BEN FOGLE: If you let Antarctica...
...get even just the smallest hold on you...
...and it will eat you up and...spit you out.
NARRATOR: Antarctica -
the coldest, windiest and highest continent on earth.
It's minus 40 today.
January 2009
saw the first organised race to the South Pole
since Scott and Amundsen's fateful adventure nearly 100 years ago.
We're off.
- TVpresenter Ben Fogle... - How far is it?
...Olympic gold medallist James Cracknell...
- I'm absolutely exhausted. - ...together with their third team member
- raced over 750km... - JAMES: Oh, man, what's happening to me?
...in one of the world's most hostile and remote environments.
We are very much alone.
They raced 16 hours a day...
It's just got so bad now, it's just not true, it's not funny.
...faced blizzards...
BEN: I don't know whether I want to laugh or cry!
- ...suffered frostbite and exhaustion... - (COUGHING)
We're not even halfway.
...and risked their lives trying to win one of the toughest races...
Oh, jeez!
...on the planet.
This is their story.
Previously...
Ben and James found their third team member...
Hey! Jonny!
...keen marathon runner and Hollywood actor Jonny Lee Miller.
It wasn't, ''Can I do it, should I do it?'' It was just absolutely...yes!
Together they successfully completed the first race-training event in Norway.
It's been one of the best weeks I've ever had.
But Jonny's participation in the race isn't guaranteed.
- He's contracted to a new US TVseries. - (LAUGHING)
The situation is out of our hands because of his show.
Two months later, when the team get together in LA,
Jonny finally has some news about his series.
BEN: How's the show doing?
I think in quite a precarious situation, apparently, that's what I hear.
It looks like Jonny may be available after all.
SUE BARKER: I'm just joined now by a rower, a Hollywood movie star,
Castaway TV presenter...
James Cracknell, Jonny Lee Miller and Ben Fogle.
Now, Jonny, is it possibly too late to warn you
that when you hang out with these two, they often get you involved
- in a very dangerous adventure? - Yes, it's too late.
I'm supposed to go to the South Pole with them in December.
- So, yeah, it's way too late. - (LAUGHING)
Thanks, though.
What's good about today is it feels like when we were in LA.
I feel like a proper team again together.
BEN: And it's cool! It's quite exciting. I'm a bit nervous.
The guys have been training for months.
Both James and Jonny have run marathons before.
For Jonny, this will be his tenth.
But, for Ben, it's his first.
I think, if I'm to be honest, I wish I'd done a bit more training.
I've had a few problems with my knee. I know James would be disappointed
if I either didn't finish it or did it in a very slow time.
CROWD: Four, three, two, one...
(KLAXON)
(CHEERING)
It's James's personal best
and a high standard for Ben and Jonny to match up to.
Just over one minute later, Jonny crosses the finish line too.
I missed breaking three hours by 1 minute 10 seconds.
MAN: You pleased?
I am still pleased. It's the fastest I've ever run.
That's got to be something, hasn't it?
That's good. It's a great day and the cheers down the last bit -
I feel like a proper runner! And then I caught myself on the screen
and I didn't look like a proper runner at all.
Oh, my God!
- Oh... - WOMAN: Are you all right, Ben?
I missed it by bloody four minutes!
Oh...
MAN: Well done, Ben!
It's kind of slightly embarrassing that James, you know,
was more than an hour ahead of me and Jonny as well,
which definitely makes me, in some senses, the weakest link.
MARINA: You did so well, my darling.
BEN: I missed the four hours by a few minutes.
- You did it! - I know.
I'm so proud!
JAMES: Ben didn't really perform very well.
He's...over an hour behind Jonny and I.
And although you could say, ''Oh, it's only an hour,
''and four hours is a decent time for a marathon,''
that's not where he's aiming.
He's aiming to do a hard endurance race to the South Pole,
and that's too far behind his two team-mates.
Well done, you finished! That's all that matters.
- Yeah... - See you. God bless.
JAMES: He hasn't put in the training that Jonny and I have.
And he's had as much free time as the rest of us,
so there's no real...excuse.
This is an element in me that kind of wonders what James...
thinks about it. I still always feel like I'm under the spotlight for him.
JAMES: If everyone's doing their best, that's brilliant.
But if they haven't prepared their best to get there,
that becomes a real problem. And because I know the good qualities
of Ben that he will keep going, he won't stop, he won't moan,
there's a chance he could really damage himself.
NARRATOR: It's the end of May.
Jonny's been in the team for six months.
And now, finally, whilst filming in South Africa,
he's received news about his TVshow.
If it's been recommissioned,
he'll have to pull out of the race.
I just heard that my...
TV show that I do in the US
has got picked up for a second season.
I hate...I hate letting people down and...
...I still feel like...rubbish...
about that.
I have to say, I was really disappointed. I couldn't hide that.
I didn't hide it in my conversation to him.
The first thing is I was really pleased for him.
And then, obviously, incredibly disappointed for us.
