Episode 3 The Mountain

Summer has come to the mountain.

The midges are brutal today.

-Welcome to Scotland.

-THEY LAUGH

Agh! This is beautiful. Agh!

Yee-hee!

It's been a long, hard winter...

..but the summer season brings thousands of visitors

to Scotland's top outdoor adventure playground.

SCREAMING

And for the people of Cairngorm, that brings new challenges.

We've just discovered a gas leak.

Whoo!

Stop. Stop, stop, stop, stop.

In this episode, not everything's going to plan...

as an outdoor thrill-seeker finds himself desk-bound...

..a steam train gets a little overheated...

Shut the door!

..and Rona's World Cup dreams hit the dirt.

Ah! Whoo-hoo!

Welcome to Summer On The Mountain.

Whoa. Windy up here.

Spring is turning into summer

and on Cairngorm, Colin Matthew is contemplating the world at his feet.

You can probably see 60, 70, 80 miles today.

This last few days, the colours seem to have changed overnight

with the warm weather, and all the foliages just blooming.

And the midges are back.

Midges are brutal today.

A...common misconception that at this altitude

you don't get midges.

But, yeah, you get midges.

What have we done in our past lives to deserve this?

Come snow, rain, hail or midges, the work must go on.

The ski tows are being overhauled for the winter season.

All the tows are getting their haul ropes replaced.

It's taking 10km of expensive new cabling

to replace the ropes that carry skiers up the slopes.

Just watch out, there's a rope going across the path here

-and then another one just below, so just...

-OK.

-..as you go.

What are you doing here?

-We're putting a new rope on to the tows.

-Ah, OK.

-A bit of maintenance before the winter comes.

-OK.

-And enjoy the midges.

-THEY LAUGH

Welcome to Scotland.

Annoying as the midges are, Adam and his team soon hit a bigger problem.

Need to try and get some slack here, there's a problem on the drum.

There's a snarl up on the... cable drum.

Top layer of rope has gone underneath the next layer of rope.

We'll figure it out.

Bugs in air and bugs in the work schedule.

It could be a costly delay.

MIKE IMITATES ENGINE

Mike Gayle is off to work.

He lives life in the fast lane.

MIKE WHOOPS

Mike runs an extreme adventure business for holiday-makers

looking for something more than a quiet life.

I think there is that sort of, er,

changing mind-set of people going lying on a beach for a week.

They actually want to come and do stuff these days

and that's what we're finding, that's why we're a lot busier.

Yeah, good, good, good.

He takes groups on outdoor pursuits, including rafting and canyoning.

Where others seek tranquillity and the great outdoors,

this is Mike's playground.

So, he decided to make one.

Mike and his business partner, Nick Etheridge,

have built a zip-line park.

We used to run a ski school.

But we tend to just make all our money in summer now.

I went to be an engineer

and I got offered a job in six year as a ski instructor.

25 years later, I'm still a ski bum,

trying to avoid a real job, so, this is perfect.

As a trained engineer, Mike can bring his expertise to the project.

I enjoyed building them. They're quite good fun.

Angles have to be calculated

and the trees themselves have to be protected.

We've got to figure out a walkway.

What we can't have is lots of standing around on the root plate

that damages the tree.

You've got to do them at the right setting.

If you overtight these, they can actually...ruin the cable.

To finish, an old engineers' trick...

a touch of nail varnish to warn him if the bolts work loose.

Bye!

-How are you doing?

-Good, thank you.

-Very good. Grab yourself a helmet.

TELEPHONE RINGS

Good morning, G2 Outdoor Zip Trek Park.

Tomorrow is fully booked, unfortunately.

There are 14 zip lines threaded through the forest,

reaching speeds of up to 40mph.

Mike and Nick have put substantial time and money into the venture,

and need big returns.

How many hammocks are left?

-Three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

-Eight?

No, Thursday's also fully booked.

Phone just never stops. Like, summer, it never stops.

Stick your head in. Stick your head in.

There. Is there anything in your pockets that's going to get crushed?

-I'm not worried about my pockets.

