0:00:03 > 0:00:07North of the Amazon lies another jungle,
0:00:07 > 0:00:09still unknown and unspoilt -
0:00:09 > 0:00:11the rainforests of Guyana.
0:00:16 > 0:00:17A team of explorers,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20scientists and filmmakers
0:00:20 > 0:00:23is in the heart of this threatened jungle.
0:00:23 > 0:00:28Their aim - to survey the animals in this great wilderness.
0:00:30 > 0:00:36Here in Guyana, this is pristine - it's untouched. Unchanged.
0:00:36 > 0:00:42Wow! Our job is to prove that these forests are worth more alive than they could be razed to the ground.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45The expedition is moving into its second phase
0:00:45 > 0:00:48and the team must push harder to discover more of
0:00:48 > 0:00:52the extraordinary creatures hidden within this rainforest.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58There are probably hundreds, if not thousands of species here
0:00:58 > 0:01:02that haven't been seen by anybody. And we will find them first.
0:01:02 > 0:01:07But it's proving tough. For 48 hours, Steve Backshall
0:01:07 > 0:01:10has been battered by one of the world's most powerful waterfalls
0:01:10 > 0:01:12and the worst the elements can throw at him.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19The storm is getting closer and closer. It's right overhead.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21And, er... I'm just a bit scared, actually,
0:01:21 > 0:01:22I'm going to get struck.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25I'm pretty much the only feature in the landscape at the moment.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29If there's a lightning strike down here, then I'm gonna get hit.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03Guyana - the size of Great Britain, with just 2% of the population.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05The towns are clustered on the coast.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Travel inland and you find nothing but jungle.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22In the heart of the forest lies Kaieteur Falls.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32It's five times higher than Niagara, and sheltering at its base
0:02:32 > 0:02:35is expedition naturalist and climber, Steve Backshall.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Well, that was about the most miserable night in my life.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45I was doing fine until the storm hit.
0:02:45 > 0:02:51And then all of a sudden I was woken up by this enormous weight on my head.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56And it was just all the water gathering in my shelter.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01And from then on in, it was a struggle to keep the thing up.
0:03:03 > 0:03:08Two nights without sleep and I am absolutely ruined!
0:03:09 > 0:03:12It's been worth it.
0:03:12 > 0:03:18He's the first naturalist ever to explore this unique habitat that's constantly drenched in spray.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Look at this!
0:03:21 > 0:03:25He's discovered a bizarre world crawling with frogs,
0:03:25 > 0:03:29where freshwater crabs scuttle through a valley full of orchids.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36This is one of the most dramatic places I've ever been.
0:03:36 > 0:03:41And just to be completely enveloped in this mist, it just feels like you're part of the waterfall!
0:03:41 > 0:03:43It's one of the most exciting,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45fantastic places I've ever been in my life!
0:03:45 > 0:03:47But it's no place for humans.
0:03:47 > 0:03:52For two nights, Steve's had no sleep and little food.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57To get out, he must haul himself up 240 metres of rope.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06Ascending on a rope which is about as wide as my little finger.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Which is why I'm moving up here at a snail's pace.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16God, it's a long way!
0:04:20 > 0:04:26The rest of the team are in the jungle base camp and there are monkeys close by.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31- Gordon - we've got brown capuchins above the ladies' loo!- Mmm.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36Gordon Buchanan is an expert on South America's rainforest animals.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38Were you asleep?
0:04:38 > 0:04:42About an hour. I got up at three this morning.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Right, what do I need? Clothes!
0:04:45 > 0:04:47What were you dreaming about?
0:04:47 > 0:04:51I was dreaming about monkeys, funnily enough!
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Premonition!
0:04:53 > 0:04:58His job is to record these animals on camera.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01So far, he's been tracking creatures through dense forest.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05But now wildlife is coming right into camp.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08It's right there, sitting.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15I hope that's rain that's falling down! And not urine!
0:05:15 > 0:05:21- Two of the scientists, George and Raquel, spotted the monkeys near their jungle laboratory.- Here.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25There!
0:05:28 > 0:05:31They're brown Capuchins.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39They're foraging side by side with squirrel monkeys.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44There are eight species of monkey in this part of South America.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48The team aims to find out how many live in this forest.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54There's one up here. Look! That's right overhead.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Oh my God! There's one right here.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00He's just having a bite to eat.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04Primates are normally nervous when humans are around.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06But this forest is unusual -
0:06:06 > 0:06:11it's not been hunted and the monkeys show little fear of people.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17They're after this tree, there's some fruits in it. I'm seeing him throwing out the seeds.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22Monkeys are important seed dispersal agents for the forest.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Just being so close to camp, I am astounded that there's
0:06:26 > 0:06:30any activity here from any animal, let alone a primate.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34On the other side of camp, another monkey has just been spotted
0:06:34 > 0:06:37by wildlife camera woman, Justine Evans.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Yes, I can see, cos he's moving.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Oh, yeah, yeah.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Oh, yes! Fantastic.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Got some spider monkeys here.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58This one doesn't seem particularly happy about us being here.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00It's making lots of little noises.
0:07:03 > 0:07:04Getting a bit upset.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10He just threw a branch down at us. Amazing arms.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Very gibbon like. This is really an amazing place.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17I didn't expect to wander out of camp and see so much.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20Especially from down in the understorey.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24You normally just don't see anything, it's so hard.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Yeah, it's really great. Good time.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40To catalogue the species that live in this remote jungle,
0:07:40 > 0:07:44there's an international team of scientists on the expedition.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47They are working out of a purpose-built jungle lab
0:07:47 > 0:07:49in the heart of the camp.
0:07:49 > 0:07:54Studying the plants is Guyanese biologist, Dr Raquel Thomas.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58In this forest we have over 6,000 species of flowering plants.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02Every time I come in here, there is something new to see and new to learn.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04That's why it's important.
