0:00:06 > 0:00:10You might think that this is a Canadian forest,
0:00:10 > 0:00:12the African savannah...
0:00:13 > 0:00:16..the Scottish mountains,
0:00:16 > 0:00:21but this is my adopted home, Wales, and the many countries within it.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24I've always been drawn to remote places around the world,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27but only recently I started questioning myself.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31Why am I travelling to these far-flung parts of the world
0:00:31 > 0:00:35to look for authentic, intact communities
0:00:35 > 0:00:40when there are communities like that right on my doorstep?
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Wales is home to less than 5% of the UK population,
0:00:43 > 0:00:46with most people concentrated in the south.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49And the sparsely inhabited countryside
0:00:49 > 0:00:53is exactly what attracted me to move here ten years ago.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55The further I looked west towards Wales,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58the fewer roads there were, and I thought,
0:00:58 > 0:00:59"That's where I want to be."
0:00:59 > 0:01:02But in all honesty, I still barely know Wales,
0:01:02 > 0:01:06so I'm taking my trusted Welsh sheepdog Teg on a journey...
0:01:06 > 0:01:08You're a horror. No!
0:01:08 > 0:01:10I really don't... No. I don't love you! No!
0:01:10 > 0:01:14..along its hilly, and mostly empty, heartland...
0:01:14 > 0:01:16And I know you're going to look at me and go, "She's mad."
0:01:16 > 0:01:19It's the equivalent of the Amazon rain forest.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22..to discover how our landscapes are being shaped...
0:01:22 > 0:01:25GUNSHOT This is the only option.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27..and how it's shaping its people...
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Look at her! She's just like a little mermaid!
0:01:31 > 0:01:33You're amazing!
0:01:33 > 0:01:36..to experience Wales off the beaten track
0:01:36 > 0:01:38with my most Welsh companion.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Of course, I may only be accepted in these communities
0:01:41 > 0:01:44because I've got the right nationality of dog.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54Our journey begins at the most northerly farm on mainland Wales,
0:01:54 > 0:01:56nestled on top of the Great Orme.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Parc Farm became famous
0:01:58 > 0:02:01when the National Trust put a call out for a tenant,
0:02:01 > 0:02:05offering the farm for the rent of £1 a year.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07But this bargain came at a price.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10The chosen candidate would need to restore the Orme
0:02:10 > 0:02:12to its former glory.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17This special piece of land is home to hundreds of rare wild plants,
0:02:17 > 0:02:18but a foot-and-mouth outbreak
0:02:18 > 0:02:21prevented animals grazing here for a decade.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24The land became overrun with weed grasses,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27and the plants were almost lost forever.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Now, the bid winner, Dan Jones,
0:02:30 > 0:02:35is hoping to fully restore the Orme using an unusual conservation tool -
0:02:35 > 0:02:36English sheep.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40- Good morning. I'm Kate.- Oh, hi. How's it going?- Lovely to meet you.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42- This is Teg.- Are you going to help me a little bit today?
0:02:42 > 0:02:45- I will try.- Cool. - SHE LAUGHS
0:02:45 > 0:02:50So, I'm interested in why you've got Herdwicks.
0:02:50 > 0:02:51You know, I think of them...
0:02:51 > 0:02:53They're the classic sort of fell country,
0:02:53 > 0:02:54the Cumbrian sheep.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58And I would have thought there was almost a stipulation
0:02:58 > 0:03:02that you had to have Welsh sheep and that you had to have local sheep.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04The Herdwick was chosen because of the way they graze.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06They graze different plants,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09compared to other native lowland Welsh sheep.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11So, they were chosen almost as
0:03:11 > 0:03:13- a kind of management tool, really? - Of course.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15That's exactly what the Herdwicks are here.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18They're conservation grazing tools.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20Something that I'd like to prove is that
0:03:20 > 0:03:24conservation farming and modern-day farming techniques
0:03:24 > 0:03:26can work together successfully.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Well, the big factor in all of this is
0:03:28 > 0:03:30the tenancy here's only £1 a year.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32It was a big news story at the time.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35I remember lots of people e-mailed me going,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37"There's a farm up for £1 a year!"