-NICK LAUGHS

PHONE RINGS

They try to make their money in the summer

to get in as much winter skiing as possible.

The next space is now looking at Friday.

But Mike's finding that selling enjoyment can be hard work.

TELEPHONE RINGS

At The Old Bridge Inn, Owen Caldwell is on the decks.

The summer trade is brisk.

It's going great, it's been really busy.

And...yeah, the guys are doing a cracking job.

That's table 12.

In the kitchen is Chris McColl.

I think people come to The Old Bridge Inn

cos it's a little bit different.

Every chef in here has worked in a Michelin star

establishment at some point in their life, so...

We're not doing fine dining, but the food's all right.

CHRIS LAUGHS

It's a mix that seems to be effective

in the competitive world of Aviemore's nightlife.

We've got so much to do sometimes.

Some nights where, you know, you've got 12 checks at once.

MUSIC: If This Ain't Love by Spiller

Owen has run the pub for six years,

having moved from Glasgow with his partner.

It is nice to come in and the first thing you do is light the fire

and you start making the place nice and cosy.

It's a nice way to start the day.

While he preps the bar for the day ahead,

Chris heads out to find some fresh ingredients.

He came to Aviemore to follow a girl.

I've been coming here just since I moved.

My friend showed me these woods.

The girl didn't last, but Aviemore gained a chef who cut his teeth

with some of the best restaurants in Spain.

It's stunning up here.

I come out every couple of days.

This is what we're after, here.

Chanterelles, they're quite big,

these will be a few weeks old, I think.

I like them flash fried with a bit of lemon juice.

This is going to be our cocktail tonight,

if I can pick enough of them, blueberries.

I mean, look at the size of them. They are...huge.

Looking like a good night.

Dinner, we've got, at the moment, about 40 booked.

We usually double that at least with people just walking in.

Fresh chanterelles will definitely be on the menu tonight.

Ah, nice. Amazing.

For dessert, Chris has decided to try something new.

A chocolate cigar with, um...

cocoa butter and chocolate flocking.

This is a mix of cocoa butter and chocolate, just half and half.

Caribbean spices, cinnamon, orange.

OK, this is a bit loud and messy.

LOW BUZZING

Owen grabs a bite to eat before the rush,

but the barman brings worrying news.

A leak?

A passer-by has noticed a smell of gas outside.

-Thank you.

-No worries.

-Cheers.

A leaking gas tank.

Hey, guys. We've just discovered a gas leak outside.

-We'll need to get people off the premises.

-Right.

For Chris, it's close, but no cigars.

You cannae mess about with gas.

I've shut off the valve, but the leak is persisting.

Er, we get an unexpected break.

-Yes.

-CHRIS LAUGHS

For 17-year-old Rona Strivens from Aviemore,

this summer means the end of school.

It's also the start of a major new chapter in her life.

Knee guards,

spine plate, neck brace, helmet and gloves.

I've lost my gloves.

Rona's getting ready for the biggest day of her life.

She's at the Nevis range to compete in the downhill mountain bike

World Cup as an elite junior racer.

It's a big day, so she's allowed her mother, Catriona,

a special privilege.

This is the first that she's actually invited me up with her.

-It is.

-Stop embarrassing me, you're not allowed to come up again.

-That's what mums are for.

-You're not coming back up.

I'd love to wait at the top until she starts

and be able to see her on track,

but I also want to be at the bottom to see her finish, as well, so...

I'll do that, I'll head straight back down again and...

see her come over the finish line.

Before the day's racing begins,

Rona checks out the main hazards on foot.

I need to get a picture for Instagram.

It's one of the toughest downhill tracks in the world.

2.8km from start to finish with a drop of 550 metres.

I guess it's always a lot scarier walking down than it is riding.

She comes across confident.

I think she's nervous inside.

This is the road gap.

So tall that I can't even reach the takeoff standing under it.

The jump is four metres high and requires the riders to leap

six metres to make a safe clearance of the forestry road.

I've never done a jump with such a big takeoff before.

A big part of the problem will be the landing.

