0:00:02 > 0:00:05JOHN CRAVEN: This is the toughest time of year.
0:00:05 > 0:00:06But it can also be
0:00:06 > 0:00:09the most spectacular season
0:00:09 > 0:00:10in the entire calendar.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Winter is upon us.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21It's a time when days are short, and temperatures can plunge.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24But there are still plenty of ways
0:00:24 > 0:00:27growers can make the most of the season.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31It's the time when the British weather
0:00:31 > 0:00:33throws everything it's got at us.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37And while some animals are hibernating,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40others are bringing new life into the world.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44All this week, we're travelling the length and breadth of the UK.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47And what a great space, it's huge!
0:00:47 > 0:00:51Bringing the very best seasonal stories that matter to you.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56It has been devastated by wild boar.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59- Welcome to the farm.- Wow!
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Right, you lead the way.
0:01:05 > 0:01:10The very warmest of welcomes, this is Countryfile Winter Diaries.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19And this is what we've got coming up
0:01:19 > 0:01:20on today's programme.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Keeley tracks down the dogs that can mean the difference
0:01:23 > 0:01:25between life and death.
0:01:25 > 0:01:26Away, find!
0:01:26 > 0:01:28BELL JINGLES ON COLLAR
0:01:28 > 0:01:30- Straight to him. Straight to him! - Yeah.
0:01:30 > 0:01:31DOG BARKS
0:01:31 > 0:01:35Paul discovers what avian flu could mean for all of us.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37How long does it take before it's dead?
0:01:37 > 0:01:3924 hours.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43And I'll be finding out how you can have an affordable home in the
0:01:43 > 0:01:45beautiful British countryside.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50What better place could there be
0:01:50 > 0:01:52to embrace winter than here in Scotland,
0:01:52 > 0:01:57in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park?
0:01:57 > 0:01:58In its 720 square miles,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01there's coastline, mountains,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03rivers, forests,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05and of course, lochs.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Now, taking a dip in a Scottish loch
0:02:15 > 0:02:18at this time of year might seem a bit extreme,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21especially with average sea temperatures
0:02:21 > 0:02:23of between 6-10 degrees Celsius.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27But, there are people who do believe that outdoor winter swimming is
0:02:27 > 0:02:32actually good for you. So, what will it take to convince Jules Hudson?
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Now, I have to confess,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42that on a drizzly, freezing cold day like today,
0:02:42 > 0:02:44the idea of taking a dip in those
0:02:44 > 0:02:48icy waters could not be less appealing.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50But for a growing number of people, well,
0:02:50 > 0:02:52they actually think not only is it good fun,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55but it could actually be good for you. So, are they crazy?
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Or do they know something I don't?
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Here at the historic seafront at Clevedon
0:03:02 > 0:03:04on the banks of the Severn Estuary,
0:03:04 > 0:03:08members of the town's Lake and Sea Swimmers Club regularly meet
0:03:08 > 0:03:11for a morning dip in the Bristol Channel.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14And if you think these hardy folk look familiar,
0:03:14 > 0:03:18that's because they are currently being featured in a BBC One
0:03:18 > 0:03:21channel ident by award-winning photographer Martin Parr.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Until recently, they were just
0:03:25 > 0:03:27a bunch of die-hard outdoor enthusiasts -
0:03:27 > 0:03:29now, they're known all over Britain.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Today, the sea temperature is a chilly six degrees Celsius,
0:03:35 > 0:03:39but that won't stop keen cold water swimmers Gavin Price
0:03:39 > 0:03:41and Tom Bullimore from taking the plunge.
0:03:41 > 0:03:42How are you?
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Now, the burning question, guys - why do you do it?
0:03:45 > 0:03:48I mean, you've got a fantastic collection of people behind you,
0:03:48 > 0:03:50who are about to get in there
0:03:50 > 0:03:52and experience a chilly dip this morning.
0:03:52 > 0:03:53It's social and it's fun,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56and there's a lot of health benefits from it.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58I use it to get rid of my aches and pains,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00and to really get a shock into the body,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02the adrenaline rush you get, as well.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Now, Gavin, how long have you been swimming for?
0:04:04 > 0:04:06I've been swimming about five or six years.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09And what prompted you to take the icy plunge?
0:04:10 > 0:04:11Well, first of all, it was my wife.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13She signed up for the Long Swim,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17which is a swim they've been doing here from about 1928.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20And she signed up to it, and I thought, well, yeah, the sea's here,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23- I like swimming, why don't - I- do it as well?
0:04:24 > 0:04:28There's a strong tradition of wild outdoor swimming at Clevedon,
0:04:28 > 0:04:29stretching back many decades.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32And there's no doubting their passion.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34But WHY do they do it?
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Absolutely lovely, I feel really alive, and it really makes me...
0:04:37 > 0:04:38Whoo!
0:04:38 > 0:04:40You are absolutely frozen.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Yeah, but inside, your core is warm.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44- Is it?- It gives you such a lift, I feel great.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46I love the cold and the company.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48We were in yesterday, we're in today,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50we'll be in later in the week.
0:04:50 > 0:04:51So if I finally take the plunge,
0:04:51 > 0:04:53do you think it could change my life forever?
0:04:53 > 0:04:55I reckon it would cheer you up a bit, yeah.
0:04:55 > 0:04:56JULES LAUGHS
0:04:56 > 0:04:59I like to think I'm fairly cheery already, what's it going to be like
0:04:59 > 0:05:00if I get wet every morning?!
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Well, I have nothing but respect for that lot.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Brave, crazy - it doesn't matter.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10They love it, and they are convinced
0:05:10 > 0:05:11of the benefits to their health.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15And let's be honest, they all look pretty fit and healthy.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16But what about the science?