BEN: We have to draw a line under Jonny now,
and it's like a big, black marker pen through him, and we have to...look ahead.
It's the 6th of July 2008,
six weeks since Jonny pulled out.
Ben and James are holding a selection weekend
to try and find a replacement.
BEN: There's a lot riding on this, of course there is.
It's a dangerous environment. And we know already
how much we're going to rely on each other.
That's why I'm quite nervous now.
NARRATOR: Nearly 1,000 people applied to be their third team member.
JAMES: You don't want a carbon copy... sports background like me,
and you don't want a carbon copy of someone that's come the same route as Ben.
You want to find someone slap-bang in the middle.
NARRATOR: They've been whittled down to 20 men and 20 women,
all enthusiastic athletes - not a celebrity in sight.
JAMES: We've got to choose the best four people to go forwards to the next stage.
NARRATOR: In less than two weeks, all the race teams need to go to Austria
for vital safety training.
For the third person, it'll be a baptism of fire.
On one level, all these guys and girls are probably better equipped than I am,
especially given that I think I've bought a slightly too-small sleeping bag
and not very much kit. Um...
All the competitors are about to spend 36 hours
being put through their paces and tested to the limit.
We would like for you to put all matches, energy bars,
all of that sort of stuff on the floor in front of you.
- (LAUGHING) - My secret stash
of raisins and nuts is now gone.
MAN: Thanks.
With the help of race organiser Tony Martin and his team,
Ben and James will have to short-list four candidates
to attend final selection in four days'time.
I didn't actually realise I was going to be properly doing all this.
I thought I was just going to be watching.
The selection weekend is going to be an arduous mix
of non-stop physical exercise...
I've got a competitive nature from my sporting background.
...mental endurance...
I've got grit, so that's cool.
...and team dynamics.
I see myself as kind of the... the auntie to Ben and James.
First, as the heavens open up,
there's an intense work-out with the Special Forces.
- (MEN SHOUT) - MAN: Come on!
Straight off the end of the jetty!
Straight in!
One thing I forgot to ask, any non-swimmers?
Down that way, you'll see the instructors on the bank,
out you get and back on the field!
JAMES: I'm looking for someone who's got a strong opinion,
but is prepared to listen to other people.
And there's lots of people with strong opinions that aren't listening.
And there's a couple that are very measured.
WOMAN: The opportunity to go to the South Pole and be in a small team
is quite a challenge in itself.
I think the psychological motivation of keeping things balanced is quite key.
JAMES: That you can see they operate in a team environment
and have responsibility, but also know how to listen,
I'm very impressed with them.
BEN: I tell you what, it's a good way to get to see different characters.
They start shining out in negative and positive ways straightaway.
ALL: One, two, three, four, five...
NARRATOR: But the continuous physical and mental pressure
is starting to take a toll on some of the contestants.
Guys, isn't this way quicker?
JAMES: We've been at it for over 14 hours...
Guys!
JAMES:...so I think people now are starting to get a bit tired.
Sense of humour's fading!
JAMES: The next two or three hours, we're going to find out a lot more about people,
especially as not everyone has brought the right kit...
(LAUGHING) - ...which is...
Can I just...? No-one told me we were actually taking part in all this.
I thought I was going to have a cup of tea on the sideline, watching it.
JAMES: What's interesting to think is that, in six months'time,
one of those people will know us and we'll know them
better than we know our best mates.
NARRATOR: As dusk turns to darkness, the night navigation starts.
They'll be lucky to get more than a couple of hours'sleep.
(OWL HOOTS)
It's only about a 10km course, I reckon, from having a quick squiz at the map.
So it's going to take a couple of hours.
A typical Antarctic day
will be 16 hours of non-stop skiing,
with only a short 4-hour sleep every 24 hours.
So stamina is vital to the success of the team.
JAMES: One of the doctors is coming out very well.
It's great to meet James and Ben.
I would like to think I could be the third member of the team
and get on well with them.
I'd like to think I'm doing all right, but there's a long way ahead still to go,
a long way ahead.
(RAIN PATTERS)
6am the next day.
Most of the teams have had a maximum of two hours'sleep.
They went to bed cold, wet and exhausted.
While they recover, Ben,James and the race organisers
mull over the final selection process.
But ultimately, it's Ben and James's decision.
BEN: These two, I think, are interesting.
JAMES: Number 30, I liked. I got on really well with him.
The final four all need to have shown they're physically fit enough...
I've done decathlon, swum the Channel with mates
and done a lot of adventure racing.
...mentally tough enough...
Middle-aged, middle ability, but with a bit of grit and determination.
...and emotionally strong enough.
Whoever gets picked, it has to be that right chemistry,
that you're there for each other, that there's compassion,
and that there's that common goal.
I thought Sarah was really good at motivating
and a very good buddy assistant to everybody in the team.
But it's not an easy task whittling 40 down to four.
I'm kind of divided between...
...these guys.
MAN: I think she'll drive you nuts. She's a lovely woman,
but she'll be always pleasing you both. Always.
- And I don't think that's what you need. - BEN: OK.
