Ultimate Expedition (2018–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - We've All Got a Screw Loose - full transcript
(dramatic music)
- [Voiceover] Deep in the
Peruvian Andes,
eight novice climbers will set
out
to conquer a 20,000 foot
mountain.
Known for fighting,
comedy,
dancing,
competitive eating,
the Olympics,
or just being a jackass,
(shouting)
none of them are known
for climbing mountains,
and they all have something
different
to prove to themselves.
- I'm doing this to push my
people and my culture forward.
- [Voiceover] Legendary
thrill-seeker
Jukka Hilden will lead the way.
(excitedly shouting)
They must master the skills,
(shouting)
conquer their fears,
- Afraid of heights?
- I am.
- [Voiceover] and survive the
elements.
(chattering)
or they will be cut from the
expedition.
- Send him down.
- [Voiceover] Only those who
persevere
can make it to the top.
(dramatic music)
- Alright guys, we are on a bus.
It's gonna be a ten hour ride.
I spend most of my time gaming
and online
just making videos for YouTube,
and I've had to overcome people
judging me
and always thinking that
my gameplay is not real.
Just because I'm a girl, they're
like,
"No way, there's no way she
could be good at games."
I'm here to kick ass like I do
in gaming.
I wanna prove that I
can climb the mountain,
that I am physically able to do
things
that I never thought I could do.
- We are in Peru.
We've just been in the
car for about nine hours,
and we're about half an hour
away from where we're going.
Hola.
Nope.
(dramatic music)
I was the first athlete to
come out in any action sport,
which was a scary step to take,
but in sports and in life you
have to
really be able to conquer your
own fears
before you're able to conquer
any sort
of challenge that's in front of
you.
I'm gonna be a complete novice
at this whole mountaineering
thing.
I think I've had a pretty good
experience overcoming fears,
so it makes me feel good,
it definitely gives me a
little bit of confidence
going up into the
mountains with these guys.
- [Voiceover] The Andes
Mountains
run the length of South America.
Some of its highest peaks are
located
deep in the heart of Peru.
They surround the remote city of
Huaraz,
the jumping-off point for the
team.
From everywhere in the city you
can see
the deadly peaks looming above.
- We're about to go up 20,000
feet,
and it's the real thing.
People die on this mountain.
People die in mountain climbing.
But we're going there,
we're tackling this beast,
we're taking it by the balls,
and we're gonna summit
that son of a bitch.
I've already been there two
years ago,
and I did not summit that
mountain because of a storm.
And now that's my dragon to
slay,
to summit Mount Tocllaraju.
- [Voiceover] Summiting a
mountain the size of Tocllaraju
takes a team of people
with one shared goal.
Every climber also has an
important
personal reason for coming here.
- It's been seven years since I
retired,
and kind of felt a little lost.
- Chuck.
You ready to take on one of
those?
- Oh yeah, for sure.
I have a wife and three kids at
home.
I would love for them to see me
at the top of that 20,000 foot
mountain
with my hands in the air.
- Hey!
- What up!
- I'm so excited to be here!
- Hey.
- Hi.
Finally here.
- What's up man.
- How you doing?
- [Voiceover] No one on the team
has any climbing experience,
but they all bring something
unique to this expedition.
- Yeah, dude.
Want some pee?
- (laughing) Is that all pee?
- I'm known for doing dumb
stuff,
like putting things up my butt.
I think what drives me
in virtually everything
that I've ever done is that
I'm an attention whore.
- All right.
Are you guys feeling any
altitude,
out of breath, anybody?
- A little bit.
- Little bit.
- [Voiceover] The biggest
threat in mountain climbing
is altitude sickness.
The team will acclimate in
Huaraz for the next three days
before they leave for base camp.
At 10,000 feet, every breath has
a third less oxygen than at sea
level,
and the higher they climb,
the bigger the threat.
- I'm so glad to have you here.
Anybody have a headache?
- Me, starting to get one.
- [Woman] Little light-headed.
- Feels like I already
drank a beer, but I haven't.
(laughing)
- Just take it easy.
Get comfortable, get to your
room,
drink a lot of water, and
I'll see you guys tomorrow.
When we'll get ready to
tackle this beast of a thing.
Alright, let's do this.
(subdued cheering)
- [Voiceover] But even with
the added time to acclimate,
everyone will struggle with
altitude sickness in some form.
- They don't have an elevator?
- Hey, you're gonna go
climb a mountain. (laughs)
- (panting) I'm so winded.
I wanna prove to myself how
strong I am.
I wanna set a good
example for my daughter.
I want her to watch this and
say,
"Wow, my mom climbed a
mountain, she did it."
- Oh yeah, I like this.
It is nice and rustic, beauty.
This past year I was diagnosed
with testicular cancer.
I had my left testicle removed.
It was definitely the most
difficult battle of my life,
going through chemotherapy.
And to simply be here right now,
damn, that's a good feeling.
- [Steve-O] We're in Peru,
right?
- [Jukka] We're in Peru, we're
in Huaraz.
- Yeah, we're in Huaraz.
What does Huaraz mean?
- Huaraz, it's a small
town in the middle of Peru.
It's like a mountain climbing
capital,
but it's a small, dirty town.
- Yeah, it's a small, dirty
town.
And I promised the guy
in charge of production
that I would not drink tap
water.
(laughing)
(gargles and swallows)
(laughing)
(gargles and swallows)
- Alright.
- Are we screwed now?
- Maybe. (laughing)
But we did not drink tap water.
(laughing)
(peaceful music)
- Google Maps tells me I'm in
Peru,
but the location and
the setting in this room
tells me I'm in India.
But then you step outside here,
right,
and you're like, "Oh
yeah, no, I'm in Peru."
We landed last night.
It is the first day here,
straight to like
orientations and all sort of
nonsense.
What are you doing in Peru?
I'm climbing a mountain.
