SAS Who Dares Wins. Ch4

[Biker 1]

No. 11 - as tough as they come!!! Sadly, i think he may be too old to make the grade, probably on physical grounds. I suspect he will show up a lot of the younger blokes & outlast many of them though!
There were some knobs which will be kept on for a while for entertainment value....

[V8mate]

I couldn't believe how easily some of them gave up.

When three of them bailed simultaneously rather than crawl across the small clearing, not one of them looked shattered, or distraught or broken or in any way like they'd given even 25% effort. They looked like they were standing in a queue at the chippy.

Symptomatic of the modern disease that because you preen in front of a gym mirror that's as hard as work gets.


In spite of that annoyance I really enjoyed the first series and this one's looking good too

[lemmingjames]

craste said:

Really enjoyed tonight's first episode, and like the others on here now, I'm rooting for number 11.

Fair play to him.

He seemed to have taken on a fatherly role to all of them as hes seen several time trying to motivate people. Id have thought the DS staff would have known about his 'history' though but didnt look like they had been primed.

Also, from what theyve shown the PT looks alot more simpler this year than last, ok the heat and humidity is a counter but still.

I think No.11 will make it to the end but they'll let him go in the interview stage

[callmedave]

I was expecting more of the same (and would have been happy with that) but i like the new location and the new challenges that come with it.

Was a bit surprised to see so many quit so soon.

The first guy who was saying he couldnt get his breath - obvious panic attack, he said he had done loads of training, but it shows how much of this relies on your mental capacity more than your physical.

[Halb]

I think the humidity is just to much, as they said, humans aren't meant for the jungle. I don't blame any for leaving, the bodyshock of loosing that amount of liquid can be physically too much for some.

I would expect the people's backstorys are there to see how the SAS men react. Since they are as much of the show as the participants.

I don't see 11 surviving, but I reckon he'll be a fave of the SAS, and the heart of the show, along with Moses.

THe only one I think is/was a joke was the angry small man. Obviously physically fit, maybe the fittest, and he went in a strop, 37? Looks 47 and acts like 7.

[andy_s]

Fair play to the old 'un, he seems very collected and positive, hope he does OK.

I can't understand why someone would drop in the first day or two, after all the effort to get there. I'm not sure what they expected.

The guy who flounced off didn't really think it through either, if it hadn't been him lying down it would have been someone else, silly move.

Moses(?) was obviously bricking it on the heli, but fair play to him, hope he can ride the storm too.

[Pickled]

andy_s said:

Fair play to the old 'un, he seems very collected and positive, hope he does OK.

I can't understand why someone would drop in the first day or two, after all the effort to get there. I'm not sure what they expected.

The guy who flounced off didn't really think it through either, if it hadn't been him lying down it would have been someone else, silly move.

Moses(?) was obviously bricking it on the heli, but fair play to him, hope he can ride the storm too.

Matey who flounced pretty much set himself up to be singled out after the DS knew how easy it was to push his buttons.

Really hope no.11 makes it through.

[Ayahuasca]

Halb said:

I think the humidity is just to much, as they said, humans aren't meant for the jungle. I don't blame any for leaving, the bodyshock of loosing that amount of liquid can be physically too much for some.
.

They haven't really shown any 'jungle' experience yet. Being in a camp, and running around already cut trails is much, much, much easier than being in tne middle of the jungle and having to cut your way through, without being able to see more than a metre or so in any direction, with vines and creepers wrapping around your neck and backpack, and trees and tangled undergrowth blocking you in every direction, with rotten trunks underfoot that can give way at any moment, without being able to touch any vegetation with your hands because it is covered in spikes or might conceal a snake or scorpion...

Trust me, it can get a lot worse, clautrophobia can set in and it is easy to panic.

[PBDirector]

Sorry for the naive question, but...

A few times, Ant said things along the lines of "you can't fight the jungle, you have to go with it", and "their problem was they tried to fight the jungle". What exactly did he mean they should or shouldn't be doing? I'm sure it's awesome advice but I wouldn't know what to do with it!

[dub16v]

Having recently returned from the Ecuadorian jungle, I can attest to just how feckin' hot and uncomfortably it is.

My wife and I spent four days in the jungle on the border close to Bolivia and I didn't stop sweating for most of the trip. It's exhausting, and that's without doing any exercise.

[Halb]

Ayahuasca said:

They haven't really shown any 'jungle' experience yet. Being in a camp, and running around already cut trails is much, much, much easier than being in tne middle of the jungle and having to cut your way through, without being able to see more than a metre or so in any direction, with vines and creepers wrapping around your neck and backpack, and trees and tangled undergrowth blocking you in every direction, with rotten trunks underfoot that can give way at any moment, without being able to touch any vegetation with your hands because it is covered in spikes or might conceal a snake or scorpion...
Trust me, it can get a lot worse, clautrophobia can set in and it is easy to panic.

I trust you, I am sure it can. But just seeing them sat in the middle of the night in a tent with the water pouring down their faces when they were being questioned. SOme pale blue Brit plucked from Aston or the great North of Tyne and Wear, the bodyshock for some is too much.
I'd fancy a ice region one, but I'd never do a humid climate one.