36 hours after arriving,
Ben and James have made their decision.
The final four will go on to a more rigorous day
of physiological and mental testing.
We're just going to do two each and very quickly...Victoria Henson...
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
...and Ed Coats.
(APPLAUSE)
And again, I've got two - the first is...
Matt Wordsworth...
...and the last person that will be coming with us is Sarah O'Donnell.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
For the final four,
the opportunity to be part of the team is now a real possibility.
In just three days'time, they'll face the final hurdle
that lies between them and the South Pole.
To be selected to move forward to the next stage is really fantastic news,
but also a bit amazing.
Excited, really excited.
Excited and daunting!
I didn't expect to get past the application form really, so...
to be standing here now in the final four, reality will probably hit home
on the drive home.
I graduated from medical school on Thursday, so four days ago,
and I now may not be starting work in August,
because I might have to take six months out.
VICTORIA: Goodness gracious.
Three days later, it's the final selection process
at Ben and James's race sponsor's laboratories,
a day or thorough scientific testing and analysis.
BEN: We've got Victoria here. She used to be in the Army
as a bomb disposal expert, and she is now a mum of two.
JAMES: And then we've got Ed, who is a doctor, gynaecologist,
and used to do some track and field.
BEN: And then we've also got Matt,
who is quite young,
doctor, newly qualified.
JAMES: And Sarah is... I don't actually know she does for a living, but...
BEN: She's a yoga instructor.
- She's a yoga instructor? - Yoga instructor.
There you go! So we may come back, being able to get in the lotus position.
NARRATOR: These four finalists are being tested
to see who can push themselves to the absolute physical limit...
Go on, Victoria!
That was nasty!
...who can cope with the relentless cold...
It's the wind, I think, that's going to get me in a minute.
...who's a team player...
I've never had too many situations where I find it hard getting on with people.
...and who's psychologically strongest.
I like people to be a little bit confrontational and to challenge me.
By the end of today, Ben and James must choose their third team member.
Motherhood must be fun.
- Yeah. - But they're probably too young
- to be able to understand... - Soph hasn't a clue
but Niv knows that I'm going on... She calls it an adventure.
- Adventure? - Adventure!
And she thinks it's the North Pole. So I'm auditioning for Mrs Christmas!
Mrs Christmas?!
Victoria has really surprised me today. She's really impressed me.
I think she's one of the strongest people, really.
The amount of time you'd have to take from work, and stuff,
- but, like, come December and January... - Yeah, I spoke to the boss.
I texted him and said I stupidly got into the last four,
and he just texted me back - ''Awesome.''
I've been really impressed with Ed.
He was always someone that, um, that was going to be a contender.
SARAH: I was inspired by certain races...
Uh-huh.
...and kept going back, kept going back.
- Eventually won a race that was really... - Which one?
It was called the Raid Gauloises.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
I mean, that's one of the really famous races.
I think, um, Sarah, I've actually got to understand her, know her a bit more,
and she's very impressive.
Ugh! Come here often?
(BOTH LAUGHING) - I was feeling sleepy in the other room,
but I'm probably not going to drop off here.
JAMES: Matt... You don't become a doctor without putting a lot of effort in.
It's making it quite a hard decision for us, really.
NARRATOR: The tests are over. It's time to compare notes.
With the help of the scientists,
Ben and James must decide on who will replace Jonny Lee Miller.
Um, shall we work through Victoria first?
The other three seem strangely competent and capable.
I think I'm the comedy value one.
MAN: Victoria, under pressure, I thought she performed really well.
Which I think is going to be good for herjoining an established team.
If I'm picked, it's because I'm suitable. If I'm not, it's because I'm not suitable.
And I don't want to be in the South Pole if I wasn't suitable.
- Who shall we go over to now? - Matt?
It's going to be cold, miserable and the toughest thing I've ever taken on.
Really easy to get on with and physically very strong,
so he's ahead in a lot of criteria.
MATT: It doesn't feel like I'm competing against them all.
I'm just competing against myself.
We've got a slight sense that he might be a little bit uncertain
about having the confidence to challenge others when required.
I feel I do...I could connect with them. I think it could be good.
WOMAN: Off the scale on relaxed,
which I guess fits with her yoga teaching.
She's easy to get on with, has worked in a male environment
and clearly relished it.
SARAH: I have no real worries about the intensity or the duration of the trip.
I mean, who gets to go to Antarctica, for goodness' sake! Yeah...
BEN: So that leaves...
JAMES: That just leaves Ed, yep.
I'd like to think the guys want to take me with them
and spend 40 days in a tent with me.
JAMES: He's prepared to give his opinion, take the lead and listen to other people.
Maybe they don't want any of us.
(LAUGHING)
MAN: Something to be aware of, that he's not out to win at all costs.
ED: Whoever goes, it's going to be the person that fits best with the two guys,
and that's the key. I wish whoever it is the best of luck.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
NARRATOR: It's been a hard week for the four candidates,
but at last, Ben and James have made their decision.
