Interview with Uncle Ray in today's Guardian

[BearInTheWoods]

Put yourself in his position, would you risk death in the hope that the dog might survive?

Well I may or may not. What I would not do is go bimbling into some hellish place full of bandits in the first place. And if I did choose to risk my own neck out of some macho delusion, I would go alone. The first rule of survival is not to put your life in unnecessary danger in the first place.

 

[sandbender]

"...Well I may or may not. What I would not do is go bimbling into some hellish place full of bandits in the first place. And if I did choose to risk my own neck out of some macho delusion, I would go alone..."

I'm not sure he was intent on "risking his neck out of some macho delusion", more having a wee adventure and doing a bit of travelling.

South America is a big place, there are some bandits, criminals, footpads and rough types but they are in the minority, almost everyone else you might meet are for the most part pleasant and generous folk. If a person wanted to avoid any chance of 'bimbling into some hellish place full of bandits' they would have to avoid quite a few parts of the UK too.

 

[Uilleachan]

In late 1983 4 guys I'd just spent the sumer with, climbing in the french alps, went climbing in the peruvian andes, one a very good friend. Only 2 came back my friend among the two. Nobody knows what happened to the two Simons, avalanche was muted but as my pal, who spent a week looking for signs, states there was no sign they made it to their planned base camp.

It rather looked to him that they simply ran into the wrong type of local. That sort of thing happens.

 

[Tengu]

Ive been to Sulaseiger (couldn't land) and its a tough journey. (but Im a lubber so whos to say?)

You owe your dog nothing, its an animal evolved to predetate upon man and will get anything off of you, it believes that is its right.

 

[BearInTheWoods]

its an animal evolved to predetate upon man

Predetate? Do you mean 'meditate' or perhaps 'predate'? If the latter, are you suggesting that dogs regularly devour their owners?

 

[Tengu]

Is there such a word? Im not sure.

They don't devour their owners, since generaly they get fed first. (As Dad does to his sisters watch dog, a golden retriever...She was told a family dog is the best watch dog, so now she has a dog who bites people knowing that since they are cute, they can get away with it.)

 

[Uilleachan]

Ive been to Sulaseiger (couldn't land) and its a tough journey. (but Im a lubber so whos to say?)

You owe your dog nothing, its an animal evolved to predetate upon man and will get anything off of you, it believes that is its right.

More power to your tiller Tengu. Not unusual to be denied a landing, one needs a relative calm with the wind in the north, and thats a bit of an oxymoron in it's self.

 

[HarrogateTobias]

Whatever you think about Mr Grylls - love him or loathe him - he has been proved to be a faker on more than one occasion (bear suits, waterfall harnesses, sleeping in hotels). For most of the rest (Mors, Ray, Les Stroud, Les Hiddins, Cody Lundin etc.) its a question of style - pick the one you like. Once you get into faked TV, people are critical - with some justification.

I really like les stroud, he makes little mistakes here and there and shows them, then learns. I have all his shows downloaded and in the first season the amount of camera gear was ridiculous. Those old cameras had tapes! and heavy batteries. respect to him.