxing just doing nothing,
but I like the exploring part.
Yeah, I'm not fully convinced yet.
This is what we like to do,
we like to help people, and God
put our paths to cross for a reason,
so we could spend this time
together. You have been an
absolute godsend to the both of us,
you really have, seriously.
Yes, major help.
...but at a campsite just
outside the city,
it's time to go their separate ways.
Bye! I'm going to miss that RV van.
Yeah, I'm going to miss
James and Anne.
At a gas stop on the other side
of town...
Why's there no buses?
This is the frustrating thing.
...Zainib and Mobeen's hot streak is
under threat.
No luck at all.
This has been our longest wait,
right?
I think we were really lucky
in the previous journeys to catch
a ride pretty quickly.
So, yeah, I am frustrated at it.
We're probably not going to get to
Dawson City today.
If you guys don't get
a ride by 7:30, I'll come back
if you guys need a place to sleep.
Aw, you're so sweet, what's
your name? Adam. Adam, I'm Zainib.
Nice to meet you.
I've got a three-bedroom trailer.
You've got your own bedroom
with the bed in it.
I've known Zainib about 12 years.
In my mind, I don't think there's
any more I need to know about her.
Have you got a shower? No shower.
I could come here and shower,
though, right? Come here and shower.
Are your clogs friendly? Yes.
Are you going to kill us? No.
OK. I'm just a kind person. I'm not
comfortable with that at all.
I just don't get her sometimes.
I think we've got a few hours
to try and get up the road.
Would you come back for us?
I'll come back. Yeah, yeah.
I'll come back at 7:30.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Awesome!
Love, are you serious?
Yeah! You know what a trailer is?
Yeah, I know what a trailer is.
It's a little box! I know.
He's going to be in it,
clogs are going to be in it.
Ancl we're going to have
our own bedroom.
I can't believe you're... especially
you, someone that is very
particular about where they stay,
I'd rather get a tent
and stay in a tent.
I think it says a lot about someone
if they come here and offer us that.
Yeah, but also, their appearance
says a lot about someone. I just
don't feel comfortable... That's
fine! ..staying at this guy's house.
We'll do what you feel
comfortable with.
With husband and wife going nowhere,
the three remaining teams have
converged on Whitehorse.
Are you, by any chance, heading up
towards Dawson City?
Later on today, I am, yes.
Also looking for a way out...
Mind doing a car=share?
I have a dentist's appointment at
1:15, so it'll be around two.
Can I...? Two o'clock will be fine.
OK.
...no longer with
their set of wheels...
Are you heading to Dawson City?
I'm not going to Dawson. I wish I
was. Aw, that's a shame! Thank you.
I really thought that was
Santa Claus then.
...Marc and Michael have
a new-found drive.
If you was going there,
we'd give you gas money.
I think the experiences that we had
yesterday just gave me
a bit of a kick. I want to be here
and I want to see more,
and I'm ready to do whatever it
takes. Now I want to win it.
But I'm not going to dance,
I'll leave the dancing to him.
Let's just get to Dawson.
Psych myself up for it.
Searching for the ideal gas station
to find a ride north...
There you go, Takhini Gas!
...Claudia and Kevin.
So, do you think we could perch
ourselves, like, at the end there?
Here they are. Oh, my God.
Why's she got Kevin and Claudia
in the back seat in that car?
It does look like someone's
in the back seat. No way! No way!
This is my spot.
I will piss everywhere to make
my territory, if I have to.
Have you been here long?
We've been here since 6am. No!
Bloody hell, eh?
The plot thickens, don't it?
It's going to be even harder now
to try and secure a lift
in the same spot.
Just get that board out,
let's just start working it.
They've got two signs, one biggie.
Yeah, that's fine, but we've got the
personality, so let's just get out
there and we just pull something
out the bag, yeah?
At least we're all
in the shit together.
You're not going to Dawson City,
by any chance?
Do you have space
for me and my wife?
Can you make room?
I'll contribute to some gas.
Please. Yeah, please have a think.
Oh, my God,
if we get this and we pull it off...
She's driving off. What?
I think she's driving off.
OK, come on! Oh, yes!
Ah, yes! Oh, my God.
There you go, see?
It can be done.
We've just got to keep working it.
Oh, relieved, man.
I don't want to look at
Claudia and Kevin
cos I feel sick. I just don't
want to carry on doing this,
it's soul-destroying, I don't
want to do it any more.
I know you want to give up,
but we don't have to give up.
We're in this together,
you're not on your own, eh?
Let's just stick with it,
let's just keep to just a little bit
at a time, yeah?
Dawson City, woohoo!
Finally here, what do you think?
There's no-one around.
Hello?
Dad, I feel like we're in a Western,
do you not? It's so bizarre!
I feel like there's going to be
some tumbleweed come rolling
through.
Well, it's the frontier, innit? It's
the real thing, it's the real deal.
To reach the second checkpoint...
...the teams receive directions
via their GPS tracker.
"Proceed to Diamond Tooth Gerties."
Diamond Tooth Gerties?
Whereabouts is that? It's just
here, Diamond Tooth Gerties.
OK, thank you so much for your
help. Amazing, thank you so much.
It's a gambling hall. I thought
Diamond Tooth Gerties was a dentist.
"Make your way to Bombay Peggy's."
Their final destination,
former brothel Bombay Peggy's.
Excuse me, do you know where
Bombay Peggy's is?
OK, thank you.
Confusing. Is it that way?
Bombay Peggy's. Here it is! Come on.
Which one, this one? Thank God!
Can I just get you to sign in right
over there? Oh. Dad, are you ready?
I am ready like Freddie.
- Stop! We're second.
Cathie and Trish.
I wonder how the hell they managed
to get up here a clay in front of us.
And we shake it side to side.
Striking gold with a lead of
25 hours, Tricia and Cathie.
Oh! Is that a bit of gold?
We have hammered the budget,
but we're number one!
I know, I know.
That's a good piece!
But it makes all that expense
worthwhile. Yeah, it does.
We smashed it. Spent next to nothing
and come second.
You know why we've spent next to
nothing?
Why? Because we camped out.
I know, God.
It just goes to show that
I can suck it up when I need to.
Let us never do that again.
You're traumatised, but... PTSD,
Ah, yes!
They've only just got in.
An hour before us. Nice!
I think Zainib was the driving
force in this leg,
and I think she smashed it.
You were still quite bossy.
There was only one thing I didn't
want to do, stay in some guy's
trailer who didn't have
a shower and had clogs.
What's wrong with that?
After six days on the road,
three teams are safely in Dawson.
Who's that? It's Kevin and Claudia.
I'm getting a bit sad.
Oh, no, you're not. Who the
is that in my car? Don't know.
Two still have some way to go.
Have you got room for myself
and my daughter?
Oh, fantastic! Thank you so much!
Yeah, you think you've come to
the end of the road
and then, all of a sudden,
we're back in the race again.
"The team in fifth place will be
eliminated from the race."
Is this really happening?
Heading high into the Rockies...
Oh, my God, that's awesome!
. Some 508T...
Whee! Wow! Whoa, whoa, whoa!
...others come crashing down.
Monique's injured herself.
Oh, my God!
I feel like I'm swimming uphill.
It could be game-changing.
I'm shocked and happy, all in one.
We've come all this way,
and I can't, I can't...
We are screwed!