BEN: The person that we hope will agree to join us and come to the South Pole
and become that other 33.3% is...
Ed.
SARAH: Whoa!
Do you need some time to think about it or...?
- No. - (ALL LAUGHING)
Well done.
Well done. Welcome to the team. Welcome to the team.
NARRATOR: While the others head back to their lives,
- Ed breaks the news to his family. - Hi, Dad.
I'm in. I'm in.
JAMES: Ed's a great addition to the team.
I think he stood out.
Competitive, but also fairly relaxed.
(LAUGHING)
Yeah, I got it. My legs are a bit like jelly, to be honest. But, um...
JAMES: We said right at the start of the selection process
that the person who comes in is a third of the team,
and I think that's very key to making it work as a team.
He's a physically strong guy
and it really did seem that he fitted in between Ben and I.
We're back up to three people again. We can carry on.
Yeah. Hi.
NARRATOR: Dr Ed Coats, a 28-year-old trainee in obstetrics and gynaecology,
spends his days delivering babies in Bristol.
(BABY CRYING)
But now he'll be taking a six-month sabbatical to help prepare for the race.
It was a dream come true to actually hear my name being said
at the end of the interview in Farnborough,
when we had that final selection process.
I still, even to the moment where, I think, when James said it,
I didn't actually expect it...at all.
Now I've kind of come to terms with it,
and I've had a bit of a chance to think about what it all means. I just...
I just want to get on with the job.
NARRATOR: It's a big step for him AND for his midwife girlfriend Karina.
It's all come as a bit of a shock, really, all of this news.
You know, you agree to go out with someone
and they say they're going off to the South Pole for however many months.
(STARTING PISTOL)
NARRATOR: As a retired decathlete,
Ed knows about training hard for big sporting events.
Since childhood, he's wanted to make it as a sportsman.
I certainly remember vividly, when I was 12,
watching the Barcelona Olympics
and just, from that day on,
I think I've thought of nothing else, really, apart from being an Olympian.
There's a part of me that feels like I've probably never fulfilled my potential.
KARINA: I think he's probably wanted to do this the whole of his life.
NARRATOR: But as a polar novice, Ed faces hours of physical training
and mental preparation. He also needs to bond with both Ben and James.
ED: I'm a family with no boys in it,
so I'm hoping that... Hopefully, I'll come back with two brothers I never had.
NARRATOR: Over the summer of 2008, their daily lives take over.
Ed's back on duty in Bristol, but chomping at the bit.
ED: I just want to get out there, get ourselves fit
and be prepared for this trip.
This is where ambitions will be realised, or dreams will turn into nightmares.
NARRATOR:James is in Beijing reporting on the Olympics,
and struggling with not being a competitor.
JAMES: It took me about a week to get used to the fact I wasn't competing,
but more thankful for having the chance to do something else.
NARRATOR: And Ben is filming in South America for eight weeks,
struggling with insect bites.
It's mid-September 2008.
The guys have rented a house in Devon.
It's one of their first chances to train together since Ed joined the team.
But Ben still hasn't recovered from filming in South America.
He's exhausted, and he's picked up a mystery illness.
- And how's yourjungle fever? - I'd be lying if I said I felt great.
Um...
I'm very tired. Very tired and headachy, but having said that,
I've still been able to train - I haven't overdone it -
but I've still been able to do some exercise, and things.
NARRATOR: Ben's seen his doctor, but he's still waiting for the test results.
Meanwhile,James is pushing the training schedule.
We left Norway saying we were going to do loads of skiing, and that was January
and it's now September. We haven't done any.
I feel...
...a long way from being ready to get my head around racing at the moment.
NARRATOR: They might be behind with the training,
but at least the time together will allow Ben and Ed to begin bonding.
Dr Coats!
- How are you? Good to see you. - You too.
And I did two-and-a-half hours...
NARRATOR: Over dinner,James reveals his tough training schedule
for the next weeks.
Ben will need to recover fast to keep up.
First up, tyre-pulling - classic training for the Poles.
But down south, it'll be over 60 degrees colder.
So, imagine we're at the start line...
(LAUGHING)
- Ready? - Three, two, one, go.
JAMES: That's good.
Well, it's a good start.
BEN: Right.
- Oh, this is crap. - (BEN LAUGHING)
(ED EXHALES)
NARRATOR: In Antarctica, they'll be pulling 70kg sleds, called pulks,
across the ice for the whole race - over 750 kilometres.
We've gone 148 feet, if anyone wants to know!
(LAUGHTER)
(PANTING)
14 hours a day, like this? Minimum.
I know what I'll be doing when I get home.
Back exercises.
NARRATOR: It's hard work for all of them,
but for Ben, it seems even tougher.
BEN: I'd be lying if I said I was feeling healthy and well.
I can sit here really despondently, and think, ''Ohh.
''I'm not going to be able to do this!''
But I'm not going to do that because we've got three months.
JAMES: 90 minutes. BEN: Yeah.
