DVD and Book Reviews

When British adventurer Ed Wardle fulfilled a lifetime’s ambition by being left to fend for himself for three months in wilds of Yukon, the resultant TV show on the UK’s channel 4 and National Geographic channels (backed by Twitter and live blogs) proved something of a fiasco. Wardle cracked up, nearly starved, and was brought home after 50 days… Some, however, get on better with the Canadian wilderness. We review a couple of examples…

Northern Wilderness

The latest exploits of the remarkable Ray Mears

The book of survivalist Ray Mears’s journey through Canada’s vast northern landscapes tells the story of the fur trade, learns the ways of the Inuit, and follows the paths of great early Northern explorers through the tundra and Rocky Mountains.

At the heart of northern Canada is the vast boreal forest. Like the Amazon, the boreal forest is of critical importance to all living things. Its trees and peatlands comprise one of the world’s largest “carbon reservoirs”. Its wetlands filter millions of gallons of water each day. It’s a vast and intact forest ecosystem, home to moose and beaver, birch and spruce, insects and people.

For centuries this forest was seen to have no commercial value. In fact, frozen for six months of the year, it was deemed impenetrable, but ultimately when British pioneers, working with indigenous tribes, learned how to explore this land, they set the way for modern Canada to evolve.

Ray explores the wonder of this special place, giving insight as to how the eco-system works, forest survival and traditional crafts. He sees how different it is in late summer and winter, learns about the interdependence of all things in the forest and unlocks the secrets of this forgotten place.

If you buy the book through Ray’s own site, Woodlore, it comes individually signed by Ray himself at a cost of £20 (UK pounds).

A DVD of the series – shown in the UK on BBC 2 – is due for release shortly after the series.

www.raymears.com

Journey to the Edge of the World

Billy Connolly's latest adventure

The brilliantly charismatic comedian and actor Billy Connolly is back in his guise as a tour guide as he travels through the legendary Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific. His adventures were filmed for a TV series, just screened for the second time this year on the UK’s ITV network. The DVD release not only contains all four episodes in the series, but also includes footage exclusive to the DVD. In Journey to the Edge of the World, we follow the intrepid comedian on a once-in-a-lifetime trip across this fascinating landscape.

The ever-engaging Billy Connolly invites you to escape from the humdrum of a busy and stressful lifestyle and take this journey with him to the edge of the world from the comfort of your own home. What’s it like to live on the edge on the world? Here’s your chance to find out and have your mind blown away by the scenery!

Universal Pictures, £8.38 on Amazon.

The book of the same title is available in hard cover for £19.95

A good map here of Connolly’s route is available here…

http://www.audleytravel.com/Destinations/Canada-Alaska-and-The-Arctic/Features/Journey-to-the-Edge-of-the-World/Introduction.aspx