Steve Backshall in Venezuela

Brains

Brains

Well-known member
Quick bit of google shows the rock is precambrian arkose sandstone and quartzite, The rotting of the stone I am guessing is down to the degradation of the minerals that form the arkose (feldspars etc...) rather than just a quartzite. This would help explain the horizontal development.

In the prog he mentioned an age of a few tens of millions of years, these beds are thought to be 900 to 1500 millon years old
 
cap n chris

cap n chris

Well-known member
Some stupendous photography/filming - nicely put together and surprisingly for TV not too hyped. Good bit of telly! Educational too! Win.
 
pwhole

pwhole

Well-known member
Yep, I thoroughly enjoyed that too, especially crawling through the breakdown bedding - very well shot, given the obvious constraints.
 
M

MJenkinson

Member
This type of show usually disappoints - turning out to be 20 mins of film spread out over 60 mins with every turn promising death.  Often with a presenter who comes across as a right tool or someone who clearly isn't that well-up on the subject matter.  This was really good in my opinion - honest presenter, nowhere near the hype I was expecting, some good info and some cracking footage. More TV like this please.
 
Joe Duxbury

Joe Duxbury

Member
One criticism. While he was whining about getting through the breakdown bedding, between the loose ceiling and the floor of razor-sharp rocks, he still had a bag on his back. Shades of 'Rock Farce'.
But yes, well-produced. How many of those tepuis have got cave systems in them?
 
cap n chris

cap n chris

Well-known member
Joe Duxbury said:
One criticism. While he was whining about getting through the breakdown bedding, between the loose ceiling and the floor of razor-sharp rocks, he still had a bag on his back. Shades of 'Rock Farce'.
Click to expand...

Direct personal experience of caving with someone who carried the kit bag by hand in open/walking passage and then every time it was hands/knees/crawl they'd transfer the bag onto their back. So not as unusual as you might have imagined Joe.
 
Brains

Brains

Well-known member
A very pleasing and positive view of caving, unlike a certain Grilled Bear...
A nice touch was the Italien quisine, definetely worth inviting them on a trip  :beer:
 
paul

paul

Moderator
The video "Autana" about climbers led by Leo Houlding climbing the tepui Cerro Autana in Venezuela includes a section exploring a cave in that tepui as well. Excellent film as well.
 
Bob Smith

Bob Smith

Member
There's a rumour that Bear Grylls will be visiting later this year to eat the aquatic cave cricket before doing a back flip into the colourful bacteria pool...
 
Ed W

Ed W

Member
I' surprised that no on has commented on the most impressive scene, where not only did the La Venta crew have the foresight to bring wine up to the top of the Tepui, but on failing to get the cork out with the corkscrew resorted to using a 36V cordless drill to get the wine out of the bottle.
 
cavemanmike

cavemanmike

Active member
also not to mention whilst caving they were all using scurions . i think scurion missed a trick by not putting a BIG label on them, unless my useless eye sight did'nt see them. cracking bit of tv though  :bow: :bow:
 
Sid

Sid

Member
coming to Frome in Nov

https://cheeseandgrain.ticketsolve.com/shows/873548764/events?show_id=873548764

 
M

mikem

Well-known member
Backshall has repeated, so available again:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b074c5jk/steve-backshalls-extreme-mountain-challenge-episode-2

Mike
 
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