0:05:16 > 0:05:21Surely that can help us prove that all this really is worthwhile.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27To find out, I'm heading to the School of Sport,
0:05:27 > 0:05:31Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Birmingham,
0:05:31 > 0:05:35where brother and sister physiologists Rebekah and Sam Lucas
0:05:35 > 0:05:39are going to subject my body to the cold in their environmental chamber.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Essentially, a big fridge.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44So, what am I going to have to wear?
0:05:44 > 0:05:46- Not a lot!- Well, yeah!
0:05:46 > 0:05:48The first thing we'll put on you is this harness.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- From this, we'll be able to measure your heart rate.- Yeah.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53As my body temperature plummets,
0:05:53 > 0:05:57they'll be monitoring my vital signs using the latest gadgets.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00We'll also be able to measure your deep internal temperature,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02from you swallowing a pill.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06- That's proper James Bond, isn't it? - It is. Yeah.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09That's incredible. So when I get home tonight and sit in
0:06:09 > 0:06:11a nice warm bath, you'll know exactly where I am!
0:06:12 > 0:06:15- We could do!- The chamber is set to two degrees Celsius -
0:06:15 > 0:06:19that's four degrees colder than the sea at Clevedon.
0:06:19 > 0:06:24Oh, my goodness, the floor... is absolutely frozen!
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Within a few minutes of being in here,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29my body is already reacting to the cold.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32It's definitely cooling down.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35- I can feel myself on the edge of wanting to shiver.- Yeah.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39And look, there are goose bumps all over my arms.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43So, it's getting gradually cooler as we move down your arm,
0:06:43 > 0:06:45and your finger is at 12 degrees.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50One benefit of the cold is that the body burns more calories,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53as it works harder to maintain core temperature.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56The mask measures the amount of oxygen I'm consuming.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00With these blue triangles, this is when we first put it on,
0:07:00 > 0:07:02and you can already see it start to climb.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07So we can see already that your shivering is consuming more oxygen.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09So it's burning these calories.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11So tell me, how's the magic pill doing?
0:07:11 > 0:07:13I can see it up there on the screen.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15- "Core pill temperature". - It's dropped slightly.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18We're at 37.2 degrees Celsius now.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20We started at 37.5.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24Hypothermia occurs when the body's core temperature
0:07:24 > 0:07:26drops below 35 degrees Celsius.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28So, I'm still in the safe zone,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31even though my extremities are telling me something very different.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34So my core has only dropped 0.3,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37but my fingers have dropped over 20 degrees.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41Yes, so your fingers now are below 10 degrees Celsius,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43so they'll be feeling quite painfully cold.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45I am PAINFULLY cold, now.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47I mean, of course, the swimmers
0:07:47 > 0:07:50are hitting that cold barrier in an instant.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53I'm still not convinced why they love doing it,
0:07:53 > 0:07:57but I can certainly see that your body can cope with it,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00if you're used to it, and it can of course burn off
0:08:00 > 0:08:02more calories in the process.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Cold water swimming is also thought to boost circulation,
0:08:05 > 0:08:09and release endorphins, giving you that natural high.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Armed with the science, I'm keen to give it a go back at Clevedon.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Now, my body's not quite ready for these very low temperatures,
0:08:16 > 0:08:21so I'll be wearing a wet suit, to avoid cold water shock.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24However, by contrast, Tom, with his years of swimming here,
0:08:24 > 0:08:26is already thoroughly acclimatised.
0:08:29 > 0:08:30- Right then.- I'll be with you.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33- OK.- Are we ready? - We're ready.- OK.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Ah, it's beginning to get into my wet suit!
0:08:39 > 0:08:41- It's getting up to the thighs... - Whoa!
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Three, two, one.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Whoa!
0:08:47 > 0:08:48Whoo!
0:08:48 > 0:08:50OK?
0:08:50 > 0:08:51Yeah!
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Cor, my hands are absolutely frozen!
0:08:55 > 0:08:56Go on, keep going.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58How are we feeling?
0:08:58 > 0:09:00- Yeah.- Yeah?
0:09:00 > 0:09:02'I wonder what that magic pill is saying now?'
0:09:02 > 0:09:05It's a good incentive to swim back as fast as possible!
0:09:07 > 0:09:10- Well done!- Argh!- I'm walking in.
0:09:10 > 0:09:11The pain in my hands...
0:09:11 > 0:09:14- Your body is built of iron! - Well done!
0:09:14 > 0:09:18What can I say? I'm just going to get my breath back! Whoo!
0:09:18 > 0:09:22That was a really good idea, despite all my instincts.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24- Cheers, mate.- Time to get warm, well done.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26- Let's have a coffee.- Good work.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Well, you certainly won't catch me
0:09:37 > 0:09:39having an outdoor swim at this time of year,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41but you could well find me hiking up a hill.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47In winter, our hills and mountains are transformed into magical white
0:09:47 > 0:09:50landscapes, enticing walkers onto their slopes.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55But when things go wrong, the consequences can be serious.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Luckily, help is on hand, of a four-legged kind.
0:10:01 > 0:10:02Keeley is in Derbyshire,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05finding out how specially-trained dogs are saving lives.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08Britain's wild places,
0:10:08 > 0:10:13like the 555 square miles of the Peak District National Park,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16are some of our most inspiring natural wonders.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21But what happens when a walk in the park turns into disaster?
0:10:21 > 0:10:23Imagine getting lost in this.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28In 2015, Mountain Rescue teams in England,
0:10:28 > 0:10:33Wales and Scotland received well over 2,000 calls for help.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37If we hadn't got there in time, then it certainly could have been fatal.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40The first day of 2017
0:10:40 > 0:10:42saw a couple rescued from blizzard conditions
0:10:42 > 0:10:44in the Scottish Highlands.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47They were forced to spend the night in a white-out,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50after the clouds suddenly closed in, and it began snowing.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53With mountain weather our most unpredictable,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56these dedicated teams are essential.