0:08:07 > 0:08:12In charge of the river survey is fish expert, Dr Phil Willink.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16These are places that we need to come to now and work in
0:08:16 > 0:08:22before they change, before people move in and ecosystems are impacted.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26The expedition's results will be shared with the Guyanese Government.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30It's a very poor country, trying to decide whether it can keep
0:08:30 > 0:08:36its forests intact, or if they have to be logged for much-needed cash.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40- Which one is that?- That's a wolf spider.- That's a big one.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44There's probably species here that haven't been described yet.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Working with the team is Dr Russ Mittermeier.
0:08:47 > 0:08:53He's the president of Conservation International which is campaigning to keep these forests.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56In Guyana you still have virtually all of the forest intact.
0:08:56 > 0:09:01And it has the greatest remaining rainforest wilderness area on earth.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05And if we have rainforest wilderness 50 or 100 years from now,
0:09:05 > 0:09:07it's going to be in this region.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11So it's a fabulous area. It's unlike any place else on earth.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14It really is the hope of rainforest wilderness for this planet.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24For an hour, Steve has been dragging himself
0:09:24 > 0:09:26up the rope inch by painful inch.
0:09:30 > 0:09:31Oh, shoot!
0:09:33 > 0:09:34HE GROANS
0:09:36 > 0:09:40Steve has climbed some of the world's highest mountains
0:09:40 > 0:09:45and run extreme marathons - but this climb has all but defeated him.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54BLEEP!
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Absolute hell on earth down there.
0:10:03 > 0:10:04It's so cold and wet.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12As the rest of the climbing crew make it safely to the top,
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Steve collapses from the exertion.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16The expedition medic is on hand.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Here, have some water.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Sit on this bank over here, mate.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30- How are you feeling now?- Fine. - You've just got to rest, mate.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34You've just done a big exertion after the couple of days down there, as well.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36- You really have got to chill. - Thanks, mate.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41- Don't be walking around and don't be grabbing no ropes up here.- OK!
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Steve can now return to what should be the safety of base camp.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52But some creatures are getting too close for comfort.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Oooooh!
0:10:54 > 0:10:57- This little thing could kill you? - Yes.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00They bite, those ants. They're only little, but they bite hard.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03We've invaded their space, not the other way round.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06They're just reclaiming it now.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Ow!
0:11:08 > 0:11:12Insect expert Dr George McGavin has been stung by a scorpion.
0:11:14 > 0:11:19Cardinal rule - do not stick your hand in a bucket you haven't checked.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Right in the finger. Imagine you've heated up a pin
0:11:26 > 0:11:31to about 120 degrees C and you stab it right through your finger.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35I imagine what that would feel like is what this is.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42George's sting is painful, but not life threatening.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Really funny feeling.
0:11:49 > 0:11:55Steve is back in camp and the whole team gathers for the usual, piranhas and rice.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03The day's work is not done.
0:12:03 > 0:12:08After dinner, George has an unpalatable task for everyone.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11He's organised a scorpion clear-out.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15They split up and scour the camp.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22George told me that he'd seen one in the bathroom. Bathroom!
0:12:22 > 0:12:24Does it look like a bathroom?!
0:12:24 > 0:12:27No, it's just a huge hole.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31I think I'm getting a bit of a bum deal here.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Each team is armed with an ultraviolet torch.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39Wow! I've found two tiny scorpions. I don't believe it.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Under ultraviolet light, scorpions are easily spotted.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48It's amazing how they glow, isn't it?
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Just a little itty bitty one.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Good start. Look at that.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Woo-hoo!
0:12:57 > 0:12:59There it is.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03George and Raquel have the biggest catch of the evening.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08There he is. There's the little beauty.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12That would have handed you quite a painful sting.
0:13:12 > 0:13:17If I was to ease off the pressure on these forceps, it would leap forward, grab my finger,
0:13:17 > 0:13:22sting me in the thumb...and that would be very unpleasant.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25The fatter the tail, the worse the sting.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- I haven't seen any really big ones yet.- This is not big?
0:13:28 > 0:13:30That's not big, no.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33It's big to me!
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Scorpions love to crawl into small, dark places,
0:13:36 > 0:13:41so it's a good idea every night to turn your sleeping bag inside out.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Scorpions aren't the only unwelcome guests.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52There's a highly venomous centipede in the women's dormitory.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54Steve. Steve.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Steve.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02I've got a centipede in my bed. I was quite hoping you'd remove it for me.
0:14:02 > 0:14:07Steve's had years of experience handling poisonous creatures.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Centipedes are way harder to handle than any sn...
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Yeah, this is called a scolopendrid, which has a nasty bite to it.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Ooh, it's feisty!
0:14:23 > 0:14:28His front feet have adapted into poisonous, venomous claws,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31which he uses for biting.
0:14:31 > 0:14:38Every one of those feet has a nasty toxin, as well, which leaves horrible scratches on the skin.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40He's all right.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44- Cheers, Steve.- Night night. - Thank you!
0:14:56 > 0:15:00The heart and soul of the base camp is the beach.
0:15:00 > 0:15:07It's where the fish are gutted, the boats are stored and where everyone comes to wash and cool off.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12It's a welcome respite from the stifling jungle heat.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15All the sweat, the dirt, the grime.