0:03:37 > 0:03:40You know, "Do you want it?" I was like, "Absolutely not!
0:03:40 > 0:03:43"Way out of my league!"
0:03:43 > 0:03:45But a lot of people did apply for it.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Apparently, there was about 2,500 people that wanted it,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51or showed an interest in it.
0:03:51 > 0:03:56- I think I ticked most of the boxes they were looking for.- Yeah.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59For that £1, Dan is tasked with maintaining
0:03:59 > 0:04:04over 800 acres of grazing with 400 English and Welsh sheep.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09It's still early days. He's been on the farm for just six months.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Conservation aside, this is still a working farm,
0:04:12 > 0:04:14and there's plenty of work to be done.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Today's job is bringing the youngsters in
0:04:17 > 0:04:19for their worming medicine.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23Good thing I've got my herding machine with me, Teg.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Teg! Come here. Come here. Good girl!
0:04:26 > 0:04:28Steady! That'll do! Teg!
0:04:28 > 0:04:30While everything started well,
0:04:30 > 0:04:34there's always one that gets away, but not for long.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Teg never likes to leave anyone behind.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Shall I see if I can get that lamb?
0:04:39 > 0:04:42- Yeah, if you go back, I'll just take these through.- Teg! Teg!
0:04:42 > 0:04:47Teg and the lamb almost look like they're playing catch.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49Come here, Teg! Teg!
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Good girl! That'll do!
0:04:52 > 0:04:54And then a little hide-and-seek.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59But as much as I enjoy a walk,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02I'm quite thankful that Dan joins the party.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06Well done. Well done, Teg. Well done.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08- That is a lively lamb. - It is a lively lamb.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14The concept of using sheep for conservation sounds contradictory
0:05:14 > 0:05:18when they're often accused of grazing landscapes bare.
0:05:18 > 0:05:24Botanical specialist Trevor Dines explains how and why it works.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26You can pop that in your mouth. That's salad burnet,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28and that should taste of cucumber.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Tastes of dog wee. HE LAUGHS
0:05:33 > 0:05:36- It doesn't!- That's your dog's fault. - Yeah, that's my dog's fault.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39And it's that richness that makes the Great Orme so special.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41It's unlike anywhere else in Wales,
0:05:41 > 0:05:45and it really is one of the top five sites for wild plants in Britain.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47It's a botanist's Mecca.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52And yet, Trevor, you say it's a botanist's Mecca,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54and it's got sheep on it.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57What on earth are you thinking?
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Sheep are like a herd of hairdressers
0:05:59 > 0:06:01actually out on the hillsides.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05The sheep will come in and graze this tougher grass away,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07but they'll leave these herbs underneath.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10- Why will they leave those herbs, though?- Well, they will graze them,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13but the roots will be there to come back up afterwards.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15There are plants here that grow nowhere else in the world,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18there are plants here that only grow in a few places in Britain,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21so all of that richness is here.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Because of that, we then get the rare butterflies,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26the rare insects, the rare pollinators,
0:06:26 > 0:06:27the rare bees here, as well.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29And that sort of cascades up the food chain,
0:06:29 > 0:06:33and it's all down to this richness of this tapestry on the ground.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38Which is why Dan has gone back to old-style shepherding -
0:06:38 > 0:06:40staying out with his flock
0:06:40 > 0:06:42and making sure they munch on the right stuff.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50The real challenge of this seemingly utopian partnership is,
0:06:50 > 0:06:52can it pay?
0:06:52 > 0:06:56Can it be worth a farmer's while
0:06:56 > 0:07:01to go back to this slightly more old-fashioned way of farming?