0:10:56 > 0:10:57We're there as a safety net.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59We're there just in case it goes wrong.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01We're always after new recruits,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04but it takes a certain type of person to be a mountain rescuer.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08You need to be prepared to get up in the middle of the night.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Rescuers deploy every weapon in their armoury to keep us safe,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17but during winter, when the weather's at its harshest,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19the only way to find stranded people...
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Come on! ..are these guys.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Good girl, good girl!
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Here in the Peak District National Park,
0:11:27 > 0:11:31the local Mountain Rescue teams use trained search and rescue dogs,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35to help them locate stranded and injured walkers.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Today, they're training new recruits,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40along with more experienced finders.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43'Nick Sheppard is a Mountain Rescue dog trainer.'
0:11:43 > 0:11:45- Hello there, Nick, how're you doing? - Hiya.- So, who's this then?
0:11:45 > 0:11:47This is my Mountain Rescue search dog, Dolly.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49And why do you use dogs?
0:11:49 > 0:11:52In winter, you know, as you can see today with the weather,
0:11:52 > 0:11:53you haven't got good visibility.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57The dogs, with their nose, they can see round rocks, round scrubs,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00round mountains, even if we can't see them.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03'Dogs' noses have around 300 million receptors,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06'and the area of their brain set up to process smells is,
0:12:06 > 0:12:10'proportionally 40 times larger than ours.'
0:12:10 > 0:12:12So, how many rescues has Dolly done, then?
0:12:12 > 0:12:15You get called out, on average, 50-60 times a year.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Our most recent successful one was two nights ago.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19- So what happened?- There were two ladies from Sheffield,
0:12:19 > 0:12:21they went for a walk over Kinder,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23and I think they just got the timing wrong with the darkness,
0:12:23 > 0:12:25and they got lost, and one of them fell into the bog.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28And it was dangerous, by the time we got there it was dark,
0:12:28 > 0:12:29and they were very, very cold.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Right in the middle of Kinder Scout,
0:12:31 > 0:12:33they couldn't have been any more lost if they tried.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35- And Dolly found them? - Dolly found them, yeah.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38If it wasn't for Dolly, what turned out into a four-hour search,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40possibly could have been a 24-hour search.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42'Perhaps the most amazing thing of all
0:12:42 > 0:12:45'is that Nick and Dolly are volunteers.'
0:12:45 > 0:12:47So how did you get into this? Because this isn't your job, is it?
0:12:47 > 0:12:51I'm a joiner by trade, and I was doing a garage door for somebody,
0:12:51 > 0:12:53and he had a rescue sack with "Mountain Rescue" in the garage.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55And I said, "I'd love to volunteer for it".
0:12:55 > 0:12:58But I was convinced Mountain Rescue people had to be paramedics,
0:12:58 > 0:13:00not joiners. And he says, "No, you're fit, you're strong,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03"would you like to go out at three o'clock in the morning
0:13:03 > 0:13:05"when you're called out?" I says, "Yeah".
0:13:05 > 0:13:08'Dolly, Nick's family dog, joined the team.'
0:13:08 > 0:13:10First and foremost, they're family pets,
0:13:10 > 0:13:12and we're Mountain Rescue volunteers,
0:13:12 > 0:13:16who are quite happy to put the time in to train our dogs.
0:13:16 > 0:13:21'With up to 70 call-outs a year, the team always needs new recruits.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23'Could you and your four-legged friend be up to the challenge,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25'like new trainee Mia?'
0:13:25 > 0:13:28OK, Dan, so what stage is Mia at?
0:13:28 > 0:13:29So Mia's at stage one at the moment,
0:13:29 > 0:13:33so she's just learning the game that she'll rely on to actually go out
0:13:33 > 0:13:34- and find people. - Shall we test her out, then?
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Give that a go. Come on then.
0:13:37 > 0:13:38Come on then.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41'In the first stage, dogs are trained to search out and retrieve
0:13:41 > 0:13:43'a favourite toy, over a short distance.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46'Nick's volunteered to lurk in the mist with it.'
0:13:46 > 0:13:49And so what's she doing at the moment? She's sniffing him out?
0:13:49 > 0:13:51- Yes. - Right, Mia, no pressure!
0:13:51 > 0:13:53- The camera's on you, girl. - Away, find!
0:13:55 > 0:13:58- Straight to him. Straight to him! - Yeah.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02For her, the whole thing's a game, isn't it?
0:14:02 > 0:14:04It is, yeah. They don't care whether it's a missing person,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07all they think about is they'll get a reward for doing this.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09'Once Mia becomes really proficient at this,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12'Dan can take the next step in her training.'
0:14:12 > 0:14:14At the moment, Mia, she's barking at the bodies.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16As she develops through her training,
0:14:16 > 0:14:18we'll introduce what we call "return indication",
0:14:18 > 0:14:21so then she'll go in to the body, bark at the body, come back to me,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24and bark at me, and draw me in to the body,
0:14:24 > 0:14:25so I can find the person there as well.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29That's quite impressive for such a young dog.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32'While Mia's still got a lot to learn, Dolly's already a pro.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34'I'm about to test out her super nose.'
0:14:36 > 0:14:39On a day like today, you and I couldn't see
0:14:39 > 0:14:42if anyone was lost on here, could we?
0:14:42 > 0:14:44No. Any more than 50 metres, no.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47And these are fairly typical winter conditions for mountains.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50- Day in, day out.- Yeah, it actually makes it better for Dolly.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52A little bit of wind, not so much heat,
0:14:52 > 0:14:54this is where these dogs come into their own.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57The stronger the wind, the longer that scent and trail will become,
0:14:57 > 0:14:59it makes it easier for the dog.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01'I hope my trail is a good one because I'm going
0:15:01 > 0:15:04'nearly half a mile out into the misty peaks.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07'I've volunteered to be quite literally a dogsbody.'