0:15:18 > 0:15:23The one good thing is, you have the beautiful river out there to bathe in, because it's fresh water.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Absolutely beautiful.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Justine was coming down for her morning wash,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35but something has changed her mind.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Oh, dear.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41There's a big caiman on the beach.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48Exactly where I wash. This is the first proper one I've seen.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54The black caiman. It's the largest predator in South America
0:15:54 > 0:16:00and like so many animals around camp, is growing bolder by the day.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07He's one that could quite happily cause damage to fully-grown adults.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10You can see the guys down here cleaning fish.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14That croc is 11, 12 feet long,
0:16:14 > 0:16:19and this is exactly the way that caimans start becoming a problem in villages round here.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24People are cleaning their fish, the caiman gets bolder and bolder, and they eventually take some of
0:16:24 > 0:16:28the dogs, then it moves up to taking someone's child.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Whoa!
0:16:32 > 0:16:38Caiman are just one of hundreds of intriguing creatures that thrive in these waters.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46Steve joins Dr Phil Willink on his survey of fish.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49You'd better get something good out of this, Phil!
0:16:52 > 0:16:55It's a freshwater anchovy.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Wow, I can't believe I'm risking my life for anchovies!
0:16:58 > 0:17:02They'll be the first scientists to search beneath the surface in this region.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05We know very few people have been up here.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Who knows what's living in these areas?
0:17:08 > 0:17:13There's probably a lot of new species hiding in these rocks and these rapids.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17The combination of nobody being here before and a difficult habitat
0:17:17 > 0:17:19to collect in, we're gonna find a lot of new species.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28With each passing day, more animals and plants are being catalogued in the jungle lab.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Look at this. This is my baby in here.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39George has started a study of the forest's spiders.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43One of these whip spiders is just about to...
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Yeah, look at that.
0:17:45 > 0:17:46Look at her egg sac there.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50His enthusiasm is not shared by everyone.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55- Beautiful!- Spiders!
0:17:55 > 0:17:56Spiders!
0:17:56 > 0:17:59- Yeah?- That's why I stick to plants!
0:18:01 > 0:18:04I'll persuade you eventually.
0:18:07 > 0:18:12But George has set his sights on finding an even bigger spider.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16He's discovered a skin shed by the world's largest tarantula,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19the goliath bird-eating spider.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22They are here, obviously, cos there's the evidence
0:18:22 > 0:18:29of an empty skin. So there's a larger one than this somewhere in the area.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Each time it climbs out of its skin, it's getting bigger?
0:18:33 > 0:18:38Absolutely. So it grows a new skin underneath the old skin,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41but those fangs are just pin-sharp.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Cat's claws or an eagle's talons.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45And they're really hard.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48- I've eaten one of these.- You've eaten these?- Yeah.- Fantastic.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51We were filming the Piaroa Indians in Venezuela.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53This is like fast food for them.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56I've heard that, after they eat them,
0:18:56 > 0:19:03they use...they remove the claw like this and they actually use it as
0:19:03 > 0:19:06a toothpick. They remove the bits of...
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Actually, it works! That's bloody good, that!
0:19:09 > 0:19:15Back on the river, Steve and Phil's fish survey is off to a bad start.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Their net is caught.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23We've either got the biggest fish in the world or it's attached to a log.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26I'm guessing a log.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28- Is it coming up?- No, not at all.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Shall I have a swim?
0:19:32 > 0:19:37- Go down, untangle it? - What I don't want is for you to go down there and get tangled in it.
0:19:50 > 0:19:57'He's freed the net, but it's full of piranhas.'
0:19:58 > 0:20:00Woah!
0:20:00 > 0:20:03'Black piranhas are notoriously aggressive.'
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Great, they're both chewing holes in my other net now!
0:20:09 > 0:20:12He's very close to taking a chunk out of your arm.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15God, look at that!
0:20:19 > 0:20:24You could actually see the scratches it's made in the metal with its teeth. That is insane!
0:20:24 > 0:20:26I can't believe I'm swimming in here!
0:20:26 > 0:20:29GRUNTING
0:20:29 > 0:20:33What is making that noise? Is it the piranha?
0:20:33 > 0:20:36They're making it with their swim bladder somehow, yeah.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Whether it's an intentional form of communication, I don't know.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42- Wow, that is a really good-sized piranha.- Mmm-hmm.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47These are bigger than the red-bellied ones they had in all the horror movies.
0:20:47 > 0:20:48Look at that!
0:20:50 > 0:20:53That is a set of teeth to be reckoned with.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56And if they break or they get dull, they replace them.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58- Really?- Yeah.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01What good's a piranha with no teeth?
0:21:03 > 0:21:08'In the river, they're finding some of the jungle's fiercest predators.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16'On land, Gordon's found one of the jungle's most vulnerable creatures.'
0:21:20 > 0:21:26Really difficult to see, but just taking a round thing hanging off the tree,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29it's a wren's nest, very well camouflaged.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32The nest itself is tiny.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35You could easily fit it in the palm of your hand.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Smaller than a tennis ball.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41The bird is same kind of size as the wrens that you get in the UK,
0:21:41 > 0:21:46and the eggs and chicks that it might have, microscopic, almost.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Yeah, keeping going, Gordon.
0:21:52 > 0:21:58'Gordon sets up CCTV cameras by the nest.
0:21:58 > 0:22:03'He doesn't want to disturb these timid birds, so he's keeping his distance.'
0:22:03 > 0:22:10It takes a huge hassle factor out of it, because we don't constantly have to sneak back and forward.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15This is something we just power up, see if there's something going on, and have somebody monitoring it.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20'Guyanese student Defreitas Haynes will follow the chicks' progress from the lab.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27'It's a unique chance to record the development of these tiny ant wren
0:22:27 > 0:22:31'chicks until they fly the nest, if they make it.'
0:22:35 > 0:22:38This nest has to be so well camouflaged, because the forest is
0:22:38 > 0:22:42full of loads of stuff that will predate on the eggs or the young.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46There's snakes, there's other reptiles, there's birds,
0:22:46 > 0:22:49there's rodents, pretty much everything will be out
0:22:49 > 0:22:51to get whatever's inside this nest.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54It's a very dangerous place for this little bird.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56'They have no defence against predators.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00'They can only rely on not being seen.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10'Steve and Phil's fish survey continues.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15'They've already found huge piranhas.
