Lan y Lotus.,..a Lawr yr Afon

-888

-Date:

-July 17 2001

-Location:

-Canada's Northwest Territories

-INTENTION:

-CLIMB THE LOTUS FLOWER TOWER

-AND ESCAPE DOWN THE RIVER NAHANNI

-CLIMBERS:

-TOM THOMAS AND CARADOG JONES

-Up The Lotus...

-and Down the River

-You can't pop

-to The Lotus Flower Tower.

-It's located in Canada's Northwest

-Territories - and Canada is big.

-You'll find it after

-a couple of helicopter hops...

-..in The Mackenzie Mountains, 200

-miles west of the Mackenzie River.

-Fort Simpson is the nearest village

-to The Tower...

-..The Dene's native village, where

-Tom Thomas and Caradoc Jones met up.

-At last! Where have you been?

-At last! Where have you been?

-

-How are you?

-Was the trip OK?

-Good.

-Roads are a rarity in this area.

-If you thought Soar y Mynydd

-was remote...

-..you should go to Fort Simpson.

-Catching a plane is like jumping

-on a bus in this part of the world.

-Fort Simpson's most famous

-bus driver is Jacques Harvey...

-..the Nahanni Cowboy.

-There's an aeroplane just took off

-to Yellowknife. Tried 3 times today.

-He turned back every time, so

-it's pretty bad in there right now.

-Jacques is highly respected

-for his Twin Otter escapades.

-..in about 15 minutes,

-we'll find out what's happening.

-To cut firewood, or if we fall out!

-Caradoc and Tom

-are respected climbers in Wales.

-Caradoc was the first Welshman

-to climb Everest...

-..and the fifth Briton to reach

-the peak from The Northern Ridge.

-Tom isn't as experienced

-in the big mountains.

-But he's a very able rock climber.

-Caradoc is from Tregaron

-and Tom is from Nant Peris.

-They've frequently climbed

-together in Wales.

-They haven't attempted a terrifying

-climb like The Lotus Flower Tower.

-There's no room for a mule

-or a Sherpa in the Twin Otter.

-Caradoc and Tom must carry

-their climbing equipment...

-..a raft, two paddles

-and a month's supply of food.

-Yes, a month. This isn't a Sunday

-afternoon hike up Snowdon!

-This will be the journey.

-They will reach and climb

-The Tower...

-..before returning to civilisation

-on a raft down South Nahanni River.

-The wild tower, canyons and

-200-year-old gold rush history.

-They'll paddle through The Funeral

-Range, past Headless Creek...

-..and into Deadman's Valley.

-A total of over 200 miles.

-From Llanberis to London

-without passing a single house.

-The first relatively easy step

-is reaching The Glacier Lake.

-These are heavy!

-The journey is split

-into two equal parts.

-Two weeks in the mountain,

-two weeks on the river.

-They leave the raft

-and half the food behind...

-..out of the reach

-of would-be burglars.

-The bears.

-The lads only saw one bear

-from a distance, thankfully!

-Shame the same couldn't

-be said of the mosquitoes.

-Mind your watch, Tom. It'll melt.

-The first climbers arrived here

-in 1955.

-That's when Arnold Wexler called

-the place, 'the impossible valley.'

-'The Cirque of the Unclimbables.'

-He felt so frustrated.

-Loads of granite walls to climb,

-all impossible...

-..until a young climber called

-Bill Buckingham heard about them.

-Bill and his mates arrived in 1960.

-They made a mockery

-of Wexler's statement.

-They climbed nearly every peak

-in a month.

-It's true they always

-took the easier routes...

-..but they conquered them,

-after all.

-Including this one.

-The most graceful wall

-and tower of them all.

-The lads named it,

-'The Lotus Flower Tower.'

-It is graceful.

-The most beautiful tower

-in the world. The perfect pillar.

-At 2,000 feet, it's one

-of North America's classic climbs.

-One of the world's best climbs.

-Well, it's 1.00am

-and we're cooking supper.

-Night doesn't fall

-in the Arctic Circle in summer.

-There's just a twilight

-between midnight and 2.00am.

-Only this kind of daylight.

-Only this kind of daylight.

-

-Yes.

-They travelled back to the lake

-twice for the climbing equipment.

-This is boiling

-and ready for a cuppa.

-Do you feel better

-after a good night's sleep?

-Yes, slightly.

-I hadn't realised before how much

-carrying work would be involved...