[lemmingjames]

the cold would be ok until you get to the inevitable cold bath bit

[Halb]

lemmingjames said:

the cold would be ok until you get to the inevitable cold bath bit

I used to enjoy those sorts of bodyshocks...I've not jumped in an ice bath for a long time!
There was a programme called 53 Degrees...or something, I loved it, always wanted to go on it.

[joshleb]

I did one of those obstacle runs in the summer, and was on obstacles the same time as one of this years guys was on them.
He absolutely beasted everything, made us all feel decidedly average!

Loading up the episode now to see if I can identify him.

[WestyCarl]

Watched it last night, good TV.

I'm also surprised about the drop out rate, the guys must be fit, can only assume it was the environment (not a gym)

11- full respect for completely stopping the DS in his tracks during questioning. (unlike the other guy who got wound up after 30 secs)

[monthefish]

Biker 1 said:

No. 11 - as tough as they come!!! Sadly, i think he may be too old to make the grade, probably on physical grounds.

But as the instructors said, its a psychological battle - if he just doesn't throw in the towel no matter how much he's struggling physically, he may come through.

Halb said:

and the heart of the show, along with Moses

He's been singled out, but I don't think he's a favourite - he's a drug dealing, robbing and I hope they royally fk him over.

[V8mate]

monthefish said:

Biker 1 said:

No. 11 - as tough as they come!!! Sadly, i think he may be too old to make the grade, probably on physical grounds.

But as the instructors said, its a psychological battle - if he just doesn't throw in the towel no matter how much he's struggling physically, he may come through.

Halb said:

and the heart of the show, along with Moses

He's been singled out, but I don't think he's a favourite - he's a drug dealing, robbing and I hope they royally fk him over.

Whilst this programme isn't quite as contrived as many reality TV shows, it's pretty standard that winners don't feature much in early episodes. If they did, losers wouldn't feature at all.

Episode 1 was clearly getting the first set of sob stories out of the way

[Ayahuasca]

dub16v said:

Having recently returned from the Ecuadorian jungle, I can attest to just how feckin' hot and uncomfortably it is.

My wife and I spent four days in the jungle on the border close to Bolivia and I didn't stop sweating for most of the trip. It's exhausting, and that's without doing any exercise.

The Ecuadorian jungle is nowhere near Bolivia.

[Ayahuasca]

PBDirector said:

Sorry for the naive question, but...

A few times, Ant said things along the lines of "you can't fight the jungle, you have to go with it", and "their problem was they tried to fight the jungle". What exactly did he mean they should or shouldn't be doing? I'm sure it's awesome advice but I wouldn't know what to do with it!

Being in the jungle can be overwhelming - the heat, humidity, dehydration, insects, fear of stepping close to a deadly snake, etc, etc, but the worst part - and they haven't shown it in the show yet - is the claustrophobia and the fear of getting lost. Just moving slowly is exhausting. The maximum speed you can do is half a kilometer per hour. So, you need to take it calmly, steadily, controlling your thoughts, without expending energy wildly chopping and panicking. In a group, with directing staff, they won't really experience this, but I would like to see them do a navigation exercise. You navigate like you would in thick fog, on a compass bearing. Basically 'don't fight it, go with it' means 'keep calm and carry on'.

A couple of years ago two Dutch hikers got lost in the jungle near where I live. Later all the searchers found was their boots, backpacks and bones...

[andy_s]

Ayahuasca said:

Being in the jungle can be overwhelming - the heat, humidity, dehydration, insects, fear of stepping close to a deadly snake, etc, etc, but the worst part - and they haven't shown it in the show yet - is the claustrophobia and the fear of getting lost. Just moving slowly is exhausting. The maximum speed you can do is half a kilometer per hour. So, you need to take it calmly, steadily, controlling your thoughts, without expending energy wildly chopping and panicking. In a group, with directing staff, they won't really experience this, but I would like to see them do a navigation exercise. You navigate like you would in thick fog, on a compass bearing. Basically 'don't fight it, go with it' means 'keep calm and carry on'.

A couple of years ago two Dutch hikers got lost in the jungle near where I live. Later all the searchers found was their boots, backpacks and bones...

The guys posted out to Guyane do a 'mission profonde', basically a 30 day patrol, navigation is as you say, literally a line of string for distance and bearing and a compass. Generally I think the guys lose about 20kgs, which considering they are all 'fighting weight' to start with, isn't inconsiderable. A good colleague of mine ended up spending about 10 years over there as the head Jungle Instructor, mad Spanish fellow but he definitely fitted into the jungle very well. He saw many units come through on acquaints, US Marines were left for dead but he was impressed with the seal guys. A very testing environment, no doubt; note the first episode aside - 'jungle IS selection'.
A good book for a glimpse of the old n bold in Malaya and Borneo (where these skills & SOPs were developed on from the Chindit days of WWII) is 'Soldier Against the Odds: From Korean War to SAS' by Lofty Large.