0:15:08 > 0:15:11This is me. Nick has left this for me.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Because volunteer dogsbodies could be out for hours,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16so they use these to keep warm.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26I've only been here for a few seconds, and it's already freezing.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28I hope Dolly has got a nose as strong as they say,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31because I can't see more than around 20 metres away from me.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Dolly searches in a zigzag pattern.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44She's trying to pick up my scent trail.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57She found me! 'Mission accomplished,
0:15:57 > 0:16:02'and Dolly is straight off back to Nick to tell him where to find me.'
0:16:02 > 0:16:04Woohoo! Go on, then, good girl. Come on, then.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Where is she? Yes, good girl.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Well done, Dolly, job well done.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15The dedication and bravery of the rescue teams and their dogs is
0:16:15 > 0:16:18just incredible, especially as they're all volunteers,
0:16:18 > 0:16:22heading out in all kinds of conditions to help save lives.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26I know in my job just how quickly the weather can turn for the worst,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29so what happens if you get caught in an avalanche?
0:16:29 > 0:16:30We'll find out later.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Even at this, the hardest time of year,
0:16:39 > 0:16:43it's easy to see the attraction of rural life.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Having a home in the country is what many people dream of,
0:16:48 > 0:16:51and that beautiful house there is where one of
0:16:51 > 0:16:55Scotland's great heroes, Rob Roy, was born.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58But these days, a lack of affordable homes right across rural Britain
0:16:58 > 0:17:02means that those dreams just can't be reached.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Margherita, though, has been to Kent to meet some homeowners
0:17:05 > 0:17:06who have found a solution.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11And it sounds like the stuff of which fairytales are made.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Once upon a time there were three little pigs, who lived in a house
0:17:18 > 0:17:23made of straw, that could be blown down by a huffing, puffing wolf.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25But our houses have come a long way since then.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30This one could withstand a hurricane. Now, looking at it,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33you might imagine this property is built from stone or brick,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36but it's actually built entirely from straw.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40It's as strong as they come, though, and it contains all mod cons.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47The house belongs to former city-dwellers,
0:17:47 > 0:17:49Andrew and Harriet Wishart.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Ten years ago, they packed in the rat race and moved to the country.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58Now they share their lives with chickens and alpacas.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01But what made them decide to build their house with straw?
0:18:01 > 0:18:04The reasons speak for itself -
0:18:04 > 0:18:07straw is a fraction of the cost of bricks and mortar.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11For the actual building of straw part, it was quite a saving,
0:18:11 > 0:18:13largely because you can do so much of it yourself.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15We had a carpenter come in and do the roof,
0:18:15 > 0:18:16so that got on nice and quick.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20But sort of everything in between we did, which saved us a lot,
0:18:20 > 0:18:22took us a lot of time.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26'Sourcing the straw you'll need to build an average three-bedroom house
0:18:26 > 0:18:30'would cost around £600, whereas the equivalent cost
0:18:30 > 0:18:34'in bricks and mortar would set you back £10,000.'
0:18:34 > 0:18:36House insurance?
0:18:36 > 0:18:37That's been fine, actually.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41We've managed to arrange insurance really very quickly.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44And were you builders before you started on this project?
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Oh, gosh, no. No experience whatsoever.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50No, I was a software engineer and project manager.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53I worked in insurance.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55And can you tell me about this lovely little square behind you,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58- or rectangle?- Yes, this is what they call a truth window.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00We actually had people stay here and they've said for the first couple
0:19:00 > 0:19:03of days, they didn't actually realise it was a straw-built house,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06and then they sort of noticed that and asked about it.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09So what would your top tip be for building a house of straw?
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Go for it. If we can do it, anyone can.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15And there's nothing to hold you back.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19There are now a few companies offering mortgages on straw houses.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Andrew and Harriet love theirs so much they're building another,
0:19:22 > 0:19:24and it needs plastering.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27It's plain to see that when you build with straw,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29you've got to get your hands dirty.
0:19:29 > 0:19:34You just press it and smooth it into the wall with your hands.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37- Any direction? - Any direction you like.
0:19:37 > 0:19:42- That's it.- The kids must love doing this, just really getting messy.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45They had great fun - a couple of mud fights -
0:19:45 > 0:19:49but they had great fun helping us do it, so it was lovely.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53And how long will it take to plaster a wall like this?
0:19:53 > 0:19:56If you could do a coat in a day, would be fine, but
0:19:56 > 0:20:00one of the lovely things about it is it can be a very sociable activity.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02How long did it take you to learn all this?
0:20:02 > 0:20:04A lot of it is just watching videos.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06A lot of it is trial and error.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08There's a whole straw-baling community out there that will
0:20:08 > 0:20:10provide support and advice for you.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Can you believe you are actually building your own house?
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Is this something you would have ever imagined doing?
0:20:16 > 0:20:18No, never.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Could straw be the answer to the current housing crisis,
0:20:22 > 0:20:24the lack of new-built homes?
0:20:24 > 0:20:29Right now, there are five million tonnes of surplus agricultural straw
0:20:29 > 0:20:31in England from the summer harvest.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36That could be used to build over 10,000 homes each year,
0:20:36 > 0:20:38and, with straw's great insulating properties,
0:20:38 > 0:20:42help keep us toastie and warm through winter.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Barbara Jones is a builder who's been involved in over 500
0:20:45 > 0:20:48straw-build projects in the UK,
0:20:48 > 0:20:50but there's one thought that's been troubling me.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Is it a fire risk if you're using straw?
0:20:54 > 0:20:57You would kind of think that's the first thing I'd be worried about.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01I know, and it's actually the most common question - is it a fire risk?