-..to get the equipment up here.

-It's about three or four miles

-and 3,000 feet through those trees.

-Mosquitos were a nightmare.

-I'm covered in lumps.

-I'm the same - bitten alive!

-It's lucky we're not that high up.

-At least we're not out of breath.

-It'll take a couple of days

-to acclimatize.

-One morning,

-they met a crowd of Americans.

-They'd also set their sights

-on The Lotus Flower Tower.

-It's nearly ready, Caradoc.

-French or Italian dressing?

-That'll do!

-We've spent six days

-in the valley.

-It doesn't look too promising.

-We'll have to grab

-the first chance we get.

-Looks like that, doesn't it?

-I'm a bit worried that it's

-still wet after last night's rain.

-Want some?

-I wasn't going to ask but you've

-been fighting with that for a while.

-What's going on?

-What's going on?

-

-Just trying to release the swine!

-I'm optimistic!

-Where's the chisel?

-Where's the chisel?

-

-Did you remember Delia Smith's book?

-Here it is! What does it say

-about flipping a pancake?

-Here it is! What does it say

-about flipping a pancake?

-

-Success!

-Excellent!

-It's starting to rain again, Tom.

-It's starting to rain again, Tom.

-

-The weather's unpredictable.

-What do you think

-of the marshland behind us?

-What do you think

-of the marshland behind us?

-

-Beautiful, isn't it?

-Like Tregaron Bog.

-I've never seen Tregaron Bog.

-A famous place.

-This is like Llanberis pass,

-with all the rain!

-This is like Llanberis pass,

-with all the rain!

-

-You're right.

-Yes, a climber's life is a hard one.

-A whole week was lost

-due to fog and rain.

-They will only have one opportunity

-in the week remaining...

-..to be the first

-to climb The Tower this year.

-The Americans had already

-attempted the first 300 feet.

-Because of the wet conditions,

-they descended to get dry...

-..and reconsider.

-That's when the arguing started.

-Caradoc wanted to climb The Tower

-without the Americans' help.

-Tom thought they should take

-advantage of the Americans' ropes...

-..in order to secure a good start,

-without getting soaking wet.

-He won.

-But Caradoc wasn't happy.

-Using other climbers' ropes

-wasn't in his dictionary.

-But he had to compromise.

-A bit early for a mutiny.

-Well, Mr Jones. What do you think?

-It's still hellishly wet.

-To say the least.

-Terrible at the moment, isn't it?

-It's difficult to say

-what the next few days will bring.

-Perhaps we could give it

-a go tomorrow. Take a chance.

-We'd get very wet.

-But if it's dry the day after, we'd

-have some hope on the second part.

-If we do it over two days and put

-everything on the halfway ledge.

-Day 8

-Get the hell out of your way,

-the Welshmen!

-There was no squabbling

-in the other camp.

-James and Franzisca,

-two doctors from Utah...

-..enjoyed the Welshmen's company,

-after a week of chatting and rain.

-Tom felt he wasn't fit enough

-to lead.

-But he was more than able

-to follow and clear up.

-Caradoc was a happy man.

-He climbed freely and easily.

-Two days, and 2,000 feet

-were ahead of him.

-Although they didn't have a mule,

-they had to drag the yellow pig.

-This contained food, stove,

-sacks and sleeping mats.

-How's it going?

-I'm finding it quite hard.

-It looks so easy.

-Tricky, isn't it?

-The main feature of The Tower's

-lower half is an enormous chimney.

-A 600 foot crack, that's technically

-easy to climb when it's dry.

-But when it's cold and wet,

-it's dangerously slippery.

-Bit of a struggle, sir?

-Bit of a struggle, sir?

-

-Yes.

-Once we're out

-of this bloody chimney...

-Exactly.

-

-Below!

-The stone nearly landed on my head.

-That close.

-They finally reach the halfway mark.

-It's midnight.

-Breakfast was 18 hours ago.

-How are you doing there, James?

-It's a good pitch, isn't it?

-It was a great pitch.

-Sharing a ledge with a Welshman.

-That's the best part of climbing.

-When are we going to see

-you guys over in Wales?

-I'd love to climb that Gogarth area.

-I'd love to go there.

-I was there a week

-before coming out.

-I was there a week

-before coming out.

-

-That must be just awesome.

-I mean...

-..Wales.

-Just the name sounds so cool. Wales!