0:07:01 > 0:07:05It may ultimately be great for biodiversity -
0:07:05 > 0:07:08not just of plants, but of wildlife in general -
0:07:08 > 0:07:11but if it doesn't work for the human beings
0:07:11 > 0:07:14who are the guardians of our countryside,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17that's where the idea is going to fall down,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21and that's why this experiment is so important.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25If Dan and his herd of hairdressers left the Great Orme ungrazed,
0:07:25 > 0:07:29it would eventually turn into shrub and woodland,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32and then we would lose all the unique biodiversity
0:07:32 > 0:07:34adapted to these conditions.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37As we continue our journey south,
0:07:37 > 0:07:39I realised that the conditions in
0:07:39 > 0:07:42the dramatic Snowdonia mountain range
0:07:42 > 0:07:45can change in mere moments.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49And as humans, we, too, must adapt to stay safe.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Forged by the good old Welsh weather,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56the mountains attract millions of visitors every year,
0:07:56 > 0:08:01but, sadly, their beauty goes hand-in-hand with their perils.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04Every year, the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue team
0:08:04 > 0:08:07receives around 130 calls
0:08:07 > 0:08:10to help even the most experienced hill walkers.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Sorry. Mobile one, this is Ogwen base. Go ahead.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16They're one of 12 teams in Wales giving up their time for free,
0:08:16 > 0:08:2224-7, whatever the weather, 365 days a year.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26And they're lucky to have a four-paw sniffing machine in their team.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Spin is one of the seasoned dogs of SARDA,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34the Search and Rescue Dogs Association.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Her loyal companion is paramedic
0:08:36 > 0:08:39and mountain rescue dog handler Sally Armond.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Right, so, here we are in your glorious back yard,
0:08:44 > 0:08:48and I'm imagining that this sort of weather is nothing for you.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51- Most mountain rescue searches happen at night.- Right.
0:08:51 > 0:08:52And very often in blizzards
0:08:52 > 0:08:56and the sorts of conditions you'd imagine that people get lost in.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58They don't tend to happen on a glorious sunny day
0:08:58 > 0:09:01- when you're out in your bikini. - KATE LAUGHS
0:09:01 > 0:09:03To keep on top of their game,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Spin and Sally stage regular rescue exercises
0:09:06 > 0:09:10with the help of volunteers, lovingly called dogsbodies -
0:09:10 > 0:09:12literally somebody hiding in the mountains
0:09:12 > 0:09:15for the dogs to sniff out.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18The human body's about 20 trillion human cells
0:09:18 > 0:09:20- and about 30 trillion bacteria. - Right.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25So, every minute, we're giving off tens of thousands of human cells,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28and each human cell has got a raft of bacteria on it.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32So, those rafts are given off as plumes in the wind.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35And what I want to do, as a search dog handler,
0:09:35 > 0:09:37is work across the wind,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41putting the dog and the dog's nose into the best position
0:09:41 > 0:09:44- so she's most likely to pick up on those rafts.- Right.
0:09:44 > 0:09:45Well, Spin is already looking keen.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47- Aren't you?- She's looking cold.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Little bit cold, as well. Do you want to get going?
0:09:49 > 0:09:52- I suspect the dogsbody's a little bit cold, as well.- Yeah.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55So, you want me and Teg to stay back here, is that right?
0:09:55 > 0:09:57- I think so, yeah.- Yeah. So, it's better for you.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- You can just concentrate on what you're doing.- Yeah.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06I suppose that's the thing about doing a search with a dog,
0:10:06 > 0:10:11is it's like having sort of a super extra pair of eyes,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14a super extra pair of ears, a nose, and, of course, four-paw drive,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17which means that you can cover more and more landscape
0:10:17 > 0:10:20than you could if you were just on your own.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22It takes around three years to train a dog
0:10:22 > 0:10:27in the art of air-scenting mountain search and rescue work.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Spin started as a puppy, and at 11 years of age,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33she has the equivalent of a PhD.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39I'm just watching her cross this very steep bit of hillside now.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43Quite a difficult place for Sally to get to, I would say.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46And you can just see how quickly
0:10:46 > 0:10:50and efficiently a dog can cover an area that a human would find
0:10:50 > 0:10:52really hard work and slow going.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56She's working into the wind.
0:10:58 > 0:10:59And, interestingly,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02where Spin is now, she won't be able to see Sally -
0:11:02 > 0:11:05there are too many rocks and boulders in the way -
0:11:05 > 0:11:08so she's going to have to use her own initiative.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Good sheepdog trait.
0:11:11 > 0:11:12Streaking across the hill now.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Find!