0:21:01 > 0:21:04And this is definitely a fire risk.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06But in this form.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08THIS is not a fire risk.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Because you can hear how dense that is,
0:21:11 > 0:21:13there's not enough air in there for it to burn.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19The average three-bedroom home would use around 350 bales
0:21:19 > 0:21:22in its construction. The bales are slotted together like bricks to
0:21:22 > 0:21:27make up the backbone of the walls, but they need little prep first.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31If I put that against another similar bale,
0:21:31 > 0:21:36the high points will hit each other and then we'll have gaps between.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38So that's not a great idea.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40We're trying to create a flat surface.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Yeah, so I'm looking for the string first of all, which is here.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47- OK.- I'm going to get hold of the straw, pull it towards me.
0:21:47 > 0:21:48- Getting there?- Yes.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51And then what you want to do is batter it a bit.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Use the heel of your hand.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56- Yes.- And you just bash it, the two together, just where the string is.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00- OK.- So that what you're doing is you are squashing the corner
0:22:00 > 0:22:03into more of a square. Now we've got no choice
0:22:03 > 0:22:05but to take the high points out.
0:22:05 > 0:22:06OK, I'm seeing that's neater now.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11Yeah. The last thing to do is to just batter it again.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Great technique.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19'In just a few minutes, the bale is flatter and ready to be slotted
0:22:19 > 0:22:22'into a wall.' And if straw is brilliant installation
0:22:22 > 0:22:25and readily available to us as a resource,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28why aren't more builders getting involved?
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Well, look at us.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36This is so very different from the regular building site.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39That's why. It's too different.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Barbara, do you think this will be the stuff of more of our houses
0:22:42 > 0:22:46- in the future?- There's no reason why we couldn't be building
0:22:46 > 0:22:49every single house out of straw.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53So, if you too really put some huff and puff into it,
0:22:53 > 0:22:57you could build yourself a fairytale straw house that won't blow down.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02And if you want to find out more
0:23:02 > 0:23:04about how to build your own straw house,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07you'll find details on the Countryfile website.
0:23:09 > 0:23:10Now, at first glance,
0:23:10 > 0:23:15a woodland in winter time might not appear to be a hive of activity,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19but delve a little deeper and you'll be surprised at what secrets
0:23:19 > 0:23:22are waiting to be discovered,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25as Helen learned when she turned detective in Worcestershire.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29This is the Wyre Forest.
0:23:29 > 0:23:356,000 acres, or 2,500 hectares, of stunning ancient woodland.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38I've been invited to join the forest study group,
0:23:38 > 0:23:42a dedicated team of super-sleuth wildlife detectives
0:23:42 > 0:23:44investigating the mysteries of the natural world.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47And I've come prepared.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Harry Green has spent the last 20 years crawling around
0:23:53 > 0:23:58on his hands and knees in the fallen leaves of West Worcestershire
0:23:58 > 0:24:00to search for teeny tiny creatures.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Right, Harry, what exactly are we looking for?
0:24:05 > 0:24:09Well, we're looking amongst the leaf litter here for tiny little things
0:24:09 > 0:24:11called land caddis.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15They are curious little insects and the larvae live in small cases,
0:24:15 > 0:24:16only a few millimetres long.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Do you find land caddis all over the country?
0:24:19 > 0:24:21No, you don't. When we first started looking for these,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24they were found in Wyre and roundabout,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26going down to the city of Worcester in that area.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29They've not been found anywhere else in the country.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31I came prepared, because they're very small.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33You don't seem impressed by this piece of kit.
0:24:33 > 0:24:38- I thought I ought to have brought my deerstalker hat to go with that, really.- Right.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Actually, I don't even need that - is this one?
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Yes, the first leaf you've turned over,
0:24:45 > 0:24:49- and there's an old land caddis case, yes.- Right, I'm going to keep going.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53It's not just the creepy crawlies that are getting special attention -
0:24:53 > 0:24:56the secrets of the trees themselves are being investigated,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58and getting the full forensic treatment.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06Clocking up 20 years in the study group, Mike Averill.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08He likes to spend his summers surveying dragonflies,
0:25:08 > 0:25:10but on this wintry day,
0:25:10 > 0:25:14he's here to measure the impressive Catshill sweet chestnut tree.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Mike, what a stunning tree.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Hello. Yes, it's a fabulous tree.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23It's probably about 450 years old, we think.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25And what do you learn by measuring it?
0:25:25 > 0:25:29Well, it tells us how much the tree has progressed over the years,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32whether it's decaying, whether branches are dropping off.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35It's like a health check, it's sort of an MOT, if you like.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38We measure it at regular intervals, every ten years or so,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41and we measure it at this set height.
0:25:41 > 0:25:42Right, well, let me help.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46If ever a tree were going to be in Harry Potter, this was it.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52We know the last time we measured it officially, it was 9.6.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56I think we're going to be something like 9.7.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58'It's a slow grower.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01'This tree has expanded ten centimetres in ten years.'
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Sometimes trees can actually reduce in their diameter,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08because they decay and bits drop off,
0:26:08 > 0:26:12so that's probably about right for a tree of this age.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Some of our nature detectives
0:26:16 > 0:26:18are always on the trail of another mystery.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Former teacher Rosemary Winnall is dedicated to recording
0:26:21 > 0:26:26the Wyre Forest's wildlife wonders, but keeping a close watch
0:26:26 > 0:26:30on her own garden led to a remarkable fungi find.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34Well, I first saw it in the year 2000 and I didn't recognise it
0:26:34 > 0:26:38as a species I knew, so I sent some specimens off
0:26:38 > 0:26:42to the mycological research lab in Kew Gardens.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45And the experts wrote back and they told me it was a wax cap,
0:26:45 > 0:26:49they said they thought it was completely new to science.