-Hello, folks. How are you?

-Hello, folks. How are you?

-

-Hi, Tom.

-Look at Tom! He's got

-a pretty rugged beard.

-He's getting a bit

-Desperate Dan-ish.

-I'm not sure if I can climb

-with him unless he shaves tomorrow!

-The original plan was to eat

-and grab a few hours sleep but...

-I think we need another rope.

-It's up to you.

-What do you want to do?

-It's up to you.

-If you fancy,

-I'll bail you by all means.

-Are you anxious

-to get on the sharp end?

-Tom's definitely not anxious!

-That's one thing Tom

-isn't,

-is anxious!

-He's pretty relaxed really, because

-he's thinking about his tea now.

-I'll cook Caradoc

-something nice to eat.

-Tom is in tea mode.

-Tom is in tea mode.

-

-Yeah.

-I've forgotten my sleeping mat.

-You're joking.

-You're joking.

-

-No.

-I'll sleep on the ropes. It doesn't

-matter. I have a sleeping bag.

-Well. Things are going well -

-and also really badly.

-I'll give you the bad news first.

-We've forgotten the stove pump

-in the camp below.

-We can't have a cuppa

-or a cooked meal tonight.

-It's going well,

-because Caradoc is up there...

-..trying to make two rope lengths

-before nightfall.

-It'll give us a good start

-in the morning.

-Mixed emotions, I'm afraid.

-You can see how Caradoc

-conquered Everest.

-His toughness shows.

-After climbing for 18 hours,

-he's up again before turning in...

-..on the famous 'Garden in the Sky'

-shelf, 1,000 feet up The Tower.

-Hey, Tomos! Are you awake?

-The weather looks

-as if it's changing.

-I hope it'll remain dry

-for us to reach The Tower summit.

-Hotel California!

-Ahead of them today, the legendary

-headwall, The Great Line.

-Two parallel cracks that shoot 1000'

-up from the shelf to the summit.

-OK, Tom.

-James and Franzisca

-are using the Welshmen's ropes.

-They both go first.

-We're looking directly up this.

-It was quite hard, though.

-Harder than I imagined.

-After 500 feet,

-it's a very steep climb.

-Black lumps are a unique

-characteristic of the rock face.

-The geological term is xenolith.

-Without them,

-climbing would be impossible.

-But because they're there,

-the climbing is thrilling.

-How's it going, Tom?

-Steady Eddie.

-Good.

-Move your feet.

-Caradoc still leads

-and is in his own little world.

-But whether you're leading or

-following, concentration's a must.

-No comment.

-The weather worsens suddenly,

-just as the climbing gets tough.

-It's a make or break situation.

-What do you want me to do, Tom?

-Hard to say, isn't it?

-Hard to say, isn't it?

-

-Yes. It looks quite bad over there.

-Is it a shower?

-Is it a shower?

-

-It's definitely

-going to rain any minute.

-It's pouring down in the valley.

-This is hell

-after all that climbing.

-The next length of rope

-will be the most difficult.

-Impossible in the rain.

-

-Luckily, it didn't rain.

-There are three rope lengths

-to The Lotus Flower Tower summit.

-Caradoc's in his element.

-An exhausted Tom looks on with awe.

-OK, Tom. I'm safe.

-I'm safe.

-Let the purple trail behind you.

-It could catch on something

-in the chimney.

-BLEEP

-Sorry. I didn't realise

-you were listening.

-Are you OK, Tomos?

-Just. I've felt much better.

-But there you go.

-Believe it or not,

-it's midnight once again.

-But the summit is getting closer.

-At last!

-I didn't think that would

-ever bloody finish.

-Thanks for your help, James.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much!

-Not bad!

-Wow!

-Congratulations.

-Congratulations.

-

-Congratulations to you.

-I think you have well done.

-That's nice.

-The descent is quicker but it took

-all night and a full morning...

-..to abseil back down The Tower.

-It's a Friday night.

-Down to the club tonight, then!

-The Bear Club.

-The Bear Club.

-

-Join James to drink

-a bottle of Yukon Jack.

-That should get us drunk.

-After a hard three days,

-with very little sleep...

-..it's time to relax and wash.

-It's also time to say farewell

-to James and Franzisca...

-..with a very welcome bottle

-of Yukon Jack.

-Want a shot? This is Yukon Jack,

-direct from Canada!

-I think we'll have to give this

-to the hard core...