0:23:15 > 0:23:20'Now, with the help of local fishermen, they're hoping for a far more impressive catch.'
0:23:23 > 0:23:25SPLASHING
0:23:27 > 0:23:30OK.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36This is a big fish. Big?
0:23:37 > 0:23:43- Woah, look at the size of that! - It's a big one!
0:23:46 > 0:23:50Oh, that's unbelievable!
0:23:50 > 0:23:52That is the banana catfish.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54SNORTING AND GASPING
0:23:54 > 0:23:56'Surveying fish is not easy.
0:23:56 > 0:24:03'They must identify each species and return them to the water as quickly as possible.'
0:24:03 > 0:24:08You can tell it's called the banana catfish because it's yellow on the belly, like a banana.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13- And probably a good 20 years old, would you say, Phil?- Could be older. These fish can live for a long time.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15This fish is just covered in parasites.
0:24:15 > 0:24:21- One popped out! Don't lose it! - We've got another one, Phil!
0:24:21 > 0:24:23- Where is it?- Just down there, look.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27Another one there, look. It's actually scattering blood everywhere.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30- It's like a full leech!- OK.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Let's put our friend here back in,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35cos he's absolutely wonderful and we wouldn't want to harm him.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39So, old fella, off you go.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Absolutely fantastic.
0:24:41 > 0:24:42Excellent.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46Nothing like as exciting as what we've got in here.
0:24:46 > 0:24:53'The parasitic fish Steve's collected are known as vampire catfish or candiru.'
0:24:53 > 0:24:59Apparently, if you stand in the water in these areas and go to the toilet,
0:24:59 > 0:25:03it will swim up the stream of urine and right inside you
0:25:03 > 0:25:07and lodge inside you, using two backward facing spines.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12These candiru actually swim in, latch into the gills of a large fish and drink the blood.
0:25:12 > 0:25:18You can see this one here, which dropped out of the gills, is absolutely thick
0:25:18 > 0:25:19full of blood.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24The big lesson, I guess, is, if you're in the river, don't go for a wee!
0:25:31 > 0:25:33'The ant wren nest is unguarded.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36'The parents have had to go in search of food.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39'Now ants have started attacking the chicks.'
0:25:41 > 0:25:45It's not looking good, cos the ants are increasing and the birds are
0:25:45 > 0:25:48going...twitch like this every so often.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Gordon, ants are swarming...not swarming, but there are quite a
0:25:52 > 0:25:56few ants on the rim of the nest and they're round and inside the nest.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Oh, yeah, they're right in there.
0:25:59 > 0:26:04I'm really worried where the adults are, cos the adults, I assume,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06would come back and just remove them.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08Yeah. When was the last time the adults came in?
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Have they been in within the last hour?
0:26:10 > 0:26:12- No.- Is that usual?
0:26:12 > 0:26:17I would have thought at this stage they'd be coming in more regularly, at least once an hour.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20- With food. - Yeah. You're probably enjoying this.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22You're not a big fan of feathered animals.
0:26:22 > 0:26:28No, they're OK, but it is a sort of irony that the ant birds are being
0:26:28 > 0:26:31attacked by the ants.
0:26:31 > 0:26:32There's an adult.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Oh, look, and a cricket. A bush cricket, look at that!
0:26:35 > 0:26:37That's a whopping great bush cricket!
0:26:37 > 0:26:39SQUAWKING
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Fantastic. Listen to the noise.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Oh, she's eating it.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Now, is she eating it because she has to remove the ants?
0:26:46 > 0:26:49- Let's see what happens.- Oh, yes!
0:26:49 > 0:26:51There we are. Come on! Eat those ants, baby!
0:26:51 > 0:26:56The ants knew that there was an ant bird around and off they went,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58that's it, gone. This is absolutely great.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Higher animals need insects.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05Insects are the food of the world, and without insects you wouldn't have any of this stuff.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16'Steve's discovered what rules the depths by day.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21'Now he wants to learn what hunts by night.'
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Ah! Oh, my God!
0:27:27 > 0:27:31These are called sabre-tooth characins, or sabre-tooth tetras.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35It's the nearest looking thing to an actual monster I've ever seen.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39It certainly deserves its sabre-tooth name. That is incredible.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42These teeth are so long they need special sockets in their skull
0:27:42 > 0:27:46to accommodate them, otherwise they would just pierce their brains.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48- Oh, God, OK.- This is a top predator.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52They're extremely fast. They swim around and they come up below fish
0:27:52 > 0:27:55and just spear them and just kill them instantly, just like that.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58They spear them, the fish are immobilised and then eat them.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01I've got my fingers disturbingly close to those teeth.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05I would imagine those would just go straight through to the bone, wouldn't they?
0:28:05 > 0:28:10They'd go right through your hand, no doubt about it. They're very strong.
0:28:10 > 0:28:11And he's got to go back.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Let's see if I can put him in without losing my hands!
0:28:14 > 0:28:15Yeah, careful.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19Now we're seeing the night shift, the big cat fish, the sabre-tooths.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23By day, the piranhas rule the rivers. You're never safe.
0:28:29 > 0:28:34Just going to move very slowly, keep an eye out for spiders.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39'In the dark of the forest, George and a team of local
0:28:39 > 0:28:43'trackers are stalking the world's largest tarantula.'
0:28:50 > 0:28:53You're coming this way?
0:28:53 > 0:28:58Yeah, I can see your light. Have you found a new hole? Over.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01You can see it at the hole?
0:29:01 > 0:29:02It's there?