0:26:49 > 0:26:50- Isn't that good? - Completely new?
0:26:50 > 0:26:52Yes, new species.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54So what is this called?
0:26:54 > 0:26:57This has been named gliophorus reginae.
0:26:57 > 0:27:02- Gliophorus reginae?- Yes. - And can you eat them?
0:27:02 > 0:27:04No, I don't think so.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06I know you will never forgive me if I don't say
0:27:06 > 0:27:09this is what it looks like at its best.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19This place is a real treasure chest, isn't it?
0:27:19 > 0:27:21What else have you found around here?
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Well, you won't believe this, but one day, last summer,
0:27:23 > 0:27:28I spotted a water shrew just in that little pond just there.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31You've been here 15 years - how many times have you seen a water shrew?
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Once. Last year.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36- Just there.- It's amazing that you managed to get a photograph.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38I've got the photograph to prove it.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41You can tell a water shrew by looking at the colouration.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45The division between the black upper fur and the white belly fur
0:27:45 > 0:27:48is very distinctive. I've got a remote camera there,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51which, wonderfully, has a close-up lens attachment,
0:27:51 > 0:27:55so it means now I can film small mammals.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Obviously I'm hoping for a water shrew.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Whether one will come back here again, I don't know.
0:28:00 > 0:28:01But in the meantime,
0:28:01 > 0:28:04I'm getting lovely pictures of common shrew and pygmy shrew.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07- That's good.- Your own reality TV series going on right down here.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10- Yes. - Cameras catching anything going on.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14It's a little mini world down there, with all sorts of surprises.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19And this is the latest from Rosemary's hidden camera -
0:28:19 > 0:28:23a wood mouse, fellow shrews, and a wren have all taken the bait here.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27Far from being a quiet season,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30it's worth looking carefully when you're out and about this winter.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Who knows what other mysteries are out there?
0:28:37 > 0:28:41Winter is also proving to be a busy time for Britain's poultry farmers,
0:28:41 > 0:28:45but not in a good way, because bird flu is back again.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49The last epidemic to hit Britain was in 2014.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52It cost the British economy £100 million.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55And now, with all poultry on lockdown,
0:28:55 > 0:28:59Paul is keen to find out how he can help keep this killer at bay.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07Hello. There you go.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12Now, the best bit about having a smallholding is
0:29:12 > 0:29:16you get to keep chickens, and it's a real delight in the morning
0:29:16 > 0:29:18to say hello to these girls and collect the eggs.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Especially on the weekends, with the kids,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23because the race is on to see how many we can collect.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28Oh, look, there she is. Sitting on her eggs.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30I feel a bit guilty, really.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32Sorry, Mum, but I'm taking these.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35There's two there, and they're lovely and warm.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37Oh, look, there's one there. One's rolled down here.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40That's my omelette sorted.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44I keep chickens on a very small scale,
0:29:44 > 0:29:48but bird flu has affected me and other smallholders in Britain.
0:29:49 > 0:29:50And at its devastating worst,
0:29:50 > 0:29:54an outbreak could potentially affect the price of eggs,
0:29:54 > 0:29:56which is bad news for us all.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01After a number of outbreaks in Europe at the end of 2016,
0:30:01 > 0:30:05the government issued an order that all poultry must be kept inside
0:30:05 > 0:30:08or in covered pens, like mine.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12I've dropped netting down one side and I've put a roof over it,
0:30:12 > 0:30:16just to stop any wild birds and ducks coming in.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19I've also added antiseptic footbaths around my chicken run
0:30:19 > 0:30:22to prevent potential cross contamination.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28Avian influenza is a really tough disease.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32Normally a virus needs to be inside its host or it dies,
0:30:32 > 0:30:36but this one can be transmitted via bird droppings, and survive
0:30:36 > 0:30:38in the environment for 50 days.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41It doesn't like warm weather or bright sunlight,
0:30:41 > 0:30:43but thrives in the cold of winter.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49I don't have to make a living from my hens, but for those who do,
0:30:49 > 0:30:51bird flu is a real worry.
0:30:53 > 0:31:01Outbreaks in 2014 and 2015 resulted in nearly 200,000 farmed birds
0:31:01 > 0:31:05being culled. Sarah Smith runs a business supplying young
0:31:05 > 0:31:08free-range chickens to smallholders like me.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11- Lovely seeing the deer. - Yes.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15We've been running this business for about seven years now,
0:31:15 > 0:31:17this is our seventh season rearing birds.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19And how many have you got?
0:31:19 > 0:31:21We've got about 2,000, just at the minute.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24Gosh! Obviously all free-range, but they're inside right now.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26We're keeping them inside because the main thing is
0:31:26 > 0:31:29- to prevent contact with the wild birds.- Sure.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32- So it looks bare, doesn't it? - Yeah, and very quiet.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34'With the restrictions in place,
0:31:34 > 0:31:37'unfortunately this is the closest we can get.'
0:31:38 > 0:31:41It must be very worrying for you right now.
0:31:42 > 0:31:43Yes, I mean, obviously...
0:31:43 > 0:31:45- This is your livelihood. - Yes, it is our livelihood,
0:31:45 > 0:31:49so depending how things go, it could be a serious problem.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55The continuing restrictions could have dire consequences for
0:31:55 > 0:31:58free-range farmers across the UK.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01If the birds are forced to remain inside for more than 12 weeks,
0:32:01 > 0:32:05they will lose their free-range status.
0:32:05 > 0:32:10The current housing order started on 6th December, 2016, so they have
0:32:10 > 0:32:15until 28th February before their eggs stop being free-range.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20There's me worrying about my five chickens and three ducks,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23and poor old Sarah Smith could lose everything through this disease.
