0:00:03 > 0:00:06In a far corner of the Earth
0:00:06 > 0:00:10is a South American wilderness.
0:00:16 > 0:00:22These extreme landscapes are home to strange and wonderful animals.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29From the rugged peaks of the Andes...
0:00:32 > 0:00:36..across the scorched desert steppe...
0:00:37 > 0:00:41..to coasts battered by some of the roughest seas on the planet.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Living here takes guts and determination.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53There are incredible opportunities for some.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01For others, it's a battle to survive.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09A pioneering spirit
0:01:09 > 0:01:11unites them all
0:01:11 > 0:01:15under the spell of Patagonia.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Patagonia is an uncompromising wilderness.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39It is the name given to the tail end of South America,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42straddling Chile and Argentina.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Nowhere else on Earth is further south,
0:01:48 > 0:01:52except Antarctica,
0:01:52 > 0:01:55and it is dominated by the Andes mountains,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58which form a backbone over 1,000 miles long.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06Following these towering peaks, we'll travel from north to south...
0:02:09 > 0:02:14..where a clash between the elemental forces of fire
0:02:14 > 0:02:15and ice...
0:02:22 > 0:02:26..create dramatically different worlds,
0:02:26 > 0:02:30shaping the fate of all Patagonians.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55HIGH-PITCHED CALL
0:02:58 > 0:03:00A lone call is caught on the wind.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11A female puma.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21Like all settlers here, she must be resilient and adaptable.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28She's done well so far.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44Precious cubs, just six weeks old.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48All three still covered in spots.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09It will take Mum over a year to pass on all her skills.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13In Patagonia, the tiniest details mark the difference
0:04:13 > 0:04:15between success and failure.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23This secret den is their sanctuary,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27protected from wild weather and wandering predators.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35For now, it's all about play.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39The first step on a long road to become hunters.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00But in Patagonia, you can't hide away forever.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Mum must lead her cubs to face the wilderness head on.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29In this elemental land, the very foundations are constantly shifting.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37Fire is reshaping and building the Andes.
0:05:42 > 0:05:47Eruptions spew out jets of ash at over 200mph...
0:05:49 > 0:05:52..blasting immense plumes ten miles high.
0:05:59 > 0:06:04Debris explodes from the crater with the power of an atomic bomb
0:06:04 > 0:06:05every ten seconds.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16In northern Patagonia, volcanoes are very much alive.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Dawn reveals an alien world.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38It looks primeval, yet this landscape is only a few years old.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51This is a mountain still in the making.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56It looks like a snowscape, but in fact,
0:06:56 > 0:07:00it is ash over five metres deep,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04layered with lava and gases.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21These may look like stunted trees,
0:07:21 > 0:07:25but they are just the tips of a forest, buried alive.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34Yet Patagonia is full of surprises.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Remarkable trees, from the time of dinosaurs.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Their leaves, like spiky scales, grow in spirals.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03From the lava grow islands of monkey puzzles.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13They survive the intense heat radiating from the black lava,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16absorbing minerals from the parched ground.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Their bark is fire-resistant,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26and holding their branches high once kept them out of reach
0:08:26 > 0:08:28of hungry dinosaurs.
0:08:31 > 0:08:37But now, these monkey puzzles are home to some of their descendants.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40SQUAWKING
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Austral parakeets.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56The most southerly parrot species in the world.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59They come for the huge cones.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Weighing in at nearly 1kg,
0:09:02 > 0:09:06each is a feast over 200 seeds.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22It's a bonanza in this scorched land.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32But the monkey puzzles all produce their cones at once,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35so even a flock of parakeets cannot eat them all,
0:09:35 > 0:09:40allowing these ancient trees to be Patagonia's enduring survivors.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48This volcanic world is the northern gateway of the Patagonian Andes.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54A mountainous backbone,
0:09:54 > 0:09:56up to 4,000m high,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00almost 100 miles wide.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11The Andes are the weather-makers, trapping the moisture driving in
0:10:11 > 0:10:13from the Pacific Ocean.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21As they stretch south, they create increasingly remote worlds,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24with curious creatures.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30But the Andes sow the seeds of their own destruction
0:10:30 > 0:10:32in the moisture they trap.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Millions of snow flakes build glaciers
0:10:42 > 0:10:45which cling to the highest pinnacles.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55And each summer meltwater unleashes its raw power.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03It begins with a drip.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13A trickle melts its way into the glacier's icy heart.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19It gathers pace and volume.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Racing to the edge of these hanging glaciers.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43This water generates immense power as it falls...