- I actually didn't Vlog at all
when we got into Huaraz
yesterday.
I was really pooped, I was
really tired,
and the altitude was
kind of making me feel
really wonky, and I
didn't know what it was,
and I walked up the stairs,
and I was like (gasps).
We have orientation this
morning,
and I am so excited, because I'm
finally
gonna get the information I've
been
trying to pry from everybody.
I'm gonna eat some breakfast,
'cause your girl gotta eat.
- I would like a little more
sleep,
but I could actually run up the
stairs
without feeling like someone
hit me in the stomach.
So I thought that was nice.
- I have not felt hungry
once since we've been here,
and I've just been like, forcing
myself to eat.
They say it's a side
effect of altitude thing,
like loss of appetite.
- I think it made me hungrier.
I started dancing when I was
six, ballet,
and then got into hip hop when I
was nine.
I was really, really shy.
I would hide behind my mom, I
would cry.
I cried my very first hip hop
class,
but I wanted to do it.
So that was always my thing.
I wanted to do things that
scared me.
So I'm used to challenging
myself,
and as an athlete, I obviously
have
the mindset of nothing's gonna
stop me.
So who am I to sit here, and
turn this
opportunity down because I'm
scared?
- It's real.
We're gonna try to climb
a 20,000 foot mountain
that is called Tocllaraju.
Here are the rules you're gonna
live by on this expedition.
'Cause you gotta learn every
single thing
to be able to go up on that
mountain
and come down safely.
Or if you're not healthy enough,
or if you don't have
the physical capability,
you will be eliminated.
It's a matter of safety,
and safety is number one.
I don't wanna scare you too
much,
but eight people died
summiting the past few months.
And they're the people
that make stupid mistakes.
(dramatic music)
How is everybody feeling at this
moment,
like about the altitude
'cause we just came here,
we're in what, 10,000 feet right
now,
and for most of you guys
it's the first time.
- Last night I was starting to
get
a little bit freaked out
that I couldn't breathe,
and the doctor came and looked
at me.
Sometimes I just need that
reassurance.
I don't like feeling out of
control.
- I was really nauseous when I
woke up,
like I threw up a little
bit before breakfast.
- Not a lot of people have the
courage
to take the bull by the horns
and go out of their comfort
zone.
I mean, you've never
even been camping, right?
- No.
- And you're here, you're in
Peru.
- Yeah.
- I think that's a pretty
epic first time camping.
- Yeah.
(laughing)
- To go and try to summit
a 20,000 foot mountain.
- I got my name SSSniperWolf
from a video game.
It was one of the very
first games I played.
It's called Metal Gear.
Sniper Wolf was my favorite
character and my inspiration,
she's like a really badass
character,
and I always wanted to be like
her.
And I kinda like to think that I
am.
- JusReign, coming in hot,
right?
- I'm like, for some
reason I'm not nervous,
but I'm really excited.
I think the biggest
interesting thing I'll learn
is just learning to listen to my
body.
If you Google Image Search
mountaineer,
mountain climber, like
if I do that right now,
all you get is like pictures of
like four or five white dudes
standing on top with
like, grizzly beards,
and they're like, "Hey!" that's
it.
You'll never see a brown
guy climb a mountain,
it's like a black dude playing
hockey.
I told my parents this,
and they were so mad at me.
They're like, why would
you go do (speaks Punjabi),
in Punjabi means "shit white
people do."
Why would you go do shit white
people do?
That's how revolutionary
and monumental it is.
- I wanna introduce you
the expedition leader,
Mikko Vermas, he calls the
shots.
He's summited Mount Everest.
He's been climbing here for 20
years.
His word is the rule, and
he's gonna keep us safe.
- [Voiceover] Climbing Mount
Tocllaraju is treacherous.
The team will have to cross
glaciers
and navigate crevasses.
The last stretch is a
near-vertical ice wall
with a half-mile drop on either
side.
For their own safety, the
climbers
will be constantly evaluated
by the expedition leader
and the team doctor.
- We got one of the world's
top high-altitude doctors
with us, Heikki Karinen, and
he's also been to Everest.
We can count on them with our
lives.
That's why they're here.
- Sorry, but last year
I had ankle surgery,
it's called an open
reduction, where my ankle
is held together with lots
of screws and a plate.
Is that a problem?
- No, but I think one screw
might be a little loose.
(laughing)
- Enjoy your time in Huaraz
while you can,
because tomorrow we start the
first test.
(dramatic music)
- [Voiceover] The team still
needs time
to acclimate to the lower oxygen
levels.
They'll have the rest of the
afternoon
to stock up on supplies and
explore
the vibrant streets of Huaraz.
- I love dogs, so I pay
attention
to street dogs everywhere I go.
And we've seen all kinds
of dogs here in Peru.
Next thing you know, Gus and
I are trying to feed dogs.
- Finding a dog that
wants to eat this dog food
is turning out to be more
difficult than expected.
- Hey, come here, pooper.
Oh, it's okay, buddy.
- [Gus] Oh my god, you are so
cute.
- [Steve-O] Oh, it's okay.
- [Gus] The dogs don't like us.
Oh, oh sorry.
- Alrighty.
Hello, hola.
(speaking Spanish)
Yeah we need some coca leaves.
(speaking Spanish)
I think we need the premium
stuff.
- We definitely need the
premium.
(speaking Spanish)
- Oh, this is good, this is good
stuff?
Yeah, yeah, okay.
Can we get, I think we need a
whole bag.
- I have to hold my breath.
Oh my gosh, smells so bad in
here.
Hola.
It smells really bad here,
like I can barely breathe.
- I'm cool, I'm chilling.
Let's look at some more
carcasses, why not?
It's culture.
Honestly, I feel like I'm in
Punjab.
It looks no different than
Punjab.
People look the same,
the streets, the smells.
There's rickshaws going around.
