Steve Backshall caving & diving

[mikem]

His latest series starts with 2 episodes sea kayaking in Greenland & looks like following 2 are underground, but no dates yet for when those will be shown...

 

[mikem]

Was on Sunday:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00052dh/undiscovered-worlds-with-steve-backshall-series-1-3-mexico-part-1

 

[Duncan Price]

Was on Sunday:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00052dh/undiscovered-worlds-with-steve-backshall-series-1-3-mexico-part-1

Dire - I'm sure George Irvine III would have few wrods about Steve Backshall's cave diving prowess.  The German guy with him (although a perfectly nice chap, is hardly the "World's Top Cave diver").  The fact that there was already a guide line leading into the "unexplored" cenote that they were the "first" to enter shows that they were a bit fast and loose with the truth.  I just had to keep watching it as it was a bit like witnessing a car crash.

 

[mikem]

Same happened on the kayaking episode. No. 2 - mountaineering, wasn't quite so bad.

 

[mikem]

Caving & canyoning in Oman on Dave TV now:
https://uktvplay.uktv.co.uk/shows/expedition-with-steve-backshall/watch-online/

 

[glyders]

The fact that there was already a guide line leading into the "unexplored" cenote that they were the "first" to enter shows that they were a bit fast and loose with the truth.

That's a shame. Steve Backshall is usually very good about being open about what is new and what isn't. He often brings his safety guys and camera crew into shot to talk to them. And I've seen ones where he is honest about being dragged up or through things because it got too hard for him, but only after seeing him giving it a go himself first.
Perhaps they had laid the line that morning or the day before? Or there were several takes to get different angles etc. and footage from later takes had the guide line in?

 

[moletta]

Not sure about the details but it seems there's been a kayaking incident.
I think Steve Backshall is ok, but maybe its time for more science less adventure

 

[mikem]

He had one on the Bhutan trip, which is being shown this Sunday, but had a very competent back up team.

Mike

 

[mikem]

Katie's cave diving view (plus other behind the scenes clips):
https://uktvplay.uktv.co.uk/shows/expedition-with-steve-backshall-unseen/watch-online/6064246542001

 

[mikem]

Latest Oman climbing episode starts with a sinkhole, although they don't actually get underground:
https://uktvplay.uktv.co.uk/shows/expedition-with-steve-backshall/watch-online/6067583255001

Second pitch is more of a caver's route than climber's though (fossil cave at top)...

 

[mikem]

Proving the trips were quite risky, but he does sometimes make the sensible decision (Yucatan from 23 mins & a practice cave in Oman after):
https://uktvplay.uktv.co.uk/shows/expedition-with-steve-backshall-unpacked/watch-online

 

[Fjell]

I struggle to be able to see these videos. Did see one of him doing First Drop with no end of gear, and possibly the least informative cave tour in recorded history.

 

[mikem]

You have to register with UKTV. Episode 2 is on same link with more on wildlife in Yucatan cenotes from 12 minutes.

 

[mrodoc]

David Rose probably still cringes at the newspaper headline after we took him into the Frozen Deep some time after its discovery!

 

[mikem]

If you're referring to the dive line being ahead of them, it can be easily explained by Robbie going through various leads & then returning to tell the others which were worth filming.

 

[paul]

It also brings to mind a talk by Leo Houlding (the climber) I saw in Buxton where he was pointing out what you see on TV may not be necessarily actually what it appears to be. An example he gave was a long distance shot of him on a cliff in Antarctica during a first ascent, followed by a shot of him a few metres away, from above.

Of course there was no sign of a cameraman above him in the long distance shot, and he was leading the climb so would have been first on the rope with no one above him...

 

[mikem]

Episode 3 of Unpacked includes hand prints in a short  Borneo cave from 15 mins & back to Yucatan at 26

 

[mikem]

Midway through Episode 4 is also in Yucatan

 

[mikem]

The first series that was on Dave is now being repeated on BBC:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m0028xy6/expedition-with-steve-backshall

 

[ChrisB]

I lost respect for Mr Backshall following a film he made about kayaking in Greenland. The trip was supported by a kayak guide who I have done two expeditions with in Greenland. He told me he left before the end as a result of his advice being ignored and dangers introduced deliberately to make better TV. Splitting up the group in pack ice and paddling close to icebergs only endangered the humans, but allowing a polar bear to approach the camp was also a risk to the bear if they hadn't been able to safely deter it from getting too close.