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Now, it looks like, to my admittedly inexpert eye,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21that she might have picked up on something.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26Suddenly, the kind of energy levels picked up.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28SPIN BARKS
0:11:28 > 0:11:30She looks more urgent now.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Heading back to Sally.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36- SPIN BARKS - What have you got? Show me.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39- Come on.- Yeah, she looks like she's leading Sally back now.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Again, a really intent run out.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Back towards the boulders. Sally's running,
0:11:44 > 0:11:49so maybe Sally has picked up on the fact that she's found something.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53And, yes, Spin is going back to a particular spot.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- SPIN BARKS - What have you got?
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Show me.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Barking. I think she must have found them.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Show me, then. Where is he? Where is he?
0:12:09 > 0:12:11There he is.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Yay! Hello.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17- Whey! Good girl.- Yay!
0:12:17 > 0:12:20SHE LAUGHS And I can hear cheering.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22She has obviously found her quarry.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Gosh, that was amazing.
0:12:25 > 0:12:26Clever girl.
0:12:26 > 0:12:32And, you know, we're looking at this extraordinary craggy space.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34You couldn't see anything from this spot,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36and within ten minutes, they found him.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Well done, Spin. Yay!
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Can I come out of my hole now?
0:12:46 > 0:12:52But in Snowdonia, canine power is not only harnessed for saving lives.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Ten miles east is the largest forest
0:12:55 > 0:12:56in North Wales.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59The lush, evergreen Gwydir Forest
0:12:59 > 0:13:02stretches over 28 square miles,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05and it's hard to believe this was once a derelict landscape.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10The need for wood to build trenches during the First World War
0:13:10 > 0:13:12left the area with few trees.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15However, in 1921,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17conifers were brought over from North America
0:13:17 > 0:13:19and the land is now thriving.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25But the trees are not the only things that were imported.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28For Gareth Bowyer, Gwydir Forest is a training ground.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31He runs the Snowdonia Sleddog Racing Team,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34and Teg and I are joining his pack of huskies
0:13:34 > 0:13:37to view this woodland from their perspective.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44I think Teg wants to join your team. SHE LAUGHS
0:13:44 > 0:13:46Well, Teg's welcome to try.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48What do you think? What do you think?
0:13:48 > 0:13:50You might knock some sense into them.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53SHE LAUGHS I can completely understand
0:13:53 > 0:13:54people doing it in Canada and,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57you know, in the northern states of America,
0:13:57 > 0:14:01but I never really think of it as something that we Brits do.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04If I had any sense, I'd have got a horse.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06SHE LAUGHS Bit late for that now.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10It's a bit late for that. I just... I think they're wonderful dogs.
0:14:10 > 0:14:11- They're pure athletes.- Yeah.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14And I just wanted to be a part of that.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16DOG BARKS Do you think this is a hint?
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Do you think they're saying, "Come on, stop talking, let's go"?
0:14:19 > 0:14:21They don't like standing still for long.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25Let's talk on the run. And could you give Teg a lift?
0:14:25 > 0:14:28I'm not sure she's quite up to pulling a quad bike, but...
0:14:28 > 0:14:32- I think she just said yes. - SHE LAUGHS
0:14:32 > 0:14:33- OK?- Yeah, ready.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38- OK, good boys. Hike on.- Wow!
0:14:42 > 0:14:46Harnessed to an all-terrain vehicle, the dogs learn to pull.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50The use of a quad makes it easier to control the pack when training,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52and the extra weight is compensated for
0:14:52 > 0:14:55by giving a bit of throttle to the engine.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58That was amazing.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01How much was dog power and how much were you using this?
0:15:01 > 0:15:04It very much depends on how fast you're going...
0:15:04 > 0:15:06- Yeah.- ..and how fresh the dogs are.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09And what are the commands that you used?
0:15:09 > 0:15:11I heard you say "gee" at one point.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Yes, we say "gee" for right and "haw" for left.
0:15:14 > 0:15:20- "Haw" for left. Do you ever say "mush"?- No.
0:15:20 > 0:15:21And what about stopping?
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Cos that's probably quite an important thing to be able to do.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28- That's just hit the brakes and say, "Whoa."- Right.
0:15:28 > 0:15:29Do you think I might be able to have a go?