The only thing different is the
signs,
the signs are written in
Spanish,
and that's it.
- [Chuck] A little bit.
- I'm getting a ton of nuts.
I'm really excited because--
- Make your own trail mix.
- Yeah, Whole Foods, but in
Peru.
- My tongue is so numb right
now.
- (laughing) Mine too.
- I can't feel anything.
- Little curious how the white
powder makes your mouth numb.
(laughing)
- I hope this is benefiting me
in some way.
- Well it's supposed to
be great for the hikes,
that's what they said.
- I don't know.
- Elevation on the hikes--
- Okay, I feel like maybe
we shouldn't have done it right
now
'cause we don't even need it
right now.
(laughing)
She's laughing, oh yeah.
(whistles)
- [Steve-O] Come here pretty
girl.
- [Gus] (speaking Spanish)
- [Steve-O] Come here pretty
girl.
- [Gus] Come on.
- [Steve-O] Hello.
- [Gus] Who's the sweetest girl?
- [Steve-O] You think
she's the one for the tent?
- [Gus] She could definitely
come stay at my hotel.
- She loved the food, and
she's followed me around,
and I named her Wendy.
It's time for Wendy to
have a spa day at the vet.
Flea bath, get rid of her
critters,
clean her up, get her
vaccinations,
just treat her right.
We get to the hotel, trying to
sneak her through the lobby.
Go, go, go.
The first person that sees me
is the guy that runs the whole
hotel.
Just a bust.
I said, okay, give me a sleeping
bag.
I'm sleeping outside with the
dog.
We're sleeping out here, girl,
yeah, yeah.
They're pitching a tent for me
and Wendy.
Alright dude, we'll
see you in the morning.
- Alright, today's the day.
We're gonna do the first test
hike.
We're gonna do a four hour hike,
and we're gonna go up to 12,000
feet.
This is the day I've been
waiting for, you know,
it's to go up there and
start doing something.
Get a backpack on and
go out there and hike,
and actually look at the
nature and see the mountains.
- Alright guys, we're
on our way to the hike.
This is the first hike we're
doing.
And yeah, it's like an hour
away,
and it's getting really hot
in here, there's no A/C.
Guys, we roll this, it's over,
we're dead.
(laughing)
We're gonna try to tip the bus.
- Why would we do that?
- What's the song?
- Row, row your boat.
- Rock, rock, rock your boat.
- [Man] It's kinda hard.
It's hard to stay in rhythm.
- [Voiceover] This five mile
hike
is the team's first real test.
If they show major symptoms
of altitude sickness,
they will not be allowed to
hike to base camp tomorrow,
and they could be cut from the
expedition
before it even begins.
Jukka and the finish team will
be
evaluating them every step of
the way.
- So our trip is going from
there,
and we are continuing up there.
You can see the highest point.
Don't go too fast.
If you're feeling that
you start to breathe
really heavily, then
you're going too fast.
(dramatic music)
- Just wanted to tell you to
take it easy
and really pay attention
how you're feeling
'cause you know how you
suffered,
you had some symptoms down in
Huaraz,
and now we're going 2,000 feet
higher up.
- I was already
having problems yesterday.
I just hope that I can do the
hike.
- The doctor also said that
you're not fully acclimated yet,
so just pay attention 'cause
I want you on that mountain.
- I wanna go too.
- I'm watching Nikki because
she's
been having a hard time
acclimating.
Her heart rate's been 140,
and that's just over the top.
And it's not looking good.
Hey Chuck, please take it easy.
We're gonna go all the way that
way.
We're gonna gain altitude, and
it's a tough trek physically,
even though you don't feel it.
- I realize it's a marathon not
a sprint.
We got lotta days ahead of us,
and we're in no hurry to get
anywhere.
So my heart starts going
up, I'll slow it down.
- Cool.
- I'll take it easy.
I'm gonna try to keep it slow
and just kinda follow the rules,
kinda stay with everybody.
- Let's go.
- Move it.
(upbeat music)
- Hey guys, by the way, I'll
let you in on a little secret.
This dung...
- Is actually really good.
- Oh my god, you get away
from me
- This has so much vitamins in
it.
- With that, Jukka.
- What do you have there?
- It's donkey poo.
But it's really good for
climbing.
Chachi, you want some of this?
- Wanna try it?
Look, there's flies everywhere.
- Ohhh, did you just throw it at
me?
(laughing)
(dramatic music)
- You know, today was the first
day
I could run up and down the
stairs
without getting shortness
of breath at 10,000 feet,
so now I'm gonna see how
it works going up 13,000.
My approach to obstacles is
always try harder, work harder.
I think the hard part is I have
a tendency
to go fast, especially uphill.
I don't have a slow button,
so I'm gonna have to learn to
pull back,
and I don't know if
I'll notice the symptoms
of feeling like, okay, you gotta
slow down for the altitude.
(panting)
- Okay.
So, sounds like we already lost
someone.
We're like 15 minutes in.
- Well, I'm not naming names,
but Nikki was falling far
behind.
(laughing)
(panting)
- I feel short of oxygen,
and my heart rate gets really
high.
I just need to concentrate.
I'm telling myself I need to
calm down.
- [Voiceover] As the team
climbs to 13,000 feet,
they're getting their first real
taste
of the upcoming hike to base
camp.
(panting)
- I'm just trying to keep up
with my girl.
Whew.
- [Voiceover] Breathing is
difficult,
as oxygen levels decrease with
every step.
The lower the oxygen, the
faster fatigue sets in.
Under these conditions, even the
smallest mistakes get magnified.
- I've got bad news.
I didn't know I was
supposed to try on my shoes.
They don't even [bleep]
come close to fitting me,
and so because I've been wearing
these stupid [bleep] shoes,
now my pinky toe is telling me,
"Congratulations on your
blister.
"You [bleep] asshole."
I can't believe I'm such a
dipshit!