JAMES: So 45 minutes out, 45 minutes back,
have a quick five-minute stop and drink back at the place, then the same again.
- In the afternoon? - No. Same again. Then lunch.
(BEN PANTING)
JAMES: So six hours.
NARRATOR: But Ben, still unwell, is already struggling with the pace...
I think the selection weekend was a breeze compared to this.
NARRATOR:...and less that a kilometre in, he buckles.
If I let you keep going...
Ed, what do you want to do?
Keep going.
(THEY BREATHE HEAVILY)
BEN: I should have just said to James right at the top,
''I need five days to just recover
''and then I'll go into it.''
JAMES: If there's a feeling that two people have done it and one person hasn't,
down there, there's going to be a massive issue,
and the problem is, at the moment, he won't say he feels he's doing too much,
and he won't say that the training's tough and it's boring.
Unfortunately, the training is going to be tough and boring.
NARRATOR: While Ed and James carry on, Ben's decided to go home to rest.
(LABOURED BREATHING)
NARRATOR: A few days later,
the guys arrive in the Brecon Beacons in South Wales,
the training ground of the SAS.
But, once again, Ben is missing.
- Shall we do your blisters first? - Yeah.
Cos you have already... Oh, my word. Look at those.
James has done three days of tyre-pulling in Croyde
and managed to get some of the biggest blisters on his heels that I've seen.
I'm going to do what we don't normally do.
Some people say cut these things open, some people say don't.
But I'm just going to cut this open. So...sorry.
Sharp scratch.
JAMES: It's going to be a tough few days for me.
It's not like running a marathon,
which is three hours going very hard, then you stop and rest for ages.
This is going to be, every time we're away, we're planning to be walking.
So let's just get all that... Aw... Lots of goo. Excellent.
I hope this works, mate, cos otherwise, we're going to be...
- Looks like a professional job, anyway. - Thank you! Why, thank you. Yeah.
NARRATOR: James and Ed are going to spend four days trekking, camping...
Oh, the big fella's wheel's spinning.
...and bonding in the mountains.
I'm just quite glad I haven't got a tyre behind me!
Do you know what, though? I can really feel the effect of those three days.
This is quite hard with only the two of us here.
It does feel like it's not quite right, doesn't it?
It does. I was thinking exactly that.
I was thinking there's something missing here, and it's called Ben.
NARRATOR: But Ben's at home with his wife Marina.
He's still feeling the effects of his South American trip.
It was an obvious thing, that when I came back, I was going to need a break,
that I was going to need a couple of days just to recover.
NARRATOR: As the days of training continue...
ED: I'll let you guide the way, big fella.
...Ben's absence is starting to get to James.
(SIGHING) Where's Ben? Well...
Ben's, um, tired after his trip to South America,
and he's not sure whether he's got a jungle virus,
but he's just pretty much exhausted.
I kind of have this feeling in the back of my mind, still,
that he... Even if I did have malaria, James would say it's entirely my fault.
ED: James is a... He's a hard task-master, but I think we need that, you know?
What we're doing down in Antarctica is not going to be a holiday.
It's going to be bloomin' hard, and, um, we need
somebody like that to take the reins and tell us how it is.
You're not working as a team if you're letting him lead
and then not confronting him when you disagree with one of his ways.
We have got a slight team-dynamic problem cropping up, in that I think he's annoyed
that he felt he's being asked to do too much
since he's come back from South America. Now, I don't buy that,
and what frustrates me more
is the fact that he will say that but then won't say that to me.
NARRATOR: Despite getting Ed to replace Jonny, the team is in disarray.
Don't get me wrong, James is a really good mate.
He's become kind of my best friend.
But he's a best friend that I still find quite difficult to talk to.
NARRATOR: Since the London Marathon,
Ben has struggled to prove his dedication to James and Ed,
and the cracks are getting bigger.
BEN: I feel I have to kind of tread around eggshells.
NARRATOR: Nine days later, Ben,James and Ed finally come together
for a training session,
but, more importantly, to sort out Ben's commitment issues.
I just want to say again, I do apologise for my ill health
- and state of mind back in Devon. - Sure.
Cos honestly, I was not... I, um...I felt shit.
NARRATOR: Ben's feeling better but they still need to clear the air.
ED: I've seen you three, four times since you chose me two-and-a-half months ago,
and I just need to feel that we're all 100% committed in the same way
to all of this, you know?
Just to tell you, I was so overwhelmed
by the training and event itself, genuinely -
just so I've told you - I was thinking at that stage, ''I don't even want to go.''
JAMES: So why couldn't you say, ''I'm not feeling right,
''I'm not sure I want to go''?
If you don't let yourself have an opportunity to talk about these things
between the three of us, they build up, they build up, and you get to a head.
I think that's probably what happened.
We had to have that meeting to say some of the things that are on our minds,
cos that was one of my big concerns, is that... I know those two guys.
They're like an old married couple sometimes.
BEN: The bottom line is, James and I are still very different characters,
and there's going to be compromise, isn't there? Three people working as one.
A lot of work.