0:15:29 > 0:15:33- Of course you can. - Do you think?- Yeah.- OK, good.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Although I'm not sure Teg wants me to have a go!
0:15:36 > 0:15:39- Ready?- Hike.- Hike on.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43Well done, dogs.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Woohoo!
0:15:46 > 0:15:47Come on, dogs. Come on.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52My favourite times are when I'm just out in nature
0:15:52 > 0:15:53on my own with the dogs.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58And sometimes we just have a beautifully smooth run,
0:15:58 > 0:16:02and everything is in unison, everybody knows what they're doing.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05You see it more from an animal's perspective, in a way.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09- Yeah.- A car is too fast. - Right.- Cos you don't see much.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12- Yeah.- And a bicycle is too fast, as well.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15- But walking's too slow. - SHE LAUGHS
0:16:15 > 0:16:19This is just a wonderful way of passing through the countryside
0:16:19 > 0:16:21and seeing everything.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Mush, mush! THEY LAUGH
0:16:24 > 0:16:26OK, good boys.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28It's very calming, actually, isn't it?
0:16:28 > 0:16:31- It is calming. You can actually switch off.- Yeah.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35And that's one of my favourite things about it is you just stop thinking.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37- It's a lifestyle.- Yeah.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39A pretty good one when the weather's like this.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41So, what did you make of it, Teg?
0:16:41 > 0:16:44- What do you think Teg made of it? - She was sitting there...
0:16:44 > 0:16:47She honestly looked like the Queen of Sheba, didn't she, with her sort of subjects...
0:16:47 > 0:16:50- She did.- ..running along in front of her.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53It's wonderful to experience new ways
0:16:53 > 0:16:56to enjoy the different landscapes of Wales.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58And while, for some, it's a job,
0:16:58 > 0:17:02others simply seek solace in the natural beauty.
0:17:03 > 0:17:08Hidden amongst the Snowdonia mountain range are around 250 lakes,
0:17:08 > 0:17:12so we head south-west to discover one of these hidden gems.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17Teg and I join Yorkshire-born artist Natasha Brooks
0:17:17 > 0:17:21to see if we can be brave enough to immerse ourselves in her world.
0:17:23 > 0:17:29What is it about being in water naked
0:17:29 > 0:17:33that allows you to, I don't know, appreciate the landscape differently
0:17:33 > 0:17:38than, say, sitting here with this magnificent view around us?
0:17:38 > 0:17:40You just kind of see another side of the landscape
0:17:40 > 0:17:42that's hidden to you unless you go in.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45You feel like you've gone into the mountain,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48then gone into the mountains even further.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Most people are used to wearing a swimming costume,
0:17:51 > 0:17:55but as soon as you get rid of it, there's a sensory difference.
0:17:55 > 0:17:56It's free-er.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00If I was to come into a solitary place and cover my body up,
0:18:00 > 0:18:04I'm hiding it only for myself, really, and I don't...
0:18:04 > 0:18:06- Don't need to.- ..understand... I don't like it.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09I feel it's healthy to shed my layers
0:18:09 > 0:18:11and be me in the landscape.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12It's April.
0:18:12 > 0:18:18There's no chance that that water has had any opportunity to warm up.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20When does the pleasure hit?
0:18:20 > 0:18:25So, if you do it often, the shock does go away.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27I don't know whether I just like suffering or...
0:18:27 > 0:18:30- THEY LAUGH - But it makes you feel alive.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33In that moment, you're just overwhelmed
0:18:33 > 0:18:35by that sensory feeling.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Well, I've got to try it, haven't I?
0:18:38 > 0:18:39- Yeah.- I'm here now.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42And will you forgive me if I literally last, like, two seconds
0:18:42 > 0:18:45- and squeal a bit?- Yeah, that's fine, as long as you get in.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47- THEY LAUGH OK, that's a deal.- Yeah.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49We'll shake on it. I'll get in. I promise.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52I'm just not telling you how long I'm going to stay in.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Teg matches this landscape incredibly.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57- Doesn't she?- Yeah!
0:18:59 > 0:19:04KATE SHIVERS Natasha, you are bonkers!