- [Jukka] See how professional
the best altitude doctor
in all of the world,
see how he is taping it?
- [Steve-O] It's like duct tape.
- [Heikki] It's duct tape.
- I'm an idiot.
- [Voiceover] The team
approaches the halfway point.
Now it's more important than
ever
to focus on how their bodies are
reacting
to the lower levels of oxygen in
the air.
(dramatic music)
- I've been telling
myself this entire trip,
"Don't be overconfident."
I think I'm just kinda training
my mind
to remain focused, you know?
I think it's a good little test
hike
to get your shit in order and
figure out
where your strengths lie,
where your weaknesses lie.
Gotta do whatever it takes.
- So, 15 minutes break.
Drink it.
At lunch is the highest point
after like maybe 40 minutes, 45
minutes.
- The walk to base camp is
obviously a longer hike,
or at least I'm told, but yeah,
I think if we get through this
no problem,
then we'll be able to get to
base camp.
We'll be able to get to base
camp.
I'll just leave it at that.
- Hey guys, let's go.
It's not really a competition,
and how I look at it, the
person who comes in last
is the most likely person
to actually be doing good.
You're keeping your pace.
Good.
- (whispers) No talking.
- No talking, so you don't get
outta breath.
But you're listening, that's
good.
- Watch me come out on top.
I'll get there.
(dramatic music)
- We made it.
Woo!
- We climbed all the way to the
top.
And when that's the practice
hike,
you know you're in for some
gnarly shit.
- So we made it to the
highest point of our trek,
and it's all downhill
from here, so I did it.
Once we reached the top,
the doctor came back around
and tested everyone's saturation
levels,
and my heart rate was at 115,
so it went down a lot from 140.
I don't have to make it to the
top
of the mountain very fast.
I just have to make it to
the top of the mountain.
(cheering)
- Alright, cool.
- I'm not gonna lie, I was in
the back.
I wasn't up front, but I mean,
I'm going at my own
pace, I'm taking my time.
Both of us.
- A lot of the group was really
fast,
and Lia and I were taking it
pretty slow,
and I think that's the best
way to go, especially for us.
(dramatic music)
- Heart rate's 130, saturation
81.
Okay, heart rate is 127,
saturation is 83.
Heart rate at rest 115, oxygen
saturation 86, which is good.
We are still 800 meters
higher than Huaraz.
- Right.
- So this is good.
- [Voiceover] Despite some mild
symptoms
of altitude sickness,
the team has been cleared
for the hike to base camp
tomorrow.
- [Jukka] It's behind the
clouds.
Looks like it's calling my name.
- [Voiceover] On that first
push,
they'll be going twice as
far, 4,000 feet higher,
with triple the weight on their
backs.
For most of the team, that's
when the real test will begin.
- Nothing matters except
for the last peak,
so the fight is that last
summit.
Everything up until then is just
training.
I look at it as it's like
the tortoise and the hare.
I'm gonna be the tortoise.
I'm trying to be one of the last
guys
standing on the top of that
mountain.
(laughing)
(sighs)
- I am gassed.
Like honestly, it's kinda
stupid that they made us
do a hike today to figure
out if we were acclimated.
They could've brought us here,
and we could've jumped for five
minutes,
and you woulda seen who's
acclimated, and clearly I'm not.
- I'm not.
- Oh my god, everything hurts so
bad,
and to top it all off, I
have the worst sunburn.
I feel like I've really
struggled in the beginning part
and nobody else is struggling
except me.
And it was just very
hard for me to breathe.
- I live by a motto:
"If you're gonna be dumb,
you gotta be tough."
And this real expedition
that starts tomorrow
could be considered pretty
dumb, but I'm ready.
Bring it on. Woo!
- We're about to go to base
camp,
and I'm gonna be off the
grid for a little while.
My family sent me a great video
to inspire me and keep me happy.
- We all believe in you, and we
can't wait
for you to summit the mountain.
Don't quit, you know that--
- You can do it!
- Liddells never give up, Dad.
I love you, bye.
- Oh yeah, and remember you're
an example
to all these kids.
- Are you waving a fart?
(laughing)
- And never quit, ever.
Never quit!
- The only advice to give
myself at a breaking point
is my cubs are watching,
I can't let them down.
My wife's watching, can't let
her down.
Liddells don't quit.
So I'm gonna prove it to
'em and make 'em proud.
- Four months ago to this
day I finished chemotherapy,
and it was a big struggle.
I never thought four months ago
that I'd be in this position
where I'm healthy enough
or brave enough right now
really--'cause I'm not
100% right now--to do something
like this.
And I'm just so happy with
myself
with how far I've come
right now since chemo,
and to be able to go and attempt
to climb a 20,000 foot mountain.
I know this is not supposed to
be easy.
You should not expect everyone
to make it to the top,
but I'm gonna give it my
all, and we're gonna conquer.
We're gonna conquer this
mountain.
- [Voiceover] This season
on Ultimate Expedition.
- The hike is officially
beginning.
- Are you ready for today?
- No. (laughing)
- Too much blood has rushed to
my head.
- It's a surreal moment for me.
- Afraid of heights?
- I am.
- Do you feel nervous?
- Oh my god, Nikki, your rope!
(excited shouting)
- Every time we go on a mission,
it's the most intense
mission I've ever been on.
(dramatic music)
- We have to climb up that?
- There's no room for error.
- Gus is like a spider monkey.
- Ha!
- Ha!
- Ha!
- It's infected, right?
- Yeah.
- So I don't know, I'll try to
keep up.
- Send him down.
- It's a bubble. Ew!
(hacking cough)
- I'm exhausted.
- Night time is right time.
- One, two, three.
- [Group] Summit!
- This is the most batshit
crazy thing I've ever agreed to.
- Think I cried the whole way.
(grunting)
- I wanna quit.
I wanna quit every time.
- I just realized this is pure
madness
to bring these people here.