Talk's cheap, really. It's the actions that count.
That's what we need to start doing over the next few weeks.
NARRATOR: And then, in mid-October,
Ben,James and Ed embark on a week-long training session in the Swiss Alps.
It's only two months until they fly south.
It's their last chance to get the team working as a unit.
It will be a full dress rehearsal of Antarctic racing,
but when they finally arrive on the mountain, it's dark.
Nothing like a good old blizzard to start the day off.
NARRATOR: It's minus 11, and there's a blizzard blowing.
It's pretty survival-type conditions now.
NARRATOR: James has enlisted the help of Bernie Shrosbree,
an ex-special forces Royal Marine, and one of his Olympic coaches,
in a last-ditch attempt to get the team back on track.
At the moment, we're in what I'd call close to survival-type conditions now.
The temperature's dropping.
But, I mean, it's a good start. I mean, I think this is what they need.
I think they need to start off in these conditions,
because this is what it's going to be about for them.
Get the tent up, and then all the other stuff, you can sort out in a minute.
BEN: Will you remember that... cos I wasn't in the Brecon Beacons,
I haven't done it for a bit. Like, since Norway, about a year ago.
And it's about putting the long hours in, in snowy conditions,
on skis, pulling pulks, in horrible conditions,
and, so far, pretty much all those boxes have been ticked.
It's as miserable as sin.
NARRATOR: They need to put the tent up in less than ten minutes.
But in the dark, in a blizzard, it's all going wrong.
The longer it takes, the colder they get.
I've got severe frostnip in my hands at the moment.
- BERNIE: Have you? - Yeah.
- Got gloves? - I can't get them on - they're too tight.
You need to get gloves on straightaway. Once you get some warmth into them,
get the gloves on, then start flinging the fingers out.
You've got to be proactive now.
NARRATOR: It's not a good start.
Pretty harsh lesson learned there, about packing your kit.
Kit has got to be accessible,
you gotta know exactly where it is, and when the weather turns in, like this,
you should be able to get hold of it straightaway.
Just turn around, ''Ben, blue bag, over there.
''Second item of clothing down - my gloves. Get 'em, please.''
A bit of dysfunction's going on here at the moment, all right?
So just take charge. You gotta get this tent up.
BEN: Is everyone OK?
JAMES: Don't walk on there, I've just flattened it out.
NARRATOR: In two months, they're supposed to be racing
across one of the most hostile environments on the planet...on their own.
This is what blizzard-type conditions down there would be -
minus 30, minus 40-
and, um, Ed would have probably lost fingers.
There's a lot of very basic things that they're not applying as a team.
It's obvious things, but they don't discuss it. There's a lot to learn.
NARRATOR: Finally, the tent's up.
But it's taken almost an hour.
If they were going to go down now and race...
I don't know. I don't know about racing.
I don't know about even finishing.
(WIND HOWLING)
NARRATOR: As dawn breaks,
it's a stunning morning and a new start.
It's beautiful here.
Really beautiful. Amazing.
It didn't look like this last night, that's for sure,
when it was the chaos of setting up our tent.
NARRATOR: The team are on a glacier at 3,000 metres called La Plaine Morte,
above the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montanta.
It's as close to Antarctica they'll get within Southern Europe.
ED: James, let's you and me take the tent down,
and, Ben, if you pack up those stoves,
get the shovels over by the sleds, get the tracers ready,
and if you could line up all the pulks.
NARRATOR: And it's Bernie's job to produce a race-ready team.
It's very easy to just get three guys to function as three individuals,
which we've seen a lot of so far.
When you're doing a big challenge, like they're doing,
and they're trying race to win it, then you can't function like that at all.
At the moment, the team's completely crap.
NARRATOR: Over the next seven days,
day and night, Ben,James and Ed will ski relentlessly around the glacier.
They'll pitch their tent, make food and water,
have a short sleep and then ski some more.
BERNIE: My role, really, is to observe, identify and just try and help them
understand the true meaning of how to work as a team,
and also understand how to be efficient.
NARRATOR: First job - assess their cross-country skiing.
BERNIE: Two things to remember. You stand up, you're on your arse.
OK? You sit back, you're on your arse.
NARRATOR: But it's pretty minimal.
James has three weeks' cross-country skiing experience,
Ben has one
and Ed has none at all.
BEN: And how far forward should you put that front foot, Bernie?
Glide as far as you can. Just keep your weight slightly forward.
NARRATOR: Although James has the most experience,
just a few hours in, he's having the most problems.
- BEN: Thanks, Bernie. - I've got blisters on my feet,
so do you want to do them after we've done the tent?
ED: Yeah. Or do you want to do them now? - No.
NARRATOR: James's decision to carry on doesn't impress Bernie.
He should have stopped and dealt with it, not thinking,
''I don't want to stop the guys cos we'll lose three or four minutes.''
NARRATOR: With James's feet still untreated,
the team now put their skiing lessons to the test.
First team trip out with pulks,
and we are following a loop which is about, probably, 10k.