0:29:02 > 0:29:04INDISTINCT TALKING
0:29:04 > 0:29:05OK, I'm on my way. Wait there.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18Oh, wow!
0:29:18 > 0:29:21There it is. Oh, my goodness!
0:29:21 > 0:29:27Theraphosa blondi, the goliath bird-eating spider.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29Oh, wow. Great.
0:29:29 > 0:29:34The trouble with this is, the first fright that she gets and she'll
0:29:34 > 0:29:39dive into that hole again and we won't ever be able to get her out.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45That's OK, that's fine. I'm going to
0:29:45 > 0:29:48try a little stick to tease her forward.
0:29:48 > 0:29:54Is there any way you could round the back and block the hole?
0:29:54 > 0:29:59'Poor sighted, tarantulas hunt by sensing vibrations in the ground.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02'They wait to pounce on passing prey.'
0:30:02 > 0:30:04She is a beauty.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13That's it, that's it, that's it.
0:30:13 > 0:30:19Now, these guys don't normally bite as a first defence.
0:30:19 > 0:30:24They normally flick hairs, and she was flicking hairs.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26Let's just block that hole...
0:30:26 > 0:30:31'The barbed hairs are designed to irritate a predator's skin, eyes and lungs.'
0:30:31 > 0:30:33Those hairs are extremely irritating.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36I want to cough. Don't let me cough.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39Cos if I cough, she'll get a fright.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43I'm desperately trying not to cough at the moment.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45OK, it's gone. Thank God for that.
0:30:46 > 0:30:51These guys have inch-long fangs, and you really don't want that in your finger.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55Oh, dear.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59Do not cough.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02But you see how incredibly beautiful she is.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05She moves serenely like...
0:31:07 > 0:31:09Oh, she jumped.
0:31:09 > 0:31:14I'm going to try and get her back in the box, only because I want to see
0:31:14 > 0:31:18how heavy she is, after which we will bring her back
0:31:18 > 0:31:20to her hole here.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23I've got to get back. It's flicked the hairs and there were
0:31:23 > 0:31:27clouds and it's gone on my face, gone up one arm, inside my arms.
0:31:27 > 0:31:32It's gone up this arm. I've actually inhaled some of them so I'm coughing.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35Which shows what an effective way
0:31:35 > 0:31:38of putting off enemies it is.
0:31:38 > 0:31:44You don't need inch-long fangs if you can make somebody twitch and itch all over. Agh!
0:31:52 > 0:31:57'Early next morning, Steve and Phil are trawling the shallows by camp.'
0:32:01 > 0:32:05- Look at these ones.- We have around a dozen species right here.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10They're all related to tetras. This is called the characidium.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12Here's a cichlid.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14- Oh, yes.- Popular in the aquarium trade.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18Oh, I think we have something interesting here.
0:32:18 > 0:32:23This, I think, is a brand new species.
0:32:23 > 0:32:24- No way!- Undescribed.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26How do you know just by looking at it?
0:32:26 > 0:32:31Because I've worked on the Guiana Shield before in different countries and I've seen fish
0:32:31 > 0:32:35similar to this in the same genus, but this is looking very different.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38So we'll try to make some more comparisons.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41But I think we have a brand new species to science right here.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44- No way!- Really.- All that hard work finally paid dividends.
0:32:44 > 0:32:49Right here, right by camp, right with all the piranhas.
0:32:49 > 0:32:54And everything else. This is a very small area, about 10ft wide.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56Caught a dozen species.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59That just exemplifies how high the biodiversity is here.
0:32:59 > 0:33:03- Yeah.- Oh, we've got another one! Two.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05Great stuff!
0:33:06 > 0:33:08- I'll get this into the aquarium. - Yeah, thank you.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18'All the indications are that this area is completely undisturbed,
0:33:18 > 0:33:24'never fished, never hunted, and its ancient trees intact.
0:33:24 > 0:33:30'In the 21st century, that makes it a rare rainforest indeed.'
0:33:31 > 0:33:34Oh, come on, baby. I want to weigh you, that's all.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37Now, come on, be nice. Just go in this bag. There you go.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40'George's giant tarantula has spent the night in the lab,
0:33:40 > 0:33:44'and he's taking its vital statistics before releasing it.'
0:33:44 > 0:33:47Just feeling her in my hand,
0:33:47 > 0:33:53she feels about the weight of a small spiny rat.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56Now, that's 85 grams.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58That's a good size.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01This is an amazing place.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03All the animals here are just huge.
0:34:03 > 0:34:04It is a land of giants, this.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08You've got giant plants, giant otters, giant spiders, giant this, giant that.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12You know, and this being the world's biggest spider species,
0:34:12 > 0:34:19for me, is an enormous thrill, an absolutely enormous thrill.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23No way!
0:34:23 > 0:34:25'Another animal has come in to camp.'
0:34:25 > 0:34:29Somebody said there was a vulture and I thought it was just on the tree.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32How long has he been here?
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Um, just five minutes.
0:34:35 > 0:34:41The reason that vultures have a bald head is because they feed on smelly, rotting carcasses, and if they had
0:34:41 > 0:34:45feathers on their head, it would just get completely matted up
0:34:45 > 0:34:47with rotting flesh and blood and guts.
0:34:47 > 0:34:54So they've evolved to have a completely bald head so it's more manageable.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58Vultures never wake up with a bad hair day or a bad feather day.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02This system is working like a treat.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06We've got live pictures coming from two very different species of birds.
0:35:06 > 0:35:11It's just incredible how quickly these chicks are growing.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15This is all flight preparation,
0:35:15 > 0:35:19really, making sure that the feathers are all in order.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22Before too long, they're going to realise what these wings are for,
0:35:22 > 0:35:24and they're going to flutter out.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32'In just a few days, Gordon's surveillance cameras
0:35:32 > 0:35:37'have recorded a variety of animals that live in and around camp.