(chattering)
(dance music)
- [Voiceover] Deep in the
Peruvian Andes,
eight novice climbers will set
out
to conquer a 20,000 foot
mountain.
Known for fighting,
comedy,
dancing,
competitive eating,
the Olympics,
or just being a jackass,
(shouting)
none of them are known
for climbing mountains,
and they all have something
different
to prove to themselves.
- I'm doing this to push my
people and my culture forward.
- [Voiceover] Legendary
thrill-seeker
Jukka Hilden will lead the way.
(excitedly shouting)
They must master the skills,
(shouting)
conquer their fears,
- Afraid of heights?
- I am.
- [Voiceover] and survive the
elements.
(chattering)
or they will be cut from the
expedition.
- Send him down.
- [Voiceover] Only those who
persevere
can make it to the top.
(dramatic music)
- Alright guys, we are on a bus.
It's gonna be a ten hour ride.
I spend most of my time gaming
and online
just making videos for YouTube,
and I've had to overcome people
judging me
and always thinking that
my gameplay is not real.
Just because I'm a girl, they're
like,
"No way, there's no way she
could be good at games."
I'm here to kick ass like I do
in gaming.
I wanna prove that I
can climb the mountain,
that I am physically able to do
things
that I never thought I could do.
- We are in Peru.
We've just been in the
car for about nine hours,
and we're about half an hour
away from where we're going.
Hola.
Nope.
(dramatic music)
I was the first athlete to
come out in any action sport,
which was a scary step to take,
but in sports and in life you
have to
really be able to conquer your
own fears
before you're able to conquer
any sort
of challenge that's in front of
you.
I'm gonna be a complete novice
at this whole mountaineering
thing.
I think I've had a pretty good
experience overcoming fears,
so it makes me feel good,
it definitely gives me a
little bit of confidence
going up into the
mountains with these guys.
- [Voiceover] The Andes
Mountains
run the length of South America.
Some of its highest peaks are
located
deep in the heart of Peru.
They surround the remote city of
Huaraz,
the jumping-off point for the
team.
From everywhere in the city you
can see
the deadly peaks looming above.
- We're about to go up 20,000
feet,
and it's the real thing.
People die on this mountain.
People die in mountain climbing.
But we're going there,
we're tackling this beast,
we're taking it by the balls,
and we're gonna summit
that son of a bitch.
I've already been there two
years ago,
and I did not summit that
mountain because of a storm.
And now that's my dragon to
slay,
to summit Mount Tocllaraju.
- [Voiceover] Summiting a
mountain the size of Tocllaraju
takes a team of people
with one shared goal.
Every climber also has an
important
personal reason for coming here.
- It's been seven years since I
retired,
and kind of felt a little lost.
- Chuck.
You ready to take on one of
those?
- Oh yeah, for sure.
I have a wife and three kids at
home.
I would love for them to see me
at the top of that 20,000 foot
mountain
with my hands in the air.
- Hey!
- What up!
- I'm so excited to be here!
- Hey.
- Hi.
Finally here.
- What's up man.
- How you doing?
- [Voiceover] No one on the team
has any climbing experience,
but they all bring something
unique to this expedition.
- Yeah, dude.
Want some pee?
- (laughing) Is that all pee?
- I'm known for doing dumb
stuff,
like putting things up my butt.
I think what drives me
in virtually everything
that I've ever done is that
I'm an attention whore.
- All right.
Are you guys feeling any
altitude,
out of breath, anybody?
- A little bit.
- Little bit.
- [Voiceover] The biggest
threat in mountain climbing
is altitude sickness.
The team will acclimate in
Huaraz for the next three days
before they leave for base camp.
At 10,000 feet, every breath has
a third less oxygen than at sea
level,
and the higher they climb,
the bigger the threat.
- I'm so glad to have you here.
Anybody have a headache?
- Me, starting to get one.
- [Woman] Little light-headed.
- Feels like I already
drank a beer, but I haven't.
(laughing)
- Just take it easy.
Get comfortable, get to your
room,
drink a lot of water, and
I'll see you guys tomorrow.
When we'll get ready to
tackle this beast of a thing.
Alright, let's do this.
(subdued cheering)
- [Voiceover] But even with
the added time to acclimate,
everyone will struggle with
altitude sickness in some form.
- They don't have an elevator?
- Hey, you're gonna go
climb a mountain. (laughs)
- (panting) I'm so winded.
I wanna prove to myself how
strong I am.
I wanna set a good
example for my daughter.
I want her to watch this and
say,
"Wow, my mom climbed a
mountain, she did it."
- Oh yeah, I like this.
It is nice and rustic, beauty.
This past year I was diagnosed
with testicular cancer.
I had my left testicle removed.
It was definitely the most
difficult battle of my life,
going through chemotherapy.
And to simply be here right now,
damn, that's a good feeling.
- [Steve-O] We're in Peru,
right?
- [Jukka] We're in Peru, we're
in Huaraz.
- Yeah, we're in Huaraz.
What does Huaraz mean?
- Huaraz, it's a small
town in the middle of Peru.
It's like a mountain climbing
capital,
but it's a small, dirty town.
- Yeah, it's a small, dirty
town.
And I promised the guy
in charge of production
that I would not drink tap
water.
(laughing)
(gargles and swallows)
(laughing)
(gargles and swallows)
- Alright.
- Are we screwed now?
- Maybe. (laughing)
But we did not drink tap water.
(laughing)
(peaceful music)
- Google Maps tells me I'm in
Peru,
but the location and
the setting in this room
tells me I'm in India.
But then you step outside here,
right,
and you're like, "Oh
yeah, no, I'm in Peru."
We landed last night.
It is the first day here,
straight to like
orientations and all sort of
nonsense.
What are you doing in Peru?
I'm climbing a mountain.
- I actually didn't Vlog at all
when we got into Huaraz
yesterday.