0:11:47 > 0:11:49..pummelling the base rock below,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52drilling back into the cliff.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59These great thundering cascades sculpt a new world.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06To the west side of the Andes is a narrow green band of life
0:12:06 > 0:12:09hemmed in between the peaks and the coast,
0:12:09 > 0:12:13shaped not by fire but by water.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21Countless rivers carve their path through the rock,
0:12:21 > 0:12:26whipping up some of the best white water on the planet.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28For Diego Valsecchi and his team,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32this elemental challenge is irresistible.
0:12:34 > 0:12:39Dropping over 3,000m, the descents are rapid.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45HE SPEAKS SPANISH
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Round here they have names for torrents like these -
0:12:54 > 0:12:56la Garganta del Diablo.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59The devil's throat.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Only the most skilful paddlers would risk a double waterfall.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Two drops and the turmoil between them.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34The approach is everything.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06Diego is safely through,
0:14:06 > 0:14:10but for one creature, mastering the rapids is not a choice
0:14:10 > 0:14:12but a necessity.
0:14:12 > 0:14:17Torrent ducks who forage for insects living in this white water.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28They're experts with the right tools.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Big feet create explosive acceleration.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37Stiff tail feathers brace against the force of the water.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44And they can always fly out of danger.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49But their chicks have none of these advantages.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51They're just a few days old.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58Yet Mum and Dad must teach them to master the rapids or they'll starve.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Even in the shallows, these chicks look unsteady
0:15:05 > 0:15:08but there's a much greater challenge ahead.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21The aerated water of the falls creates prized feeding grounds.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27But the currents are fierce.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34Weighing little over an ounce, these fluffballs must learn fast
0:15:34 > 0:15:37or face being swept away.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Mum leads them down the side of the falls.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Their goal is a rocky island.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Mum and Dad gather their chicks.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30And they're off.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43The ducklings' downy feathers trap air like a life-jacket
0:16:43 > 0:16:46as they bob across the surface.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53It's a good start.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07But one chick is swept away.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Mum and Dad look frantically for their missing duckling.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30In the chaos, they have to make a difficult choice.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34Risk everything for a rescue, or keep their other chick safe?
0:17:49 > 0:17:52They push across the final current to the rock.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57Mum makes a break for it.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06One lone chick struggles through.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Swiftly followed by Dad.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24The rock is a refuge, but the insects they eat
0:18:24 > 0:18:27live underwater, so this duckling has to go in again.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Luckily, the island gives shelter from the full force of the torrents.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Now its downy feathers make it too buoyant to dive.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46So in the shallows, it grips the riverbed with its tiny feet
0:18:46 > 0:18:48and drives its head underwater.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Today, these parents have led their duckling
0:18:56 > 0:18:58through its toughest rite of passage.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11But other creatures avoid these perils
0:19:11 > 0:19:15and instead seek sanctuary in the rain-drenched forests
0:19:15 > 0:19:17that fringe the river banks.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25To the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda,
0:19:25 > 0:19:30this was a fragrant, silent, tangled jungle.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39Trees are ancient, slow-growing giants.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45These rainforests may look lush,
0:19:45 > 0:19:49but they are surprisingly cold and challenging.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58The water brings life, but also washes away crucial nutrients.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03So creatures here have ingenious solutions
0:20:03 > 0:20:05to a life of thin pickings.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Welcome to the Patagonian forest of miniatures.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25It's a tiny world.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37These pudu deer are only the size of a small dog.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44And their newborn fawns would fit in the palm of your hand...
0:20:46 > 0:20:51..making their kind the smallest deer in the world,
0:20:51 > 0:20:56because building a small body is a smart solution to limited resources.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06But others go further.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10This minute Darwin's frog is just an inch tall.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20He's a strange dad, eating his own eggs six weeks ago.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25They became tadpoles in a pouch in his throat,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28where he secretes juices to feed them.
0:21:28 > 0:21:33Now up to 20 froglets are wriggling to get out.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46These newborns have had a uniquely Patagonian start in life.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07This Patagonian mistletoe, or quintral, is a parasite.
0:22:09 > 0:22:14Tendrils grow into its host tree to steal precious sugars.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19But how to spread and find new hosts?
0:22:24 > 0:22:29It begins with innocent-looking flowers laced with nectar.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33The quintral bribes the only creature up to the job.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49The green-backed firecrown hummingbird.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58These firecrowns, weighing less than a ten pence piece,
0:22:58 > 0:23:03rely on this nectar to survive, so they fiercely defend territories
0:23:03 > 0:23:05to protect their lifeline.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18At 40 wing beats per second,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21this aerial combat is exhausting.