NARRATOR: The circuit will take up to three hours to ski around,
pulling sleds loaded with everything they need to survive behind them.
It's the first time they've done this as a team,
and as they head out, they soon separate.
BERNIE: These are the worrying times for me, where the gap grows,
there's two and then there's one and, you know,
if I never said nothing all the way round, you'd probably have someone turn up here
200 or 300 metres ahead of the other person.
I just don't think you can work like that with this event.
NARRATOR: As their second night draws in and temperatures once again plummet,
Ben,James and Ed are still skiing.
ED: Blisters good?
JAMES: Blisters good? No. Blisters bad.
Blisters bad?
I'm putting it out of my mind with a bit of Johnny Cash.
OK. How about you?
BEN: Right. Feet are good. Yeah? Let's, um...
ED: I know what James is like.
He gets his head down and just, ''I'll be all right,''sort of thing,
so this is the magic word of husbandry - managing yourself,
cos, you know, if someone goes down with severe blisters,
then it just affects the whole team, the whole pace of everything.
NARRATOR: It's an exhausting routine that's draining mentally and physically.
That was two-and-a-half hours, so... (BREATHING HEAVILY)
...we've got another, um...
three-and-a-half to go.
I lost one of my hats along the way, but we should at least find it.
So if anyone sees a brown hat...
I think you may have to wait till the morning for your hat.
- Why? - Because it's bloody dark!
We're doing the same route.
We are doing the same route, but it's dark!
There's 15km of ice out there
and you've got a sort of light-brown hat in the dark!
NARRATOR: The non-stop skiing is taking its toll. Morale is low.
JAMES: Ben, for me, really, at the moment,
he just, you know... There's a lack of self confidence within himself.
He really means well, but at the moment, he needs reassuring.
BEN: The only thing that's really bugging me out here
is that there's no enjoyment.
James can't smile and say, ''This is brilliant.''
I think his pride is getting in the way.
If he can't cope with it, then it's not good enough for anyone.
And that's not fair. Let's be honest, that's not fair.
NARRATOR: And, sure enough, the next morning,
James's untreated blisters have become too sore to ignore.
ED: Nice!
They look quite painful, considering we've got to do 36 hours of skiing.
If we were just trekking to the South Pole, then that'd be fine. But we're not.
We're in a race situation, which puts the pressure on in a very different way.
I'm sure if we don't finish the race, it'll be one of these reasons.
- It'll be something small, like this. - ED: Yeah.
To stop and do what we're doing now, it's going to be ridiculously difficult.
I don't think we're going to be able to do it.
(JAMES GASPS)
Ooh, nice!
Did you feel that?
Yeah, yeah, it is a bit sore.
NARRATOR: With James's feet strapped up,
it's back on the skis.
BEN: Glaring differences, though, opening up between personalities.
Ed's struggling, and it's been a big shock to the system for him.
And James, as well, I think, is silently suffering.
NARRATOR: But as the guys ski into their third night,
it's Dr Ed Coats who looks like becoming the next patient.
BERNIE: I noticed a drop in pace,
the quietness settled in
and then,just suddenly,
Ed said, ''Guys, I don't feel great. I'm feeling sick.''
They've put up camp.
I don't know about Ed. Basically, we just need to see how he is.
If he is bad, we'll go and collect him and we'll take him back down.
NARRATOR: While Ben and James keep skiing,
Ed's lying ill in the tent,
4km around the circuit from Bernie's base camp.
BERNIE: My problem is that, for a guy that's a doctor,
that, you know, maybe he was just... didn't want to let the guys down
and just tried to tough it out,
but, you know, he's breaking all the rules, really, of a team.
NARRATOR: Like in Antarctica,
the team are totally reliant on the water they make by melting snow.
BERNIE: Base camp to Ben, Base camp to Ben?
NARRATOR: If they don't drink enough, then dehydration can be fatal.
James and Ben have come by to inform me that Ed's still not great,
so they're about 5.5K up the glacier.
So I've gone and got the snowmobile up and going, see where he's at.
(ENGINE BUZZING)
- (ZIP OPENING) - BERNIE: Ahh!
- There he is. - Yeah.
So, how is it, then? With you?
- I've never really felt like that before. - OK.
Well, when I have, I haven't really been in the middle of the mountains, so...
- OK. What do you reckon, then? - Dehydration. Massively dehydrated.
I think it just built up coming up the hill yesterday.
But also, we haven't really worked out a drink strategy.
I went with whatever we were doing, rather than thinking about how I was feeling.
OK. The big mistake yesterday - you should have shouted earlier.
Yeah.
That's the only thing I'm saying about the team dynamics here... It's...
You're good lads, but that's where you sort of let yourself down.
Not frightened to shout earlier.
It's hard. It's really hard, when you're not used to admitting you need to stop,
cos I'm not the sort of person that does stop. I just keep going.
So there's no room for egos and bravado in this team. You've got to be honest.
BERNIE: Ed's sort of still battling with, ''I've got to show you guys what I can do,''
instead ofjust focusing on himself.