-..first Welshman on Everest. Freed

-every pitch on Lotus Flower Tower.

-The best, the best.

-Cheers.

-I'm going to start looking for gold.

-Day 14

-I've just been to the toilet in the

-trees. My bum's been eaten alive.

-South Nahanni River

-is five miles from Glacier Lake.

-It's one of North America's

-most famous and legendary lakes.

-This is possibly Canada's

-wildest, and most remote, river.

-There are 250 miles of deep canyons,

-wild white waters...

-..and the country's

-largest waterfall ahead of them.

-The Nahanni River legends

-are rather sinister.

-This was the Dene Indians' land

-for more than 5,000 years.

-The Naha tribe's land.

-Naha means

-'the people who live far away'.

-They're far away today...

-..but further still in 1898 when the

-white man came during the gold rush.

-Back in the old days, there were

-romantic stories about the area.

-It was a mountainous El Dorado,

-a witch's dream.

-As a result...

-..the stories that put South Nahanni

-River on the map are very different.

-Sinister stories of mining,

-deceiving and murdering.

-About the discovery

-of headless corpses.

-The first 3 days on the river were

-fairly boring and unadventurous.

-But then...

-..the wild white waters of

-Na-Ili Cho, the great falling water.

-Ndambadezha was a Naha god, a spirit

-that protected them from harm.

-It was believed he lived here,

-in the earth's core.

-It's within the boundaries of the

-National Park, established in 1974.

-The valley is a World Heritage Site.

-This is the journey

-Caradoc and Tom face.

-10 m

-They begin at Rabbitkettle,

-on the National Park border...

-..following the river

-to Nahanni Butte.

-The canyons they pass were named

-after the original adventurers.

-It's a better day today, Caradoc.

-Yes. The equipment's drying out.

-At last.

-We're going at quite a good speed,

-I'd say.

-The water will be much faster

-and more fun in the second part.

-It should be.

-Not too much fun, though, I hope.

-As long as we don't ruin it.

-I'm not too fond of wild waters.

-

-Day 17

-This is the magnitude

-of Na-Ili Cho.

-Four acres

-of cascading white waters.

-It's twice as high as Niagara.

-Its vibrations can be felt

-for miles.

-Which side do you think

-we should take it?

-Which side do you think

-we should take it?

-

-Right, I think.

-Yes?

-Yes?

-

-Yes.

-If you paddle strongly enough from

-the right, we won't go far wrong.

-We'll stop on the island

-for a bite to eat and check it out.

-Yes, yes!

-Worth seeing, isn't it?

-Very amusing, lads. Not that

-I believed you for one minute.

-The first white men

-to see the waterfall...

-..were Albert Faille

-and R M Patterson.

-Faille died in 1973 in Fort Simpson,

-where Caradoc and Tom set out.

-His wooden cabin and boat

-are still there.

-He was born in Minnesota but

-his family hailed from Switzerland.

-He was an excellent forester.

-He mined for gold

-throughout his life.

-'Every time Faille goes up river,

-he'll never come back.'

-That was the general consensus.

-But back he came, for 46 years.

-Sometimes he spent

-a whole winter in the wild.

-When this film was shot in 1962,

-he was 73...

-..and on his eighth journey

-past the waterfall.

-He always carried enough wood

-to build another boat...

-..at the higher level of the

-waterfall. This would take a week.

-He'd continue up river in search

-of his gold and El Dorado.

-Patterson was a young Englishman.

-He emigrated to Edmonton in 1927.

-His search was for gold

-and adventure, too.

-'Difficult to Kill'

-is what the Indians called him.

-Murder is rife

-in the valley's folklore.

-The natives said to avoid the river.

-Faille and Patterson

-ignored their advice in 1927.

-They ventured up river

-for the first time...

-..counting the canyons they passed.

-Patterson wrote of his adventures

-in his classic book...

-..'The Dangerous River'.

-To the Welshmen, this was

-the start of the exciting canyons.

-I'll secure this

-and pass the stuff.

-We came out sooner

-than I expected. It was alright.

-OK.

-To the right.

-Let the head come around.

-Another soaking.

-This side!

-BLEEP

-The nose around.

-Right or left?

-Right or left?

-

-Left a touch.

-Left a bit more

-to avoid the big stuff ahead.

-Some of the waves are coming across.

-Some of the waves are coming across.

-

-Yes.

-BLEEP

-Come in, Twm.