0:23:24 > 0:23:29So they must eat up to four times their body weight in nectar each day.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Then the quintral's pollen is brushed onto their feathers
0:23:39 > 0:23:42and carried away to complete pollination.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50At the end of each day,
0:23:50 > 0:23:54the hummingbird must go into torpor, a nightly hibernation,
0:23:54 > 0:23:58slowing its metabolism by over 80%...
0:24:03 > 0:24:07..while the quintral is only halfway through its mission.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13For the next step, it lures in a curious nocturnal specialist.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34Monito del monte - literally, "monkey of the mountain."
0:24:37 > 0:24:40The last of their kind, survivors of an ancient lineage,
0:24:40 > 0:24:44not of monkeys, but of marsupials.
0:24:47 > 0:24:52This family of diminutive climbers are ancestors of the kangaroos,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55but in the trees they use their grasping tails
0:24:55 > 0:24:57while looking for their favourite food.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Quintral berries.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09The fruits are bitter with a sticky seed.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23But for the quintral, every seed thrown away is as good as dead.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26It needs to be swallowed.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33Some seeds are harder to get rid of than others.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43For the few seeds that do get eaten,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46success only comes when they have passed through a monito.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00The seed comes out much as it went in,
0:26:00 > 0:26:04trailing gluey string to help catch any branch.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21Finally deposited, the mistletoe has achieved its goal.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Over the next two weeks, the seed will germinate
0:26:27 > 0:26:31and bore into its new host to begin its parasitic life.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42Hummingbirds, monitos and the quintral are an unlikely trio,
0:26:42 > 0:26:47now dependent on each other to survive in this cold forest,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50where otherwise they could not.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Further south, the forests get colder,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00until they meet an impenetrable wall of ice.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09A perfect combination of high mountains and massive snowfall
0:27:09 > 0:27:14have locked the Andes in a frozen grip stretching west from the peaks
0:27:14 > 0:27:16to the rugged coast.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28The temperature drops to 20 below zero.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31It seems as if all life stops.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39These are the largest southern ice sheets outside Antarctica,
0:27:39 > 0:27:43covering over 6,500 square miles,
0:27:43 > 0:27:48locking up over three trillion tonnes of water.
0:27:53 > 0:27:58But astonishingly, beyond this wasteland, a new world is revealed...
0:28:00 > 0:28:03..where the ice has ground the Andes to their knees...
0:28:06 > 0:28:08..and shaped a final frontier.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14The mountains are fragmented and scarred,
0:28:14 > 0:28:18with only the granite towers of ancient magma standing tall.
0:28:22 > 0:28:27The locals call this region Ultima Esperanza, or "Last Hope".
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Yet the spirit of Patagonia is unbroken.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35This is a lost world of resilient and hardy souls.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37HORSES WHINNY
0:28:41 > 0:28:45Secretive and agile, wild horses roam the most remote valleys...
0:28:51 > 0:28:54..and Patagonian cowboys, or gauchos,
0:28:54 > 0:28:56ride out as a team to try and catch them.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01When these guys need a new horse,
0:29:01 > 0:29:04an arisco, or wild horse, is the best you can get.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12The ariscos are the descendants of escaped horses
0:29:12 > 0:29:15brought by European settlers over the centuries.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22It takes coordination to round them up.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28Vitito leads the drive to a remote corral.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34HORSES WHINNY
0:29:48 > 0:29:50TRANSLATION FROM SPANISH:
0:30:05 > 0:30:08With the horses, it's all about attitude.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27The gauchos have to catch
0:30:27 > 0:30:30and get a bridle on each horse they want to break.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40Lassoing must be done at speed,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43dropping the lasso just before the galloping front feet
0:30:43 > 0:30:46then snatching it tight as they step into the trap.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53But their raw strength tests the men.
0:30:55 > 0:30:56A kick from a hoof could be fatal.
0:31:02 > 0:31:03HE PANTS
0:31:09 > 0:31:11With the ariscos subdued,
0:31:11 > 0:31:15the gauchos make the day-long trek back to the main ranch,
0:31:15 > 0:31:16where taming can begin.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23From the wild herd, they have chosen just three.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37WHINNYING
0:31:40 > 0:31:42BIRDSONG
0:31:50 > 0:31:52Today, the focus intensifies.