I think he's slowly learned... He had a very, very harsh lesson
with pushing himself to exhaustion through dehydration.
He learned the hard way.
NARRATOR: But the relentless skiing is affecting all of them.
BEN: How are you, James?
Um...struggling.
(COUGHING)
It's bound to sort out in different ways, I think.
It's just coping with the hours and the distance.
BEN: I'm feeling nauseous.
I will admit that.
Once we get back to the tent, um... I'll need a little bit of time to recover.
JAMES: Yeah.
I'm not liking life on the blister front...
Luckily, that's been overtaken by nausea.
(HE LAUGHS)
NARRATOR: They're halfway through the training
and there's still no improvement.
BERNIE: They're a team of good guys,
but they're not a team to win the race to the South Pole at the moment.
JAMES: I've known Bernie for nearly ten years. We've done lots of things together.
For him to say, ''I wouldn't wanna be in your team'' is really hard.
BERNIE: At the moment,
I think James has got some big issues with the gremlins in his head.
He's a friend of mine, but I've got to have an honesty policy at the moment.
I think he's struggling.
Part of me's a bit worried about going there and looking stupid.
BEN: I absolutely adore James, don't get me wrong.
I think he's one of the greatest people and I have so much admiration for him.
And that's the thing that just... That does...
NARRATOR: For Ben, months of emotional turmoil are just too much.
(CHOKED) You know, it's hard, isn't it?
It's been amazing, hasn't it, cos... I'm emotional already.
Um... I've only been here for seven days.
I don't know if it's partly because we've been pushed so much, I know that.
And I'm sleep deprived.
And then the other thing, which I should be really happy about,
is that I've just found out Marina's pregnant.
And that makes it so hard...
...to be leaving her and abandoning her.
Um...
But I know, you know, if Marina was here now,
she'd slap me and say, ''Pull yourself together,'' and I can,
because this is just pent-up emotion.
And, er...snot and everything.
It's just pent-up emotion and it's just cos I want this...
You know, if I'm abandoning Marina when she's pregnant,
and, you know, James is doing the same with Bev,
that's a big deal for me.
And I just want it to be fun.
It should be, because what we've achieved already should be great.
I could leave this mountain now and I'd be so confident about myself,
but the problem is that James always pushes it one step further.
NARRATOR: The team may have
reached their low point,
but Bernie thinks
they've also turned a corner.
What I am starting to see,
instead of seeing three guys
individually falling to pieces,
they've realised they've got to commit themselves
to be the perfect team.
I keep coming back to this thing, it's not the pace of the slowest man,
it's the pace of the team.
BEN: I'm struggling, out here,
and I'm emotionally fragile,
but I can do this.
We're all rehydrated
and our tummies are full and stuff, so we're in a better place now,
but I think we still have to be honest and realistic about it,
cos what's the point of sitting for a whole week in the tent,
which is what'll happen if we push ourselves too much.
BERNIE: Ben, for me, I had concerns that he lacked a lot of self-confidence,
even though I looked at him, I believed in him.
I just thought sometimes, whether he's intimidated in the group,
to show his confidence, but now, he's solid as a rock now.
He's a very strong character in the team.
NARRATOR: Over the final three days,
the team, with Ed back in the saddle,
push hard through their mental and physical breakdown
and the effort, at last, seems to be paying off.
BEN: The sun's up and we've only got an hour to go, so I feel really good now.
BERNIE: You're working well now, eh?
I think we're working really well as a team. I'm so impressed.
BEN: We're just getting on with it.
BERNIE: I've just watched you guys over there and, you know,
for the whole time you've been here, that's the first time
you're sticking together as a proper group. Like Ben said there,
you're starting to become this unit, what we said.
They've gone from putting a tent up in about an hour and 15 on the first night,
now, they've got it to ten minutes.
NARRATOR: At last, the team are working well together.
They're tired,
but their spirits are up.
What I've noticed now, under all the pressures,
and the tiredness, the fatigue, the sore feet and everything else,
is I'm actually starting to see what we're here for - to see this team come together.
NARRATOR: Finally, Ben,James and Ed have become the team they need to be
if they are to stand a chance of not just completing,
but possibly winning the South Pole race in just nine weeks'time.
Well done, mate.
- You all right? - Yeah.
Good boy. Jimbo! Good job, Jim.
NARRATOR: With the team back at home
after a tough but successful trip to Switzerland,
things are looking up.
But then, two weeks later, disaster strikes.
Ben's long-forgotten mystery jungle fever has finally been diagnosed.
BEN: I got a call from the doctors, who basically said that unfortunately,
I've contracted a disease called leishmaniasis.
It's a skin-eating parasite,
but the problem is I've got a really nasty version, called Vianna.
Untreated, it leads to death.
It's kind of like a joke. I want someone to turn around and go, ''April fool!''
you know, that I get a flesh-eating disease,
a month before I head to the South Pole.
NARRATOR: It looks like Ben won't be going to Antarctica after all.