0:32:23 > 0:32:28There are 900 million chickens and countless wildfowl in Britain.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31Their health needs to be constantly monitored if we're going to
0:32:31 > 0:32:33keep a lid on the recent outbreak.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37That job falls to the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41Ian Brown has been looking into bird flu there for over 20 years.
0:32:42 > 0:32:49At the moment, Ian's lab is testing one or two suspected bird flu cases every day.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52Once a bird has the flu, how long does it take before it's dead?
0:32:52 > 0:32:5324 hours.
0:32:53 > 0:32:59- Really?- They will die in that period of time. And, of course,
0:32:59 > 0:33:02the virus will spread very fast through the flock of birds.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05What are the first signs you look for with bird flu?
0:33:05 > 0:33:09Things like swollen head, their cone may change in colouration,
0:33:09 > 0:33:11they might get haemorrhages on their legs,
0:33:11 > 0:33:15as you've got large numbers of birds showing these symptoms very quickly.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18I gather it's water birds, ducks, that are the biggest carriers.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21Yes, that's right. The wild waterfowl species are the species
0:33:21 > 0:33:24that have actually brought this virus into Europe, so all across
0:33:24 > 0:33:28Europe we're finding dead waterfowl species with the virus.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35The latest strain of the virus not only spreads very fast,
0:33:35 > 0:33:37it mutates all the time.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40Scientists are playing a game of catch-up.
0:33:41 > 0:33:42We have to be reactive.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45You have to be one step ahead.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48If you can be one step ahead of the virus, that gives us
0:33:48 > 0:33:52good possibilities to eventually get on top of the outbreak,
0:33:52 > 0:33:55and reduce that infection problem.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59'Unlike previous strains of the virus,
0:33:59 > 0:34:04'it's not contagious to humans, but given its capacity to mutate,
0:34:04 > 0:34:06'that can't be ruled out in the future.'
0:34:08 > 0:34:12Is it too early to tell if it's starting to burn itself out?
0:34:12 > 0:34:16The prediction would be, with still lots of migratory waterfowl here,
0:34:16 > 0:34:18the virus is going to be here for a while.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20So it's very difficult to tell when it's going to peak,
0:34:20 > 0:34:22but I think we need to be alert and vigilant,
0:34:22 > 0:34:24certainly for the next several months.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33From what I've seen here today, it looks like we are in safe hands,
0:34:33 > 0:34:36but you never can tell what's going to happen in the future.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38So if you're a smallholder,
0:34:38 > 0:34:40or you just keep chickens in your back garden,
0:34:40 > 0:34:42be vigilant and look out for the signs.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48And here's hoping the monitoring work of the Animal and Plant Health
0:34:48 > 0:34:52Agency means the situation doesn't escalate over the next few months.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58Earlier in the show, Keeley met a mountain rescue team and their dogs
0:34:58 > 0:35:02on a foggy day in the Peak District, but what happens
0:35:02 > 0:35:05when the weather gets even worse and the snow comes in?
0:35:05 > 0:35:09Well, what better place to find out than here in the land of the brave?
0:35:12 > 0:35:16The Scottish Highlands, home to Britain's tallest peaks.
0:35:18 > 0:35:23The mountains here experience 100 days of falling snow every year.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27The Cairngorms, in the heart of the Highlands,
0:35:27 > 0:35:31offer some of the best skiing and walking opportunities in the UK,
0:35:31 > 0:35:34but the weather can change in an instant.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38Up here, even the most experienced adventurer can quite quickly
0:35:38 > 0:35:41find themselves in a life-threatening situation.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46No-one knows that more than Bob and Cathy Elmer,
0:35:46 > 0:35:51who were rescued from the Cairngorms just weeks ago after a New Year walk
0:35:51 > 0:35:55- went badly wrong.- The snow was at times up to our waist,
0:35:55 > 0:35:59you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, so we decided
0:35:59 > 0:36:03to get the survival bags out and get down for the night in them.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10They were lucky they had the right kit and, as Damon Powell,
0:36:10 > 0:36:13the chair of Scottish Mountain Rescue, explains,
0:36:13 > 0:36:15keeping safe is all about preparation.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20Tell me I'm not going to need this.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22Yeah, absolutely.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25It's an essential piece of kit when you go up the hill.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27The only thing that really,
0:36:27 > 0:36:30really looks after you when you get on very hard snow or very hard ice,
0:36:30 > 0:36:33and it's partly there in case you fall, to stop you sliding,
0:36:33 > 0:36:35if you know how to use it.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37The other thing that's vital is something to be able
0:36:37 > 0:36:39to keep the wind off me and keep the weather off me.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41And I use some sort of bothy bag,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44which is just like the fly sheet of a tent,
0:36:44 > 0:36:45and it keeps the wind off.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48As well as having the correct gear,
0:36:48 > 0:36:51checking the forecast beforehand is also crucial.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54The weather up there, even in the last month,
0:36:54 > 0:36:56has been well over 100 mile an hour winds.
0:36:56 > 0:37:01And 100 mile an hour wind is likely to pick you up and throw you around.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05- The most extreme of the UK weather. - It is. It's the Arctic, basically.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08It's the nearest thing we have in the UK to the Arctic.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11Arctic or not,
0:37:11 > 0:37:14today Damon and his team of volunteers are heading up to the
0:37:14 > 0:37:17top of the Cairngorms to train in avalanche rescue.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22It's 4,000 feet above sea level, and so cold at the peak
0:37:22 > 0:37:25that snow still lingers in August,
0:37:25 > 0:37:26and there's plenty around today.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29So we are putting our crampons on.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31Is it going to get a bit more difficult?
0:37:31 > 0:37:34The snow is really hard cos it's ten degrees colder.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37Actually, your boots just won't go into it,
0:37:37 > 0:37:40- so you now need crampons as the only way not to slip.- Slip over.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46I'm safely kitted out, but there are potentially graver dangers
0:37:46 > 0:37:50out there facing hill walkers, when the weight of fresh snow
0:37:50 > 0:37:54overlying old is just too much for the mountain slope to bear.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59The result - winter's greatest peril, an avalanche.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05Last year in Scotland, over 200 were recorded.