0:35:45 > 0:35:50'So far, most of the expedition has been focused on a small area of forest.
0:35:50 > 0:35:56'But across the border in neighbouring Venezuela, Steve has another challenge.'
0:35:58 > 0:36:06Where Guyana meets Venezuela and Brazil, there's a remarkable range of mountains called the Guiana Shield.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10'Some are totally unexplored.'
0:36:10 > 0:36:15The tops of the mountains are isolated from the forest below, so
0:36:15 > 0:36:19anything that lives up there - plants or animals - is exactly like it's on an island.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22It's growing completely isolated from everything below.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27And that's our mountain. Look at that!
0:36:28 > 0:36:32'Steve's aim as a climber is to be the first to scale Mount Upuigma.
0:36:32 > 0:36:37'His aim as a naturalist is to discover what lives at the top.'
0:36:37 > 0:36:41Nobody has climbed this mountain before, it's absolutely certain.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44We would be the first people to place our hands on that rock.
0:36:44 > 0:36:50'To reach the top, Steve will have to push himself if he is to succeed.
0:36:50 > 0:36:56'Joining him are two of the best rock climbers in the world, John Arran and Ivan Calderon.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00'Tim Fogg is the rope safety expert.'
0:37:00 > 0:37:04The few biologists that have got on top of these - they're called tepuis,
0:37:04 > 0:37:08these mountains - have found new species of plants and animals,
0:37:08 > 0:37:10and that's what we're hoping to find.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14That was a hairy landing!
0:37:14 > 0:37:20'A football field in a tiny Venezuelan village is the only place to land.'
0:37:20 > 0:37:22Hola. Buenos dias. Hola.
0:37:24 > 0:37:29This is one of the most beautiful villages I've ever seen.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31This mountain up here is Acopan.
0:37:31 > 0:37:37It looks just like a fortress, like a child would draw a fortress.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41And then looming over from the other side is our mountain, Upuigma.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45Look at that. What a place to live!
0:37:58 > 0:38:03'There's a 20-mile trek before they can even think about climbing.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09'Their destination, Mount Upuigma.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12'Villagers call it The Castle.'
0:38:13 > 0:38:15What is it, man?
0:38:15 > 0:38:17'In camp, there's a commotion.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20'Yet another animal has been spotted.'
0:38:20 > 0:38:22You see it moving there?
0:38:22 > 0:38:23- In between the hole there?- Yeah.
0:38:23 > 0:38:28'It's helped itself to food from the kitchen before disappearing into the trees.
0:38:28 > 0:38:33'Gordon has grabbed another of his cameras and is on the case.'
0:38:33 > 0:38:35This is the scene of the crime.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38'He wants to catch the raider red-handed.'
0:38:40 > 0:38:46It has walked through the kitchen, so there's obviously something in there that it likes.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49It's quite appropriate that we're using this camera to catch
0:38:49 > 0:38:53a thief, cos that's kind of what they were designed for -
0:38:53 > 0:38:56observing people stealing stuff.
0:38:58 > 0:38:59Yeah, it is pretty good.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02'The trap's set for the mystery animal,
0:39:02 > 0:39:06'but Gordon's taken his eye off the ant wrens.'
0:39:11 > 0:39:13The chicks are gone.
0:39:13 > 0:39:14The nest's just here.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20The chicks have either flown the nest or been eaten.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24I just can't believe that they're gone of their own accord.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27I'm just hoping it's not something more sinister.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29And the adults are stressed.
0:39:32 > 0:39:37There's one of the chicks right here, just in here.
0:39:37 > 0:39:42I thought it was the adult. It's a female. But just bobbed down. Lost sight of it.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48First he sees one chick...
0:39:48 > 0:39:50and then the other.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55Oh, brilliant!
0:39:56 > 0:40:00That's a very different chick from when we first met.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04Against all the odds, the chicks have made it.
0:40:09 > 0:40:10Fantastic.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24As the team gets closer to the mountain,
0:40:24 > 0:40:27the going gets harder.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34The approach to the rock face is steep and heavy going.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38Once there, it'll take three days to climb.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44It looks a whole lot different when you get up close, doesn't it?
0:40:44 > 0:40:47Even from a distance you could tell it was big, but not that big!
0:40:47 > 0:40:51You can see some places up there which are really dark, deep orange.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54I think they could be really dangerous up there.
0:40:56 > 0:41:01It's unreliable rock to climb. Huge chunks can be pulled away without warning.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05They'll start the ascent at first light.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08For now, they need food and rest.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22In camp, the mystery thief is back.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28Oh, yes, there it is.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31Look at that. Weird.
0:41:32 > 0:41:38Opossums. They've been helping themselves to the kitchen supplies.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41We've got two opossums, just here behind the kitchen.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47- Goodness me. They're freaky animals. - Oh, wow.
0:41:49 > 0:41:50Sweet, isn't it?
0:41:50 > 0:41:54They're marsupials. Like kangaroos, they carry their young in a pouch.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02They eat anything, they're omnivores.
0:42:02 > 0:42:08They eats rodents, they'll eat birds' eggs, they'll eat fruit, whatever they can get their hands on.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14I just wonder if they've set up home, metres from where we've set up home.
0:42:14 > 0:42:21Isn't it true that in the last week, things have been coming closer to the camp all the time?
0:42:21 > 0:42:25Yeah, almost every day there's something new showing up.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29Have a look on the ground, because I saw tonnes of spiders and ants and things.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33Oh, you can see a few wee ants there.
0:42:33 > 0:42:38It'd be great if we'd found one of the big spiders and put this outside their burrow really close.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41There is one. There's a hole just about 10 yards that way.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43Ooh, there we go.