0:31:55 > 0:32:00Vitito will face one arisco...alone.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25Each gaucho has his own style of taming.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00The mare has to decide whether to trust Vitito.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02He watches her ears, her nostrils.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06Patiently, he works his magic.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09In just three hours, this mare has gone from wild to tame
0:35:09 > 0:35:11as she begins a new life with the gauchos.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20To survive this far south,
0:35:20 > 0:35:22you need specialist skills,
0:35:22 > 0:35:24but they take time to learn.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31Wandering over these windswept, grassy plains
0:35:31 > 0:35:33are big herds of guanacos,
0:35:33 > 0:35:35wild ancestors of the llama...
0:35:38 > 0:35:42..and they are the favourite prey of Patagonia's biggest predator.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56Puma.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03Her snooze is interrupted by her boisterous sister.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08These two teenagers are just beginning life
0:36:08 > 0:36:10without Mum to provide for them.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16One is tailless, a defect since birth.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24Now 15 months old,
0:36:24 > 0:36:28they will have to turn their games into successful hunts to survive.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36Late afternoon is the time when pumas begin to feel hungry.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47Such open country means they can easily see their prey
0:36:47 > 0:36:50but in a land without trees there is nowhere to hide.
0:36:59 > 0:37:00A lone guanaco.
0:37:09 > 0:37:10Tailless joins her sister...
0:37:12 > 0:37:13..but isn't welcome.
0:37:16 > 0:37:20By hunting together, there's twice the chance of being spotted.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49But she doesn't wait.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51GUANACO BRAYS
0:37:53 > 0:37:54She's blown their cover.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04Ultimately, the sisters must become solitary hunters.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Perhaps it is time to go it alone.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16But it won't be easy in this unpredictable world.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19THUNDER RUMBLES
0:38:19 > 0:38:22This far south, the weather is more treacherous.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33A snow flurry ramps into a blizzard in minutes.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48But with coarse outer hairs and warm under-fur,
0:38:48 > 0:38:50these guanacos cope with the cold.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03Andean condors,
0:39:03 > 0:39:07Patagonia's heaviest flying birds, must find a ledge while there is
0:39:07 > 0:39:11still enough lift in the chilling air to raise their bulky bodies.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26As the weather clears,
0:39:26 > 0:39:28the storm has claimed a victim.
0:39:41 > 0:39:46The guanaco carcass is quickly found by small falcons, chimangos,
0:39:46 > 0:39:50but their discovery won't go unnoticed for long.
0:39:50 > 0:39:51FALCONS SCREECH
0:40:06 > 0:40:10This young crested caracara has the advantage of being almost
0:40:10 > 0:40:12twice the size of the chimangos,
0:40:12 > 0:40:16and has come to stake his claim on this frozen buffet.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22But with all his posturing, he's too slow.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26Yellow-beaked adults are hard on his heels...
0:40:28 > 0:40:31..and he is pushed away before he can even get a bite.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44All he can do is watch
0:40:44 > 0:40:47while the grown-ups make the most of their opportunity.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52Another contender approaches,
0:40:52 > 0:40:55as much a predator as a scavenger.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02It's time for a sharp exit.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12A culpeo fox,
0:41:12 > 0:41:14the largest of Patagonia's foxes.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20He's an opportunist with a voracious appetite.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33Round here, they call him el zorro de los Andes.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42He's not one to be rushed.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47Time to clean up after a welcome meal, with a little snow bathing.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00Andean condors can spot a carcass from over a mile.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11As the main clean-up squad flies in...
0:42:13 > 0:42:14..the young caracara is back...
0:42:17 > 0:42:21..and this time it's a case of David and Goliath.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40He's faced with a wall of feathers three feet high.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43There seems to be no way through for the young caracara.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48A gang of condors can strip a carcass in a few hours.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54He looks for a way in before there's nothing left.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07Condors can gorge themselves on over 2kg of meat.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14The juvenile finally gets a chance.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19Hardly a feast but it'll be just enough.
0:43:24 > 0:43:26Growing up in Patagonia's far south,
0:43:26 > 0:43:29you have to keep your wits about you,
0:43:29 > 0:43:31but more than anything, you can never give up.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42This youngster is now alone,
0:43:42 > 0:43:45a step closer to independence.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52A herd of guanaco has many eyes on lookout.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58Even for one puma to get close takes great skill.
0:44:08 > 0:44:10The lead male guanaco walks ahead.
0:44:16 > 0:44:17The hunt is on.
