Ben Fogle

Ben Fogle joined Trekforce in the jungles of Guyana (2006) and Papua New Guinea (2007) for the filming of his latest series, Extreme Dreams with Ben Fogle.

Ever since Trekforce's involvement with the BBC series Serious Jungle in 2002, the expedition consultancy branch of Trekforce has been helping production companies to operate in remote and challenging environments, be it the jungle, the desert or the polar regions.

Extreme Dreams with Ben Fogle sees deserving individuals (known as contributors) being taken to unfamiliar and extreme environments by Ben Fogle and having the opportunity to participate in an experience beyond their wildest dreams, similar to our gap year expeditions (but without Ben Fogle!). Four different teams were selected, with each team travelling to a different region of the world. 

Extreme Dreams in Extreme Environments

The fourth component of the first Extreme Dreams series was to be a jungle challenge. Ricochet approached Trekforce to assist with the planning of the initial concept and the provision of expedition logistics, safety protocols and leadership during filming itself. Ricochet’s requirements were simple. They were looking to transport their team to a jungle destination that was remote, rarely visited and difficult to get to. At the same time, however, camera crews and production team had to be able to go about their everyday duties and the isolated nature of the location could not take precedence over matters of safety.

Trekforce suggested Guyana, a remote and largely inaccessible destination that they have a wealth of experience in, not to mention excellent in-country contacts. Having agreed on the destination, the next step was to put together a detailed itinerary, one that would provide a testing yet enjoyable experience for the team, whilst also making for good television.

The objective of the expedition was to reach Kaieteur Falls, at 741 feet, the highest single drop waterfall in the world. Before setting out on this trip, however, the team needed to learn the skills necessary to survive in the jungle during an intensive period of jungle training, under the watchful eye of Trekforce leader Ed Swales, a veteran of jungle expeditions and son of the late Wandy Swales, Trekforce’s founder. Over a 3-day period team members covered the basics, such as:

• Water purification
• Hazardous flora and fauna
• Medical training
• Shelter construction
• Fire lighting techniques
• Expedition Skills
  

Team members also took time to master the art of travelling by dug-out canoe, a form of transport that was to feature heavily in the days ahead.

Although the expedition expertise came from Trekforce staff and their wide range of consultants, the day-to-day leadership of the contributors and the overall presenting of the programme fell to Ben Fogle. The Extreme Dreams series sees Ben moving away from his clean-cut Countryfile image and adopting a more adventurous persona, a transition smoother than one might imagine, on account of his exploits in recent years.

In November 2005, together with Olympic rower James Cracknell, Ben set out on a gruelling race across the Atlantic. Battling atrocious weather, dehydration, the constant risk of capsize and non-stop exhaustion, the pair completed the 2,931-mile row in an impressive 49 days. In so doing they were the first pair to cross the finish line.

The jungles of Guyana are a far cry from the Atlantic Ocean, however, and Ben had his work cut out for him during the 15-day trip through the rainforest. Travelling in turn by 4WD vehicle, dug-out canoe and on foot, Ben Fogle and the team carved a route through the rainforest, finally reaching their objective 7 days later. En route they enjoyed more than their fair share of adventure:

“Our team and crew survived heat, humidity, torrential rains, tarantulas, capsized canoes, raging rivers and foetid swamps. They came back full of praise for the patience, professionalism and expert knowledge of the team leaders and medics. Can't wait to see what challenges you come up with for the next Extreme Dreams series!”
Amanda de Ryk, Series Editor for Extreme Dreams

Extreme Dreams in Papua New Guinea

Ben Fogle set off on another adventure, and Trekforce were chosen once again to lead him and 5 others through the mountains of one of the last great wildernesses on earth. They trekked through the mountains of Papua New Guinea down to the coast through tough, remote territory inhabited by tribal peoples.

Trekforce covered all areas that might normally give the crew a headache – from initial reconnaissance and logistics to in-country risk assessment, leadership, safety and back-up; the crew were therefore, in using Trekforce, free to focus on making great TV safe in the knowledge that they had a wealth of experience leading them through these hazardous environments.

Expedition Consultancy

As an expedition consultancy, Trekforce Worldwide’s expertise lies in providing technical advice and assistance to television production companies. In this instance, they assessed the health and suitability of contributors prior to leaving the UK, ensuring that all participants could cope with the extremes of expedition life. Issues such as expedition planning, casualty evacuation, risk assessment, safety and back-up, medical personnel, jungle training , leaders, in-country logistics and satellite communications also had to be considered and put in place.

Despite the perceived risk and the apparent scope for misadventure, in reality both the contributors and the production team were safe and healthy at all times, thanks solely to the preparation and behind-the-scenes work of the Trekforce staff. Furthermore, filming for the Extreme Dreams series was conducted successfully and with the minimum of disruption, despite the potential pitfalls of operating in such a hostile environment. summed up the experience when she claimed:

“The trip really was a huge success. The Trekforce team could not have done more to accommodate our needs and they dealt with everything in such an impressively calm and professional manner. The leaders and medics were the perfect combination - meticulous planning meant the schedule went exactly to plan, and impressive jungle skills meant that we felt in safe hands at all times. They kept a close eye on both the contributors and the crew and their experience in extreme environments meant that they were a great support.”
Extreme Dreams series Producer Katie Crawford

Extreme Dreams was aired on BBC2 during 2006.

Background

Extreme Dreams with Ben Fogle is the brainchild of Ricochet, one of Britain’s leading independent production companies. Ricochet have a reputation for creating innovative and award-winning programmes, and their more notable successes of recent years include Supernanny, How Not To Decorate, No Going Back, Living In the Sun and Who Rules the Roost?

Other Extreme Dream challenges in Series 1 included climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, trekking to Machu Picchu in Peru and completing an Arctic expedition.