-You OK?

-Turn around, head into it.

-Are you OK?

-We had enough bloody action there!

-There are two things

-I can't understand.

-I didn't lose my cap or my paddle!

-Good boy!

-Nose into it.

-I'll have to get dry.

-You're soaking wet!

-Look at you laughing!

-The best handspring

-I've seen in ages!

-I'm starting to enjoy myself.

-I'm starting to enjoy myself.

-

-Let's check it out first.

-'The Figure 8' is the most difficult

-of the river's wild waters...

-..according to Faille and Patterson.

-The dangerous flow played endless

-tricks on their old 30 foot boats.

-What did Tom and Caradoc make of it?

-Brilliant.

-Perfect.

-It's hard enough going down river...

-..without having to drag

-a canoe up this vast river.

-We're entering the second canyon.

-This is the second canyon.

-Deadman's Valley is the other side.

-I'm looking forward to that place.

-That's where the McLeod brothers

-lost their heads.

-Didn't Patterson spend

-a winter in Deadman's Valley?

-That's where they built their cabin.

-Patterson and Gordon Mathews

-spent the winter of 1929 there.

-They hunted, didn't they?

-They hunted, didn't they?

-

-Yes.

-I bet winter's hard up here.

-I bet winter's hard up here.

-

-Terrible.

-They would hunt in these valleys.

-They sold everything

-to the fur trade for 10,500.

-Which year was that?

-Which year was that?

-

-1929.

-That was a great deal of money.

-That's Headless Creek.

-They haven't discovered

-what really happened.

-This is the Nahanni's big story.

-Charlie discovered the bodies of his

-brothers, Frank and Willie McLeod.

-Both were headless.

-There are reports

-of a mysterious third person.

-He's been accused of their murders

-and stealing their gold.

-No-one will ever know the truth.

-But freezing temperature,

-starvation and the bears...

-..could shed some light

-on the mystery.

-Whatever the truth, the valley was

-temporarily called Headless Valley.

-Eventually, the story

-became responsible for naming...

-..The Headless Range,

-Funeral Range and Deadman's Valley.

-Are you enjoying it, so far?

-The whole thing's been incredible.

-Hold on!

-You're at it again!

-Since when have you been doing this?

-We could strike gold, Tom!

-Things are sparkling in here.

-Really?

-Really?

-

-This is where the story began.

-Just as long as we don't lose

-our heads, like the McLeod brothers.

-We can take something back with us.

-Let's stay put for the last 2 days!

-Let's stay put for the last 2 days!

-

-Look at this!

-Something

-is

-shining in there.

-It's alright for you.

-I've only got porridge!

-I'll give you a percentage.

-I'll wash the dishes first,

-then I'll start planning for gold.

-I'll wash the dishes first,

-then I'll start planning for gold.

-

-Oh, well. There's nothing there.

-Back to counting fish.

-Despite the McLeod brothers,

-Patterson, Faille and others...

-..very little gold was mined

-on the shores of the Nahanni.

-Those are the only

-two big waters left.

-Those are the only

-two big waters left.

-

-The nasty ones.

-Make sure you've secured

-everything with the rope.

-Should I tie myself this time?

-Should I tie myself this time?

-

-Yes!

-They were right -

-the last canyon is the best.

-We won't forget

-this place in a hurry.

-We won't forget

-this place in a hurry.

-

-I don't think so.

-Definitely not.

-A natural hot spring,

-flowing from the rock.

-But it stinks.

-Today was a good day.

-I enjoyed the first canyon.

-It didn't look

-as if it would finish.

-Carried on and on all the time.

-Do you think The Splits

-have finished?

-Looks like it. It's all become one.

-And the river

-has slowed down considerably.

-Yes.

-We've a hard 15-20kms ahead of us

-until we reach Nahanni Butte.

-Yes.

-The journey nears its conclusion.

-They took six days

-less than expected.

-Day 22

-And yes, Caradoc Jones and

-Tom Thomas have a rough idea...

-..of the great task

-the old adventurers faced.

-The Lotus Flower Tower, The Nahanni,

-and Canada

-were

-big.

-The landing.

-There you go, mate.

-That's that done.

-In the bag.

-Nahanni Butte Store...

-..250 miles later.

-Yes.

-Not bad. Nice one, mate.

-Not bad. Nice one, mate.

-

-Thanks!

-S4C Subtitles by

-GWEAD