0:44:25 > 0:44:28With only one ear, he is vulnerable.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30Perhaps a weakness the puma can exploit.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01Pumas need to get within 20m for a fighting chance...
0:45:03 > 0:45:05..and this hillside is practically bare.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17The guanaco will bolt downhill
0:45:17 > 0:45:19so the puma hunts from below.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32It freezes, exposed.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36Yet its coat blends impressively into the landscape...
0:45:39 > 0:45:41..almost impossible to spot.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47In a long chase, the guanaco will always win,
0:45:47 > 0:45:49so the puma needs an element of surprise.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02Tense and focused,
0:46:02 > 0:46:04the ambush is set.
0:46:22 > 0:46:26After 40 minutes stock still,
0:46:26 > 0:46:27the puma strikes.
0:46:43 > 0:46:44Not fast enough.
0:46:51 > 0:46:53But the puma's got the whole night ahead.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56While a guanaco's eyesight weakens in the darkness,
0:46:56 > 0:46:59the puma's vision could give her the edge.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16Under the Southern Cross,
0:47:16 > 0:47:19the winds race and the temperature plummets.
0:47:26 > 0:47:30At dawn, the lakes are fringed with ice.
0:47:32 > 0:47:34Condors are on the wing,
0:47:34 > 0:47:36looking for fresh carcasses.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54Overnight, the sister has finally made a kill,
0:47:54 > 0:47:57disguising it from prying eyes with scrub.
0:48:01 > 0:48:02She has come of age.
0:48:10 > 0:48:13She can eat 7kg of meat at a sitting,
0:48:13 > 0:48:16her teeth effortlessly slicing flesh from bone.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26Her kill will give her enough food for the next few days,
0:48:26 > 0:48:29but only if the condors don't find it first.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43Her tailless sister has not done so well.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50She looks small,
0:48:50 > 0:48:51alone in this wide world...
0:48:53 > 0:48:56..as she heads back to familiar territory.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03After many days apart,
0:49:03 > 0:49:05the sisters are reunited.
0:49:13 > 0:49:15Their bond is proving hard to break.
0:49:19 > 0:49:20It may take up to five months
0:49:20 > 0:49:23for these siblings to permanently separate.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30They'll take a little longer to master their realm.
0:49:42 > 0:49:46Finally, at the tip of the Americas,
0:49:46 > 0:49:49Patagonia fragments into windswept islands.
0:49:50 > 0:49:54Here, the Andes are swallowed by the ferocious Southern Ocean.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03Yet along their length
0:50:03 > 0:50:06elemental forces have created contrasting worlds...
0:50:09 > 0:50:12..sustaining a unique diversity of life.
0:50:15 > 0:50:19Here, resourceful creatures learn the specialist skills
0:50:19 > 0:50:21they need to survive in their own domain...
0:50:24 > 0:50:28..so they can call Patagonia home.
0:50:46 > 0:50:50Over a year, BBC film crews travelled the length of Patagonia
0:50:50 > 0:50:52to reveal little-known stories.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05The most captivating encounter of all
0:51:05 > 0:51:07was in the Patagonian Wild West,
0:51:07 > 0:51:09the world of the gauchos,
0:51:09 > 0:51:11Patagonia's cowboys.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20The remote estancia where they were headed was vast,
0:51:20 > 0:51:2440,000 hectares of rugged country,
0:51:24 > 0:51:26five hours from the nearest town.
0:51:26 > 0:51:27Epa, amigo!
0:51:28 > 0:51:31It's horses that make life possible here...
0:51:32 > 0:51:35..and these gauchos are the master horseman of South America.
0:51:38 > 0:51:42The team's challenge was to film them catching and breaking in wild horses.
0:51:46 > 0:51:47Around a Patagonian barbecue,
0:51:47 > 0:51:50the crew were welcomed with a special tradition.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55I'm trying a bit of mate.
0:51:55 > 0:51:57It's absolutely delicious. I really like it.
0:51:57 > 0:51:58- Esta bueno, esta frio? - What is it?
0:51:58 > 0:52:02- No, no esta frio.- Esta bueno, no? - Si. Si, esta bueno.
0:52:04 > 0:52:08So, it's a herb, or collection of herbs, that you put hot water on
0:52:08 > 0:52:10and then you suck it through a straw and you pass it round.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13Traditionally, it's a drink that everyone shares.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19To find the elusive wild horses
0:52:19 > 0:52:22meant a day's trek further into the wilderness,
0:52:22 > 0:52:24and the only way to get there was to saddle up.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28So, we'd heard about these wild horses.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31People told us that they were in the most remote valleys,
0:52:31 > 0:52:33that they were impossible to find,
0:52:33 > 0:52:35and that, even if you got a glimpse of them,
0:52:35 > 0:52:38they would disappear over the horizon,
0:52:38 > 0:52:40so we knew it was going to be really tricky.