0:19:04 > 0:19:07How ready are you? I'm not going to stand here waiting for you
0:19:07 > 0:19:11- for very long. - Erm, nearly there.- Right.
0:19:15 > 0:19:16Come on, Teggy.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21Wow. Ooh!
0:19:21 > 0:19:26- Oh! There's that kind of middle bit, isn't there?- Yeah.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28The creepy bit over your thigh.
0:19:28 > 0:19:29Oh!
0:19:32 > 0:19:37THEY LAUGH I wish I didn't like you so much!
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Dog, don't you dare let me down. You're coming in.
0:19:50 > 0:19:51Are you going?
0:19:56 > 0:19:57Breathe.
0:20:02 > 0:20:07Ooh! Come on, Kate. Oh, yes.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18- Oh!- And now just keep breathing. - Breathing.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22Urgh! I can't speak! I'm so... Oh!
0:20:22 > 0:20:26I can't speak! It's too cold! Oh!
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Teg, come on, you've got to come in.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Oh! Oh, my goodness!
0:20:45 > 0:20:46Oh!
0:20:47 > 0:20:50OK, I feel like I'm slightly on fire.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54- Yeah.- I think I'm going to have to come out.- OK.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56If you...
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Oh, Teg, come on.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Oh, my skin just feels...
0:21:04 > 0:21:05..so alive.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07SHE LAUGHS
0:21:09 > 0:21:14You feel sort of euphoric, and suddenly,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18out here, it feels almost tropical.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21SHE LAUGHS Teg, you let me down.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23You beastly, horrible dog.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25No, you stay away!
0:21:27 > 0:21:30SHE SHIVERS
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Ooh!
0:21:35 > 0:21:39SHE LAUGHS Oh, that's heavenly.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Look at her. She's just like a little mermaid.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44You're amazing!
0:21:46 > 0:21:52Just swimming with every part of you in contact with the water
0:21:52 > 0:21:54is the most exhilarating feeling.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57And you do, it's one of those situations where
0:21:57 > 0:21:59you don't know whether you're hot or cold.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Every part of your skin is
0:22:01 > 0:22:05tingling, is alive, it's just... It's fantastic.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08And even though I know I must look like I'm hypothermic,
0:22:08 > 0:22:12actually, I'm not. I feel quite warm now and I feel about,
0:22:12 > 0:22:13I don't know, 20 years younger.
0:22:13 > 0:22:18You just feel like you've just been completely reinvigorated.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22It's like a sort of massive reboot for the body.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25That said, I am going to go and put my thermals back on.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32It really actually was properly lovely.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34Properly, properly lovely.
0:22:36 > 0:22:37I just want to do this.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42- I loved it.- Thank you.- Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Of course, wild swimming isn't the only natural high
0:22:57 > 0:23:00available in these parts.
0:23:00 > 0:23:01As we make our way south,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03I'm hoping that local
0:23:03 > 0:23:05mushroom expert Cynan Jones
0:23:05 > 0:23:10will be keeping strictly to the legal side of fungi foraging.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12If you think about it, there are 30,000 species
0:23:12 > 0:23:14of fungi in the UK alone.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19There's probably maybe ten or 12 that are worth eating, really nice.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21- Is that right? Only that few?- Oh, yeah.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25And about ten or 12 that are absolutely poisonous.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29Like lots of people, I'm a bit dubious about trying mushrooms,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32but hopefully I can trust Cynan.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36- They're called scarlet elf cups. It tastes of radish.- Really?
0:23:36 > 0:23:38- Can you eat them raw? - You can eat them raw, yeah.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41You know, the perceived wisdom is if it's bright red,
0:23:41 > 0:23:47- probably not a good idea to eat it? - Yeah. Just get it...
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Usually, red in the fungal world, is a dangerous thing.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52- Yeah.- Usually is, but not in this case.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55- Are you sure?- Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Well, I did survive that,
0:23:59 > 0:24:03and Teg seems to be enjoying her own foraging.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05Looking to diversify the family's farming business,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Cynan has extended his hobby into a trade.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11He now rears mushrooms for the market,
0:24:11 > 0:24:16and - believe it or not - this is the largest mushroom farm in Wales.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19- So, is this mushroom HQ? - This is it, yes. Yes.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22Now, you see, when I heard I was coming to your mushroom farm,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25I'm not sure this is quite what I expected.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27So, does everything happen in those containers?