0:38:05 > 0:38:1146 of those were triggered by people, so training is essential.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14And we carry an avalanche transceiver that enables us to
0:38:14 > 0:38:16find each other if we do get buried under the snow,
0:38:16 > 0:38:20along with a probe to locate them exactly in the snow,
0:38:20 > 0:38:22and a shovel to dig them out.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24And what we're training on today is using the avalanche transceiver
0:38:24 > 0:38:27to find people buried underneath the snow.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Damon's colleagues have set us a challenge
0:38:32 > 0:38:35to find a buried transceiver. Our hand-held device
0:38:35 > 0:38:38should pick up a signal once we're within 50 metres.
0:38:40 > 0:38:41Now it's in search mode.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43We've already got some information coming up,
0:38:43 > 0:38:44and it's giving me an arrow,
0:38:44 > 0:38:48which is the direction to walk in, and it's giving me a distance.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51So it's saying it should be about 18 metres in that direction.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54And what we now need to do is start following the arrows
0:38:54 > 0:38:56- in the direction it tells us to go. - OK, let's have a go.
0:38:58 > 0:39:03With a survival time of around 15 minutes, speed is of the essence.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05As we walk, it's going down and down.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08Seven, six.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11And you can hear, now we're getting very close,
0:39:11 > 0:39:13it's starting to take us right down.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17And this point, we're then down on our hands and knees and moving the
0:39:17 > 0:39:21transceiver along until we can get the lowest number possible.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23So we're down to one metre there.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27It's starting to go back up there, so if you come back to here,
0:39:27 > 0:39:29mark that. So that's the point that we're going to mark,
0:39:29 > 0:39:32and we think that they're buried underneath here somewhere.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35- Underneath here. - If we start digging down.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37- There you go. - Sure enough,
0:39:37 > 0:39:41there should be a transceiver on the end of that. There we go.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45'The biggest risk in a rescue situation
0:39:45 > 0:39:47'is triggering a further avalanche.'
0:39:47 > 0:39:49What's the reality if you do get caught in one?
0:39:49 > 0:39:52The reality if you get caught - they're not soft and fluffy.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55It's not cotton wool. Think more concrete and bricks and mud.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59They're horrible, horrible things, you really don't want to be in them.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03You will be chucked around and battered by big lumps of ice,
0:40:03 > 0:40:05maybe up to the size of a car.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10Avalanches are the worst case scenario.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13Getting caught in a blizzard is more likely.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16If the weather worsens, there are simple things that can
0:40:16 > 0:40:18keep you safe, like this bivvy bag.
0:40:19 > 0:40:25Hello. I tell you what, it's toastier in here,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28and if you were stuck out here for hours and you were waiting to
0:40:28 > 0:40:32get rescued, this would be your life-saver.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35This is what you want to have with you, this will...
0:40:35 > 0:40:37You might not be perfectly comfortable for the night,
0:40:37 > 0:40:39but you will survive it comfortably.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42Around us, there's lots of people digging holes.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44What are they doing?
0:40:44 > 0:40:47Lots of people practising and learning the skills they need
0:40:47 > 0:40:51in winter to look after themselves. So they're all digging snow holes.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55A snow hole is an even better version of this.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59Whatever the weather is doing on the outside, it's calm and it's quiet,
0:40:59 > 0:41:01and the temperature just sits at zero.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05Which might sound cold, but actually is a lot warmer
0:41:05 > 0:41:07than what's going on outside and around you.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09- So that's the best option. - I don't believe you that it's warm,
0:41:09 > 0:41:13- so I think you're going to have to...- So we'll go and try one.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16To qualify for winter level training,
0:41:16 > 0:41:22volunteer rescue teams must spend a night in a snow hole.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24So what's the best way of getting in here, then?
0:41:24 > 0:41:26- Are you going to go feet first? - Right.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33- That's it. - I mean, it's not the comfiest,
0:41:33 > 0:41:35but it's a lot warmer than it is out there.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37- It is, yeah. - Much warmer.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40That is the best thing to get into in the mountains in winter
0:41:40 > 0:41:41in the middle of the night.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43I wouldn't have thought of doing this in a million years.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45No! If you want, you can pull the door shut.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48If it's all right with you, I'll leave the door open for now.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50I feel a bit safer with the door open.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55Our winter weather can be at its most extreme in the Cairngorms,
0:41:55 > 0:41:59and yet these courageous volunteers are willing to come to our aid
0:41:59 > 0:42:01if we get into trouble.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05The most important thing I've learned from these guys is
0:42:05 > 0:42:08be prepared. Take the right kit with you,
0:42:08 > 0:42:11check the forecast before you go, and know your limits,
0:42:11 > 0:42:14and that will help keep you safe on Britain's mountains.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27From an avalanche of snow to an avalanche of snow water,
0:42:27 > 0:42:31because this waterfall is at its most spectacular now that the snow
0:42:31 > 0:42:34has melted high up on the mountains.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36And that's all we've got time for today,
0:42:36 > 0:42:40but here's an idea of what we've got lined up for you tomorrow.
0:42:40 > 0:42:46Like Jules, you could pick up some top tips to keep your dog fit this winter.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49It's 39.2 kilos.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53Margherita gives us some insight into the farms of the future.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55- Welcome to the farm.- Wow!
0:42:56 > 0:42:59Oh, my goodness!
0:42:59 > 0:43:03And I'll be discovering how a manor house garden can provide inspiration
0:43:03 > 0:43:05for even the smallest of gardens.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09So, hope to see you then, but for now, goodbye.