I was really pooped, I was
really tired,
and the altitude was
kind of making me feel
really wonky, and I
didn't know what it was,
and I walked up the stairs,
and I was like (gasps).
We have orientation this
morning,
and I am so excited, because I'm
finally
gonna get the information I've
been
trying to pry from everybody.
I'm gonna eat some breakfast,
'cause your girl gotta eat.
- I would like a little more
sleep,
but I could actually run up the
stairs
without feeling like someone
hit me in the stomach.
So I thought that was nice.
- I have not felt hungry
once since we've been here,
and I've just been like, forcing
myself to eat.
They say it's a side
effect of altitude thing,
like loss of appetite.
- I think it made me hungrier.
I started dancing when I was
six, ballet,
and then got into hip hop when I
was nine.
I was really, really shy.
I would hide behind my mom, I
would cry.
I cried my very first hip hop
class,
but I wanted to do it.
So that was always my thing.
I wanted to do things that
scared me.
So I'm used to challenging
myself,
and as an athlete, I obviously
have
the mindset of nothing's gonna
stop me.
So who am I to sit here, and
turn this
opportunity down because I'm
scared?
- It's real.
We're gonna try to climb
a 20,000 foot mountain
that is called Tocllaraju.
Here are the rules you're gonna
live by on this expedition.
'Cause you gotta learn every
single thing
to be able to go up on that
mountain
and come down safely.
Or if you're not healthy enough,
or if you don't have
the physical capability,
you will be eliminated.
It's a matter of safety,
and safety is number one.
I don't wanna scare you too
much,
but eight people died
summiting the past few months.
And they're the people
that make stupid mistakes.
(dramatic music)
How is everybody feeling at this
moment,
like about the altitude
'cause we just came here,
we're in what, 10,000 feet right
now,
and for most of you guys
it's the first time.
- Last night I was starting to
get
a little bit freaked out
that I couldn't breathe,
and the doctor came and looked
at me.
Sometimes I just need that
reassurance.
I don't like feeling out of
control.
- I was really nauseous when I
woke up,
like I threw up a little
bit before breakfast.
- Not a lot of people have the
courage
to take the bull by the horns
and go out of their comfort
zone.
I mean, you've never
even been camping, right?
- No.
- And you're here, you're in
Peru.
- Yeah.
- I think that's a pretty
epic first time camping.
- Yeah.
(laughing)
- To go and try to summit
a 20,000 foot mountain.
- I got my name SSSniperWolf
from a video game.
It was one of the very
first games I played.
It's called Metal Gear.
Sniper Wolf was my favorite
character and my inspiration,
she's like a really badass
character,
and I always wanted to be like
her.
And I kinda like to think that I
am.
- JusReign, coming in hot,
right?
- I'm like, for some
reason I'm not nervous,
but I'm really excited.
I think the biggest
interesting thing I'll learn
is just learning to listen to my
body.
If you Google Image Search
mountaineer,
mountain climber, like
if I do that right now,
all you get is like pictures of
like four or five white dudes
standing on top with
like, grizzly beards,
and they're like, "Hey!" that's
it.
You'll never see a brown
guy climb a mountain,
it's like a black dude playing
hockey.
I told my parents this,
and they were so mad at me.
They're like, why would
you go do (speaks Punjabi),
in Punjabi means "shit white
people do."
Why would you go do shit white
people do?
That's how revolutionary
and monumental it is.
- I wanna introduce you
the expedition leader,
Mikko Vermas, he calls the
shots.
He's summited Mount Everest.
He's been climbing here for 20
years.
His word is the rule, and
he's gonna keep us safe.
- [Voiceover] Climbing Mount
Tocllaraju is treacherous.
The team will have to cross
glaciers
and navigate crevasses.
The last stretch is a
near-vertical ice wall
with a half-mile drop on either
side.
For their own safety, the
climbers
will be constantly evaluated
by the expedition leader
and the team doctor.
- We got one of the world's
top high-altitude doctors
with us, Heikki Karinen, and
he's also been to Everest.
We can count on them with our
lives.
That's why they're here.
- Sorry, but last year
I had ankle surgery,
it's called an open
reduction, where my ankle
is held together with lots
of screws and a plate.
Is that a problem?
- No, but I think one screw
might be a little loose.
(laughing)
- Enjoy your time in Huaraz
while you can,
because tomorrow we start the
first test.
(dramatic music)
- [Voiceover] The team still
needs time
to acclimate to the lower oxygen
levels.
They'll have the rest of the
afternoon
to stock up on supplies and
explore
the vibrant streets of Huaraz.
- I love dogs, so I pay
attention
to street dogs everywhere I go.
And we've seen all kinds
of dogs here in Peru.
Next thing you know, Gus and
I are trying to feed dogs.
- Finding a dog that
wants to eat this dog food
is turning out to be more
difficult than expected.
- Hey, come here, pooper.
Oh, it's okay, buddy.
- [Gus] Oh my god, you are so
cute.
- [Steve-O] Oh, it's okay.
- [Gus] The dogs don't like us.
Oh, oh sorry.
- Alrighty.
Hello, hola.
(speaking Spanish)
Yeah we need some coca leaves.
(speaking Spanish)
I think we need the premium
stuff.
- We definitely need the
premium.
(speaking Spanish)
- Oh, this is good, this is good
stuff?
Yeah, yeah, okay.
Can we get, I think we need a
whole bag.
- I have to hold my breath.
Oh my gosh, smells so bad in
here.
Hola.
It smells really bad here,
like I can barely breathe.
- I'm cool, I'm chilling.
Let's look at some more
carcasses, why not?
It's culture.
Honestly, I feel like I'm in
Punjab.
It looks no different than
Punjab.
People look the same,
the streets, the smells.
There's rickshaws going around.
The only thing different is the
signs,
the signs are written in
Spanish,
and that's it.