0:52:42 > 0:52:45The wild horses originally came from Europe.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49The gauchos, too, came here from elsewhere.
0:53:02 > 0:53:06But they had fallen in love with this landscape and stayed.
0:53:18 > 0:53:20We'd ridden for hours, we'd set up, we were super quiet
0:53:20 > 0:53:24and waiting and then we finally caught a glimpse of the wild horses.
0:53:24 > 0:53:28The whole herd thundering towards us and the ground was shaking.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30LOUD RUMBLE
0:53:33 > 0:53:37The gauchos push the wild horses into the corral
0:53:37 > 0:53:39and then the team had to find their star horse.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43DOG BARKS
0:53:48 > 0:53:51One stood out instantly.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53A spirited black stallion.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56That black stallion was so proud,
0:53:56 > 0:53:58he had such a raw power,
0:53:58 > 0:54:03but it was really tense as Vitito tried to get a bridle on him.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10The gauchos have great respect for these horses,
0:54:10 > 0:54:12but there's no place for sentimentality.
0:54:16 > 0:54:17MAN SHOUTS
0:54:34 > 0:54:37Finally roped up, he was left to calm down.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46That evening, Toby found out a little more about
0:54:46 > 0:54:48how tough gaucho life can be.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50How often do these guys get hurt?
0:54:50 > 0:54:53Every once in a while. And when you get hit, you get hit hard.
0:55:01 > 0:55:06Really? Cos it's so remote, if things go wrong, it's serious.
0:55:07 > 0:55:08Yes, si.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14THEY LAUGH
0:55:18 > 0:55:20No-one left.
0:55:26 > 0:55:28There's nothing to eat in him,
0:55:28 > 0:55:29so they're joking.
0:55:29 > 0:55:31Only bones! Only bones!
0:55:34 > 0:55:36The next morning, the crew went ahead to film the gauchos
0:55:36 > 0:55:39bringing the wild horses back from the mountains...
0:55:40 > 0:55:44..and very quickly, it was obvious something was wrong.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47They came down the hill, we were all looking for the black stallion
0:55:47 > 0:55:49and he wasn't there.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52And that was our key star character gone.
0:55:53 > 0:55:55Alberto explained to us what had happened.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57HE SPEAKS SPANISH
0:55:59 > 0:56:03He was tied up and this got cut off and the horse got away.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06- Really?- Yeah. - Did they try chasing him?
0:56:06 > 0:56:09THEY SPEAK SPANISH
0:56:11 > 0:56:15No, no time. It was in a very narrow place. They had no time.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20Our star had escaped,
0:56:20 > 0:56:24but on those narrow mountain paths you can't chase after them.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27I mean, that would be almost suicidal.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29So, we had to come up with a new story.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38The team realised their focus would be less on one horse
0:56:38 > 0:56:42and more on the connection between gaucho and wild animal.
0:56:47 > 0:56:50What Vitito was about to show them was so dangerous
0:56:50 > 0:56:52that everyone had to stay out of the corral.
0:56:56 > 0:56:58Vitito's taming style is his own.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03His technique captured the attention of the horse...
0:57:03 > 0:57:04and the crew.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10I mean, what we've got going on here with Vitito is...
0:57:10 > 0:57:12he's walking up to this wild horse,
0:57:12 > 0:57:16he's just managed to captivate her.
0:57:20 > 0:57:22And you can see in the horse's ears, it's like,
0:57:22 > 0:57:24"Do I trust him? Do I not trust him?"
0:57:24 > 0:57:27He pulls her in and then pushes her back.
0:57:35 > 0:57:37It's just an incredible connection to be a part of,
0:57:37 > 0:57:39incredible to witness.
0:57:41 > 0:57:43In a remarkable three hours,
0:57:43 > 0:57:46the team had the conclusion to their sequence
0:57:46 > 0:57:49and, along the way, learnt a little of what it takes
0:57:49 > 0:57:50to be a Patagonian cowboy.
0:57:57 > 0:58:00Next time, we travel across Patagonia's dusty plains.
0:58:02 > 0:58:05To the east, the world becomes drier,
0:58:05 > 0:58:07the creatures stranger...
0:58:08 > 0:58:12..in their bid to survive these curious badlands.