0:42:48 > 0:42:53Just ten metres from where George and Gordon are sitting, a tarantula is stirring.
0:42:57 > 0:43:04Some folks call it the skeleton tarantula, because it has these little white marks on its legs.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07Oh, what's that?
0:43:07 > 0:43:13- That is a biggish cicada, that. - Here he goes.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17It's going forward.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20- Oh, it's got it! - What speed! Jeez!
0:43:20 > 0:43:22You don't get faster than that.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24I haven't seen that before in the wild, ever.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27What's actually happening here, all spiders can't eat solid food.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29They have to eat fluids.
0:43:29 > 0:43:36The fangs are being used to draw the prey towards her and then she's basically emptying enzymes over it,
0:43:36 > 0:43:43in saliva, and then she's supping the soup of the bug, insect soup,
0:43:43 > 0:43:45- which she then swallows. There it is.- Oh, wow!
0:43:45 > 0:43:48Look at that fang, it's just tearing it apart.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52- It's cutting it. - It's just scything through it.
0:43:52 > 0:43:57- See how quick it was. - I'm loving this! This, this is it.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01This is what the world is composed of.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11Mount Upuigma.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13First light.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17A last meal on solid earth before the trial ahead.
0:44:27 > 0:44:32For three days, they'll have to eat and sleep strapped to this mammoth wall of rock.
0:44:43 > 0:44:49Isolated from the world far below, they've no idea what wildlife they'll find at the top.
0:44:51 > 0:44:53We really don't know where we're going.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56Up, I think, is the watchword.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04What do you think, what do you think about the first run?
0:45:04 > 0:45:08The thing is, it's going to be very loose.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11OK, sure.
0:45:11 > 0:45:13- Good luck, mate. - Thank you, I'm going.
0:45:13 > 0:45:18Steve will be third on the ropes, behind Tim and Ivan.
0:45:25 > 0:45:26Big block going down!
0:45:29 > 0:45:31Jesus!
0:45:31 > 0:45:33Are you all right, Ivan?
0:45:33 > 0:45:35Cannot talk right now.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39I've been waiting a long time for this,
0:45:39 > 0:45:46but having seen Ivan struggle so hard over this first pitch, I can't pretend to be particularly, er...
0:45:47 > 0:45:50..well, happy about the whole thing.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52I think terrified's more the word.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55- OK, I'm climbing Ivan.- OK. - Good luck, Steve.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02Ooh, heads, heads, heads!
0:46:02 > 0:46:10Every single thing that you hold onto could ping away at any second.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12And the consequences of that would just be,
0:46:12 > 0:46:16well, they'd be death, there's no two ways about it.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19I don't want to sound over-dramatic, but...
0:46:19 > 0:46:22- Did you come this way?- Yeah.
0:46:27 > 0:46:28Oh, dear me.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37Very glad I wasn't leading that move.
0:46:38 > 0:46:45Not only is the rock sheer, but in parts overhanging, and the way ahead is difficult to make out.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55Here we go.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57My God, Ivan.
0:47:04 > 0:47:06Yeah, that's it.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08A little bit left.
0:47:08 > 0:47:10Right on. Right on.
0:47:15 > 0:47:18Very nice, man.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21- Good job.- Good job.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23That was hard.
0:47:27 > 0:47:31In the jungle, the trees above base camp are buzzing with activity.
0:47:33 > 0:47:38Gordon scrambles for his camera. Yet another species of monkey has come into camp.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41One of the tiniest in the world - tamarins.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49Keep nice and quiet.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56(Great, right here. They're right here.)
0:47:57 > 0:47:58It's so tricky.
0:48:00 > 0:48:02I don't know how many there are,
0:48:02 > 0:48:06but there's movement up there and then some more movement over there.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09This is a first for Gordon.
0:48:09 > 0:48:13They're rare, They're only found in a very small part of South America.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15They're very characterful.
0:48:15 > 0:48:20They tend to stick to this understorey, foraging about, eating insects,
0:48:20 > 0:48:24but being very small, makes them very difficult to see.
0:48:26 > 0:48:28There!
0:48:31 > 0:48:33The golden-handed tamarin.
0:48:33 > 0:48:39Standing at 25cms tall, they're pint-sized primates.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45They're quite... They're like gremlins.
0:48:49 > 0:48:55They move through the mid-storey, foraging in family groups.
0:48:57 > 0:49:02There's some lovely grooming going on. Two of them, on the branch here.
0:49:02 > 0:49:04Oh, a third one, a little one.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08It's a baby one!
0:49:10 > 0:49:13To see three of them at one time is nothing short of a miracle.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17There's one right in the open.
0:49:18 > 0:49:20Oh, what a beauty!
0:49:24 > 0:49:29They supplement their diet of fruit and insects by sucking sap from tree trunks.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32It's incredible how they cling on with these big claws.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34It's almost like bats' claws that they have.
0:49:34 > 0:49:39I can just see, it's got strings of gum coming from its tongue.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44Fantastic!
0:49:46 > 0:49:49That was just absolutely brilliant.
0:49:49 > 0:49:55They're such a tough little monkey to try and follow, even tougher to film.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58I think I've nailed it, got some really, really nice stuff of them.
0:50:00 > 0:50:04The tamarins are the final addition to the intensive survey around base camp.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08This phase of the expedition is now over.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12I've seen new fish, I've seen a jaguar.
0:50:12 > 0:50:16I've seen giant otters, I've seen bird-eating spiders.
0:50:16 > 0:50:21Every fourth or fifth insect I see may turn out to be a new species.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24The scientists' work is far from over.
0:50:24 > 0:50:29Everything they've collected needs to be catalogued
0:50:29 > 0:50:32and if it's an animal new to science, it must be named.