- [Chuck] A little bit.
- I'm getting a ton of nuts.
I'm really excited because--
- Make your own trail mix.
- Yeah, Whole Foods, but in
Peru.
- My tongue is so numb right
now.
- (laughing) Mine too.
- I can't feel anything.
- Little curious how the white
powder makes your mouth numb.
(laughing)
- I hope this is benefiting me
in some way.
- Well it's supposed to
be great for the hikes,
that's what they said.
- I don't know.
- Elevation on the hikes--
- Okay, I feel like maybe
we shouldn't have done it right
now
'cause we don't even need it
right now.
(laughing)
She's laughing, oh yeah.
(whistles)
- [Steve-O] Come here pretty
girl.
- [Gus] (speaking Spanish)
- [Steve-O] Come here pretty
girl.
- [Gus] Come on.
- [Steve-O] Hello.
- [Gus] Who's the sweetest girl?
- [Steve-O] You think
she's the one for the tent?
- [Gus] She could definitely
come stay at my hotel.
- She loved the food, and
she's followed me around,
and I named her Wendy.
It's time for Wendy to
have a spa day at the vet.
Flea bath, get rid of her
critters,
clean her up, get her
vaccinations,
just treat her right.
We get to the hotel, trying to
sneak her through the lobby.
Go, go, go.
The first person that sees me
is the guy that runs the whole
hotel.
Just a bust.
I said, okay, give me a sleeping
bag.
I'm sleeping outside with the
dog.
We're sleeping out here, girl,
yeah, yeah.
They're pitching a tent for me
and Wendy.
Alright dude, we'll
see you in the morning.
- Alright, today's the day.
We're gonna do the first test
hike.
We're gonna do a four hour hike,
and we're gonna go up to 12,000
feet.
This is the day I've been
waiting for, you know,
it's to go up there and
start doing something.
Get a backpack on and
go out there and hike,
and actually look at the
nature and see the mountains.
- Alright guys, we're
on our way to the hike.
This is the first hike we're
doing.
And yeah, it's like an hour
away,
and it's getting really hot
in here, there's no A/C.
Guys, we roll this, it's over,
we're dead.
(laughing)
We're gonna try to tip the bus.
- Why would we do that?
- What's the song?
- Row, row your boat.
- Rock, rock, rock your boat.
- [Man] It's kinda hard.
It's hard to stay in rhythm.
- [Voiceover] This five mile
hike
is the team's first real test.
If they show major symptoms
of altitude sickness,
they will not be allowed to
hike to base camp tomorrow,
and they could be cut from the
expedition
before it even begins.
Jukka and the finish team will
be
evaluating them every step of
the way.
- So our trip is going from
there,
and we are continuing up there.
You can see the highest point.
Don't go too fast.
If you're feeling that
you start to breathe
really heavily, then
you're going too fast.
(dramatic music)
- Just wanted to tell you to
take it easy
and really pay attention
how you're feeling
'cause you know how you
suffered,
you had some symptoms down in
Huaraz,
and now we're going 2,000 feet
higher up.
- I was already
having problems yesterday.
I just hope that I can do the
hike.
- The doctor also said that
you're not fully acclimated yet,
so just pay attention 'cause
I want you on that mountain.
- I wanna go too.
- I'm watching Nikki because
she's
been having a hard time
acclimating.
Her heart rate's been 140,
and that's just over the top.
And it's not looking good.
Hey Chuck, please take it easy.
We're gonna go all the way that
way.
We're gonna gain altitude, and
it's a tough trek physically,
even though you don't feel it.
- I realize it's a marathon not
a sprint.
We got lotta days ahead of us,
and we're in no hurry to get
anywhere.
So my heart starts going
up, I'll slow it down.
- Cool.
- I'll take it easy.
I'm gonna try to keep it slow
and just kinda follow the rules,
kinda stay with everybody.
- Let's go.
- Move it.
(upbeat music)
- Hey guys, by the way, I'll
let you in on a little secret.
This dung...
- Is actually really good.
- Oh my god, you get away
from me
- This has so much vitamins in
it.
- With that, Jukka.
- What do you have there?
- It's donkey poo.
But it's really good for
climbing.
Chachi, you want some of this?
- Wanna try it?
Look, there's flies everywhere.
- Ohhh, did you just throw it at
me?
(laughing)
(dramatic music)
- You know, today was the first
day
I could run up and down the
stairs
without getting shortness
of breath at 10,000 feet,
so now I'm gonna see how
it works going up 13,000.
My approach to obstacles is
always try harder, work harder.
I think the hard part is I have
a tendency
to go fast, especially uphill.
I don't have a slow button,
so I'm gonna have to learn to
pull back,
and I don't know if
I'll notice the symptoms
of feeling like, okay, you gotta
slow down for the altitude.
(panting)
- Okay.
So, sounds like we already lost
someone.
We're like 15 minutes in.
- Well, I'm not naming names,
but Nikki was falling far
behind.
(laughing)
(panting)
- I feel short of oxygen,
and my heart rate gets really
high.
I just need to concentrate.
I'm telling myself I need to
calm down.
- [Voiceover] As the team
climbs to 13,000 feet,
they're getting their first real
taste
of the upcoming hike to base
camp.
(panting)
- I'm just trying to keep up
with my girl.
Whew.
- [Voiceover] Breathing is
difficult,
as oxygen levels decrease with
every step.
The lower the oxygen, the
faster fatigue sets in.
Under these conditions, even the
smallest mistakes get magnified.
- I've got bad news.
I didn't know I was
supposed to try on my shoes.
They don't even [bleep]
come close to fitting me,
and so because I've been wearing
these stupid [bleep] shoes,
now my pinky toe is telling me,
"Congratulations on your
blister.
"You [bleep] asshole."
I can't believe I'm such a
dipshit!
- [Jukka] See how professional
the best altitude doctor
in all of the world,
see how he is taping it?