But you don't want to land too much on your back wheel.

So much could happen out there - one puncture, crash, or...who knows?

And especially in weather like this, so much can happen.

It's time for her first run.

-ANNOUNCER:

-90 seconds until racing is underway!

BEEPING

It's the fastest of two runs that determines her final result.

As soon as she gets on track and you know...you have an idea

whether you expect her to be appearing over the top.

And as the clock ticks by and she's not appearing...

BEEP

-ANNOUNCER:

-Crowd disturbance!

DISTANT CHEERING AND KLAXON

-ANNOUNCER:

-It's close! Oh!

WHISTLE

Rona's on course.

Go on, Rona!

Ooh! Oh, God!

Rona!

To stay in the race, Rona must cross the finish line.

Rona! Rona!

And as a junior she will go through,

when she, er, gets her breath back.

INDISTINCT

..shaken up.

OK.

-I'm sorry.

-Are you OK?

Rona's day is not going to plan.

Now she'll find out if she's too badly injured to race again.

There was a time when steam trains brought people from all over

to Aviemore and the mountains.

They came to hunt, shoot, fish and ski.

Some came just to marvel at the landscape.

TRAIN TOOTS

Tickets there.

Today, visitors to Aviemore can still experience

the thrill of steam travel.

ENGINE HISSING

WHISTLE

Since 1978, Strathspey Railway has been running tourist trips

on the steam trains they've painstakingly restored.

In the engine sheds, there's another forgotten world.

It's 6.30 in the morning

and firing up the engine for today's runs

are two of the railway's youngest recruits.

Oh, hang on. Where's that washer gone?

Can you grab some, er, grease, as well, please?

We get called train spotters,

but I'd like to see train spotters do this...

what? Half-six in the morning.

We like trains, OK? We like trains.

I just kind of showed up one day and haven't gone home since.

Tommy MacDonald is 19 and his fascination with engines began early.

I used to live by the railway, just the houses over there.

So my earliest memory is a steam train going past.

Calum Titley is 23.

His passion for steam began with his grandfather,

one of the pioneers of the Strathspey Railway revival.

When they first brought steam engines,

they were our age when they did this sort of thing,

so for them to go and do what they did back then, to try and keep

kind of railways and steam going, it was quite remarkable, really.

-Cal!

-Aye.

Tea's made.

He's such a poser, isn't he?

It'll be a long day.

They need to have the train at the platform for a 10.30 departure.

Aye, we've got an element leaking.

There may be a short delay.

There could be a little bit of a problem.

When you see a leak, bit of a gap,

your steam is going to find that gap and it's just going to cut a hole.

Potentially, you end up with fire coming back into the cab,

so you don't tend to take any chances with it.

Tommy, do you know where the ratchet is?

Getting to grips with technology that was

built 100 years before they were born is not straightforward.

When something goes wrong, you can't just go and buy a new part,

so you've got to be quite resourceful sometimes.

Calum and Tommy have now got their work cut out

to make the first run of the day.

Tickets there, there's the timetable.

Two adults...

With paying customers already arriving at the station,

the clock is ticking.

Thank you.

That's £28.50 altogether.

That's lovely, thank you.

Finally, the lads have the problem under control

and have built up a head of steam.

But Calum was right to be worried about a blowback into the cab.

Shut the door!

There's about a six foot flame in the cab, shut the door!

As Tommy said, it's going to be a long day.

4,500 people came through the zip park last year.

Mike and Nick find it a battle to keep on top of the business

side of things.

For outdoor guys, they get frustrated with the demands of being indoors.

I'm not very good at this bit.

That's the problem - you have the outdoor business, which is good fun,

then you've got to come and do office work.

All right.

Excellent.

While Nick takes care of the zip park,

Mike takes the chance to make his escape.

All right, folks, once you're ready, just come on over

and we'll fit you out with helmets and harnesses.

He's taking a group canyoning.

And he can't resist demonstrating how it's done.

Yee-ha!

He may be a fish out of water in the office - here, he is in his element.