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Everything happens in the containers, yeah.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32That's where we control the conditions
0:24:32 > 0:24:34to just give the mushrooms a little bit of a helping hand.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36That's extraordinary.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40- When do you usually see mushrooms? - In the autumn.- In the autumn.
0:24:40 > 0:24:41- Yeah.- And why?
0:24:41 > 0:24:46Because the temperature changes, the light changes, humidity changes,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50and they understand winter's coming, so we better fruit before we die.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52- Right.- And what we see are the fruiting bodies.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54- Yeah.- So, what we do here...
0:24:55 > 0:24:59..is we have the summer here and we have the autumn here.
0:24:59 > 0:25:00- OK.- Two different conditions.- Yeah.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04And by moving the mushrooms from one to another,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07they get the shock that they need to actually start fruiting.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09- This is the warm summer.- OK.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11It all starts in these bags,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13full of locally sourced oak woodchip,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16inoculated with spawn or the germinating spores
0:25:16 > 0:25:19that will grow into mushrooms.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22- That's effectively a live bag. - It's a live bag, yeah.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25And that's a good way of putting it, actually.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29It loves it here - it's warm, it's got plenty of food,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32- so it won't fruit here.- Right. - Why should it expend energy?
0:25:32 > 0:25:34- It's too comfortable.- It's too comfortable.- Yeah.- Needs a shock.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38After eight weeks, the growing fungi start showing signs
0:25:38 > 0:25:40of being ready to fruit.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43- I'm sorry to say this, but they almost look like sort of warts or something.- Yes.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46- Yeah, well, we call them popcorns. - Do you? That's much nicer.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48- Which is better, much nicer. - Yes, it is, yes.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51And to help shock them in the colder temperatures
0:25:51 > 0:25:55of autumn next door, I don my sexiest dinner-lady look.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57- Come through here.- Yeah. - This is where the magic happens,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00but you shouldn't really use
0:26:00 > 0:26:03"mushroom" and "magic" in the same sentence, really.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07- But there is some magic going on here.- Your sales might go up.- Yeah.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09- Look at your little loaves! - You see? Yeah.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11You see all those little lumps and cracks?
0:26:11 > 0:26:14- So, those are our little warts who have now...- Yeah.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18- Don't call them warts. - Popcorns. They are warts.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Yeah, and this has been here for about two days.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Really? So, it's come from there and then literally into...
0:26:24 > 0:26:26- Gosh, you do shock them, don't you? - Oh, yeah.- Poor little things.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30- Poor little things, yeah. - So, this is a loaf in trauma.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Yes. It's in trauma because it thinks it's going to die.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36So, it's pushing out little babies all the time.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Even though this is a small-scale mushroom farm,
0:26:46 > 0:26:50it produces 200 kilos of shiitake a week,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52with customers even in the Far East.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58- We can cook with them later on. - Can we?- Yeah. Do you fancy it?
0:26:58 > 0:27:01- Yeah!- OK.- Well, I'm not doing all this work for nothing!
0:27:02 > 0:27:06And so while Teg and I take a little stroll,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09Cynan shows off his culinary skills.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16And Teg loses interest in the walk.
0:27:17 > 0:27:18I wonder why.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Smells nice, doesn't it, Teg?
0:27:22 > 0:27:24I think it looks unbelievably good.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30That is delicious.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34Have you got a spare room for me and my dog? HE LAUGHS
0:27:34 > 0:27:36- I'll come and cut your mushrooms for you.- Yeah, yeah.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Oh, yes. Well, I'm sure we can talk about that.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Always need a pair of hands.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46Next time, we play apex predator...
0:27:46 > 0:27:49I don't know about you, but I'm quite looking forward to venison for breakfast.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53..Teg and I chase cows in the mist...
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Yeah, they're back on the road now, Will!
0:27:55 > 0:27:57I think. No, they're not.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59..and I discover the spirit
0:27:59 > 0:28:01of the Dyfi Valley.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Right, I'll see you, Pete. LAUGHTER