- [Steve-O] It's like duct tape.
- [Heikki] It's duct tape.
- I'm an idiot.
- [Voiceover] The team
approaches the halfway point.
Now it's more important than
ever
to focus on how their bodies are
reacting
to the lower levels of oxygen in
the air.
(dramatic music)
- I've been telling
myself this entire trip,
"Don't be overconfident."
I think I'm just kinda training
my mind
to remain focused, you know?
I think it's a good little test
hike
to get your shit in order and
figure out
where your strengths lie,
where your weaknesses lie.
Gotta do whatever it takes.
- So, 15 minutes break.
Drink it.
At lunch is the highest point
after like maybe 40 minutes, 45
minutes.
- The walk to base camp is
obviously a longer hike,
or at least I'm told, but yeah,
I think if we get through this
no problem,
then we'll be able to get to
base camp.
We'll be able to get to base
camp.
I'll just leave it at that.
- Hey guys, let's go.
It's not really a competition,
and how I look at it, the
person who comes in last
is the most likely person
to actually be doing good.
You're keeping your pace.
Good.
- (whispers) No talking.
- No talking, so you don't get
outta breath.
But you're listening, that's
good.
- Watch me come out on top.
I'll get there.
(dramatic music)
- We made it.
Woo!
- We climbed all the way to the
top.
And when that's the practice
hike,
you know you're in for some
gnarly shit.
- So we made it to the
highest point of our trek,
and it's all downhill
from here, so I did it.
Once we reached the top,
the doctor came back around
and tested everyone's saturation
levels,
and my heart rate was at 115,
so it went down a lot from 140.
I don't have to make it to the
top
of the mountain very fast.
I just have to make it to
the top of the mountain.
(cheering)
- Alright, cool.
- I'm not gonna lie, I was in
the back.
I wasn't up front, but I mean,
I'm going at my own
pace, I'm taking my time.
Both of us.
- A lot of the group was really
fast,
and Lia and I were taking it
pretty slow,
and I think that's the best
way to go, especially for us.
(dramatic music)
- Heart rate's 130, saturation
81.
Okay, heart rate is 127,
saturation is 83.
Heart rate at rest 115, oxygen
saturation 86, which is good.
We are still 800 meters
higher than Huaraz.
- Right.
- So this is good.
- [Voiceover] Despite some mild
symptoms
of altitude sickness,
the team has been cleared
for the hike to base camp
tomorrow.
- [Jukka] It's behind the
clouds.
Looks like it's calling my name.
- [Voiceover] On that first
push,
they'll be going twice as
far, 4,000 feet higher,
with triple the weight on their
backs.
For most of the team, that's
when the real test will begin.
- Nothing matters except
for the last peak,
so the fight is that last
summit.
Everything up until then is just
training.
I look at it as it's like
the tortoise and the hare.
I'm gonna be the tortoise.
I'm trying to be one of the last
guys
standing on the top of that
mountain.
(laughing)
(sighs)
- I am gassed.
Like honestly, it's kinda
stupid that they made us
do a hike today to figure
out if we were acclimated.
They could've brought us here,
and we could've jumped for five
minutes,
and you woulda seen who's
acclimated, and clearly I'm not.
- I'm not.
- Oh my god, everything hurts so
bad,
and to top it all off, I
have the worst sunburn.
I feel like I've really
struggled in the beginning part
and nobody else is struggling
except me.
And it was just very
hard for me to breathe.
- I live by a motto:
"If you're gonna be dumb,
you gotta be tough."
And this real expedition
that starts tomorrow
could be considered pretty
dumb, but I'm ready.
Bring it on. Woo!
- We're about to go to base
camp,
and I'm gonna be off the
grid for a little while.
My family sent me a great video
to inspire me and keep me happy.
- We all believe in you, and we
can't wait
for you to summit the mountain.
Don't quit, you know that--
- You can do it!
- Liddells never give up, Dad.
I love you, bye.
- Oh yeah, and remember you're
an example
to all these kids.
- Are you waving a fart?
(laughing)
- And never quit, ever.
Never quit!
- The only advice to give
myself at a breaking point
is my cubs are watching,
I can't let them down.
My wife's watching, can't let
her down.
Liddells don't quit.
So I'm gonna prove it to
'em and make 'em proud.
- Four months ago to this
day I finished chemotherapy,
and it was a big struggle.
I never thought four months ago
that I'd be in this position
where I'm healthy enough
or brave enough right now
really--'cause I'm not
100% right now--to do something
like this.
And I'm just so happy with
myself
with how far I've come
right now since chemo,
and to be able to go and attempt
to climb a 20,000 foot mountain.
I know this is not supposed to
be easy.
You should not expect everyone
to make it to the top,
but I'm gonna give it my
all, and we're gonna conquer.
We're gonna conquer this
mountain.
- [Voiceover] This season
on Ultimate Expedition.
- The hike is officially
beginning.
- Are you ready for today?
- No. (laughing)
- Too much blood has rushed to
my head.
- It's a surreal moment for me.
- Afraid of heights?
- I am.
- Do you feel nervous?
- Oh my god, Nikki, your rope!
(excited shouting)
- Every time we go on a mission,
it's the most intense
mission I've ever been on.
(dramatic music)
- We have to climb up that?
- There's no room for error.
- Gus is like a spider monkey.
- Ha!
- Ha!
- Ha!
- It's infected, right?
- Yeah.
- So I don't know, I'll try to
keep up.
- Send him down.
- It's a bubble. Ew!
(hacking cough)
- I'm exhausted.
- Night time is right time.
- One, two, three.
- [Group] Summit!
- This is the most batshit
crazy thing I've ever agreed to.
- Think I cried the whole way.
(grunting)
- I wanna quit.
I wanna quit every time.
- I just realized this is pure
madness
to bring these people here.
(chattering)
(dance music)