A lot of people don't really know what it is, canyoning,

until they've done it and then they're like, that's pretty cool.

The guys have come down the river

and they can either slide in or they'll do the jump.

And there is another bigger jump higher up that they can do, as well.

The canyoning groups can be anything from stag parties to corporate team

builders, few with any experience of these conditions.

All your weight in your harness, then your first step is down

with the left foot onto that ledge. That's it.

The mix of both terror

and elation delivered safely is what Mike is looking for.

Probably the most dangerous part of it is the abseil, so you've got

cliff edges, so people can fall over,

and it's just making sure they're safe enough.

Just keep an eye on everybody and just slow it right down.

So far today, nobody's bottled it.

Your left leg first.

That's perfect.

Perfect.

Well done. Good.

Right. Who's next, guys?

Wahey! Ha!

Like a slippery kipper.

For Mike, it's the lure of the lifestyle that matters.

It's just messing about in water like a big kid. I love it.

I'm not going to grow up.

PHONE RINGS

In the meantime, the office has to look after itself.

'Hi, this is G2 Outdoor. Please leave us a message,

'and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

'I'm trying to look into gorge walking for my daughter...'

On the mountain, P-Man's team is still battling the midges as they try

to complete the cabling before nightfall.

Having fed the new cables round the return wheels on the toes,

they now have to splice them securely together.

You've got one rope like that and you've got two together like that.

And then you tuck that tails into that rope

and all that tails into that rope.

It takes a wee while to get the hang of it.

You do pick it up from generation of fitter to generation of fitter.

You start off thinking, "What the hell is going on here?"

Then by the time you end up getting trained to do it,

you've got a rough idea of what is happening.

Then once you're trained to do it,

you've still got a rough idea of what is happening.

HE LAUGHS

That'll be it.

Time to escape those midges at last.

Calum and Tommy have successfully fixed the leak in the engine,

but they're still behind schedule.

It's not ideal, it's not ideal at all.

Try and give her a nip. I didn't do her up that tight.

Try it again, Tommy.

Going to get cleaned up and give it another go.

Eventually, they are underway for the second time today.

I don't want to sound cocky, but I'm pretty good at this.

He's getting taught well.

You're boarding just here.

Look at him, he's sat there doing nothing.

The fire's burning away, keeping my steam up,

and all he's doing is blowing the whistle every now and again.

The train's moving smoothly, the tourists are happy,

and Tommy and Calum are back on track.

We always make it. We always make it.

Probably not on time, but...

At the Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup, Rona is

recovering from her bad fall in qualifying.

Sore!

She's not going to let her injuries stop her.

It happens.

Just got to get up and go again.

She's about to set off on her final run.

Mum takes up position at the finish line.

She's the first junior down.

Rona is amongst the last riders in the race,

and Catriona is working out the time to beat.

5.56.

She's competing against the best riders in the world.

Finishing on the podium would be a major achievement.

This is awful! I don't know if I can watch it.

-TANNNOY:

-Rona Strivens, the woman who crashed on the finish line.

19.6 seconds up!

SHE SCREAMS

Here she comes!

At this stage of the race, Rona is in pole position.

At the moment, Rona Strivens is the leading junior.

Well done, Rona!

You were the fastest.

In the end, Rona's time is good enough to clinch third place.

-I podiumed. I'm on the junior podium!

-Yes!

Rona Strivens!

The Old Bridge Inn has reopened its doors.

The gas leak is sorted.

The consequences could have been pretty disastrous,

so, yeah, we got away pretty lightly in the end, I think,

considering what could have happened.

In the kitchen,

Chris is putting the finishing touches to his chocolate cigars.

Also on the menu tonight,

mushroom risotto with freshly picked chanterelle,

blueberry cocktails, and, for afters...

Rum and lime jelly, mojito sorbet,

Caribbean-spiced cigar, coconut ash - that's it.

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?

-The fitters bring in the heavy lifters.

-I'm standing under it!

Ruairi is up the creek on the way to his wedding.

Boys, come on.

And Spud the piper faces the biggest audience of his life.