0:50:35 > 0:50:39Gordon and George are now setting off on a major new mission,
0:50:39 > 0:50:44a gruelling two-week river journey into an isolated part of the jungle.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51Are you sure we have enough stuff?
0:50:53 > 0:50:56The Rewa that we're going to is truly the middle of nowhere.
0:50:56 > 0:51:00It's probably as remote as you can get anywhere on the planet, really.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05- Have fun. Have a good time. - Yeah, I will do.
0:51:12 > 0:51:19Their destination, the headwaters of the River Rewa, one of the most inaccessible regions of Guyana.
0:51:25 > 0:51:31The few fishermen that have visited reported wild animals showing little fear of man.
0:51:31 > 0:51:37If anywhere in South America could be described as completely untouched, this is it.
0:51:37 > 0:51:44The Upper Rewa is sealed off from the outside world by a formidable set of rapids and waterfalls.
0:51:49 > 0:51:55With two weeks' supplies packed on board, they're travelling light and living rough.
0:52:01 > 0:52:06On the face of the mountain, the climbers have come up against an intimidating wall of rock.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10This next session is impossibly hard.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12Well, it looks it to me anyway.
0:52:12 > 0:52:15John's one of the best climbers in the world,
0:52:15 > 0:52:17and so he's already heading up it.
0:52:23 > 0:52:24This is fantastic climbing.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28Really quite amazing that it's possible to climb up here.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30There's just enough little holes.
0:52:30 > 0:52:34You can't see any of them until you're within a metre of them.
0:52:34 > 0:52:36So it's quite intimidating to launch up it.
0:52:36 > 0:52:40Just seeing a blank wall ahead.
0:52:46 > 0:52:51John, can you talk me through this next pitch please?
0:52:51 > 0:52:56There's about 15 or 20 metres of vertical wall climbing.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58The first half is really quite hard.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04OK, John, well, to me that sounds like it's outside
0:53:04 > 0:53:07my ability and possibly dangerous for me to be trying.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10Probably wise, because the chances of falling
0:53:10 > 0:53:13off some of the loose blocks onto the others are really quite high.
0:53:17 > 0:53:22Steve's a skilled climber, but this rock face is beyond even his limit.
0:53:24 > 0:53:28He must heave himself up the ropes, free hanging in space.
0:53:31 > 0:53:36He's six hours into the climb and not even a quarter of the way up.
0:53:43 > 0:53:49George and Gordon have reached the rapids that guard the headwaters of the River Rewa.
0:53:50 > 0:53:52The rapids are impassable.
0:53:52 > 0:53:59The only option is to drag the boats and carry all the kit overland.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03We've got logs laid down over the rocks, so hopefully the boat
0:54:03 > 0:54:08will slide over these rollers and then up through that gap
0:54:08 > 0:54:11and then up beyond the falls.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27It's the hottest part of the day.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31The temperature is 40 degrees and humidity 100%.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34One, two, three.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41- Right, one down, two to go.- What?
0:54:44 > 0:54:47- Two more to go.- I don't think I've ever been so tired in my life.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52There are still miles of rapids ahead.
0:54:52 > 0:55:00It's this barrier which makes the Rewa so special, protecting the forest and its animals from man.
0:55:06 > 0:55:11Clinging to a cliff face, Steve's running out of light and the weather is on the turn.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18It's coming in at an absolute rate of knots. We've got black sky
0:55:18 > 0:55:23and a curtain of rain approaching us and we've got to get our sleeping arrangements up
0:55:23 > 0:55:25very quickly otherwise we're going to get drenched.
0:55:28 > 0:55:33They'll have to sleep on this vertical rock face, strapped to it in glorified camp beds.
0:55:33 > 0:55:38Above them, 200 metres of loose rock. Beneath them,
0:55:38 > 0:55:41115 metres
0:55:41 > 0:55:43of nothing.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46We have two Portaledges.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49Each one is big enough for two people,
0:55:49 > 0:55:56but since there are five of us, Ivan has rigged himself a hammock.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58- How is your bed?- Is just perfect.
0:55:58 > 0:56:02I'm free hanging but we have a lot of protection,
0:56:02 > 0:56:07so we'll sleep with a harness and attach it to the protection.
0:56:07 > 0:56:12This is difficult enough in the light, hanging here in this ridiculous spider's web.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15But trying to do it in the dark is nigh on impossible.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19Obviously, all night long, we have to stay sleeping
0:56:19 > 0:56:24in our harnesses and clipped into as many things as possible.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27Cos if you roll out of bed here,
0:56:27 > 0:56:29you get more than a bump on the head.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40For the first time, I guess I'm starting to think whether I really
0:56:40 > 0:56:44am capable of this, if it really is something I should be trying to do.
0:56:44 > 0:56:49It's no wonder no-one's ever climbed this mountain before.
0:56:49 > 0:56:53I mean, it's overhanging, vertical,
0:56:53 > 0:56:57nasty, loose rock, vegetation.
0:56:57 > 0:57:03I mean, this is very, very far from a nice day's climbing in the Lake District.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05Something very serious could happen up there.
0:57:08 > 0:57:11Not so sure I'm going to sleep so well tonight.
0:57:12 > 0:57:16In the third and final phase of this expedition,
0:57:16 > 0:57:19Justine is on the search for giant anteaters.
0:57:20 > 0:57:22It's coming straight towards me.
0:57:22 > 0:57:28Gordon and George struggle on up the river, and are rewarded with a wealth of rare sights.
0:57:34 > 0:57:36What a fantastic bird!
0:57:38 > 0:57:43And Steve battles exhaustion as he nears the top of the mountain.
0:57:43 > 0:57:45HE PANTS
0:57:45 > 0:57:47Ohhh!
0:58:03 > 0:58:07Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:07 > 0:58:11E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk