Deadliest Journeys - Siberia, the Deadly Thaw

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[Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] every spring the freezing mist of lake baikal signals the start of a difficult voyage for the men of the village of harloff Naya a journey to the high plateau of Siberia to resupply the reindeer herders [Music] Demitri is the only driver willing to take on the impossible expedition he has to deliver 600 kilos of food as quickly as possible this year the winter has been so hard that the Shepherd's have been without fresh supplies for six months as flour sugar rice everything you want to keep them going until your son says you have to leave now otherwise the road will be impossible in a few days time the melting snows will turn the road into a swamp it's only 65 kilometers to the Shepherds camp but it's 65 kilometers that could take several weeks to cover ahead of them the white hell of Siberia [Music] when he wants a good run-up he's mad [Music] along the way the snow forms a virtually impenetrable wall even for a six wheel drive truck [Music] the trees could pierce the cabin up there here we go in the spring the warmer weather transforms Lake Baikal into a deadly trap he hasn't been able to get the car out stuck in the water you don't mess with Lake Baikal it's dangerous don't get close we get stuck here it's very risky when nature forces the moment to get out another danger lies in wait there's a huge bear over there is a tricky customer [Music] heavys what a beast it's only the effects mountain people who spend the winter in this farm at the end of the world will return home when it's on up by egg and um won't be home for them we'll see you girls nature spares to nothing and even the toughest can crack house I've had enough of this damn it [Applause] tomorrow with a snow tracker and more men I'm going [Music] [Music] Dmitry's barely left the village when he faces his first obstacle [Music] because the River Ghassan it's gonna be difficult the river is covered with ice that's breaking up because of the Thor I'm not sure how about yes nice is like suspended here there's a gap between it and the water and the truck could fall through it pesters whatever dealer the water's melted the lower part of the ice they in winter there was a thick layer of ice which has started melting now it looks solid now the truck should be fine here let's go this way well maybe that way fast [Applause] Dmitry's fear is that the IceBridge might collapse weakened by the melting snows it's just 80 centimeters thick hardly enough to support the weight of a one-ton truck [Applause] [Music] the fact they get across without difficulty maybe due to this TV set in Siberia it's better to have a God glued to the TV screen rather than tormenting travelers by toying with the weather it looks like a dump yet it's one of the most sacred spots in this region the assortments of unlikely objects are offerings to the God borge Khan it's the Fountain of Youth according to legend book on made this source immune from freezing to allow travelers to drink from it we'll stop here to pray wash them make some vowels using some coins and notes you can drink this water that's never covered by ice it's a holy place after the man it's the machines turn to be blessed to banish evil spirits Yura who negates the truck with sacred incense it's to make sure all goes well to make sure we get to where we need to go pray so we went break down or fall into holes this holy site is walter post office of sorts for a particular kind of mail local hunters drop off any animals that are too heavy to carry on their shoulders dimitri and his men will take them to the village this time it's a bear skin beast these are the bullet holes the paws are really delicious chaz de morgan we at home will chop them off and cook them by really tasty somebody look at this the bear was killed several days before and the flesh has been preserved using traditional methods now idiot won't dona meets over there now you're the hunters but the meat beneath the ice so it doesn't it what fridge there's often feed off the decaying corpses of other creatures and they become infected with parasites these could be fatal but the events appear to be impervious so they are amongst the few in the region that eats bear meat from now on the road becomes infernal forgive this is like a rollercoaster ride there are huge ruts in the road if the boss did it stick well you know if it snows like we're stuck here for days a division with our Moscow right there by three trains the river levels were wise and we won't be able to cross simple as that you just have to wait for the levels to drop Weaver's it is dead nobody [Applause] Tiffany please [Applause] is just it's too deep you know bullshit it's gonna come on to our next [Applause] Safa Dimitri has rarely been going faster than three kilometers an hour and he's worried he might have to sleep in his truck if he doesn't reach the refuge before nightfall even in spring the temperatures can still easily drop to minus 20 [Music] further down the valley the frozen lake baikal as big as Belgium provides enough fish to feed most of the region's inhabitants during winter the ice can be one meter thick and is safe to cross and many take their vehicles to go fishing but with the spring the ice becomes thinner and the lake becomes a deadly trap [Music] local TV coverage shows what happened to this car swallowed up by the lake a few hours earlier suddenly another car approaches and despite the cries of warning the driver heads straight towards the thin ice of the two passengers only one will survive the Glacial waters each year the lake claims a dozen lives [Music] [Music] anatoly's best friend was killed here three years earlier he's a nice guy a very good friend can I rest peacefully well wrapped up by the earth in the kingdom of the sky shit happened the 14 kilometers from the lakefront he was driving his car and it's slick still care the only two of the three inside got out he wasn't able to free himself and tiny car went underwater all at once don't mess with like my conscience it's dangerous kaalia partnership dad [Music] and I thought he worked on the railways for 40 years he's not able to buy enough food because of a meager pension of just 200 euros a month to survive like many others he fishes the lake even when the ice is beginning to melt [Music] it turned over well today the local authorities have warned that the ice is too dangerous to go fishing on the operation or not carry that very little bit I welcome like nothing will stop dedicated fishermen like us we have to go out we're forced to take risks even if it's dangerous [Applause] [Music] once the sun's warmed up the ice need to be a very and I'll tell he fishes for all move which is common on the lake [Applause] [Music] she casts but for Kumar - for now he almost gone won't be a by trattoria break will definitely she wouldn't even of Kapoor's nothing you shouldn't started earlier but I sure would take that I receive the others over there they came earlier and they've caught something other potentially came to a reasonable Tokyo girls I thank you that I'm not jaded forever [Music] are they biting whoa I got three or four [Music] I don't work I'm unemployed police then I'm an electrician but in my field there's no work going because I spend my time on bike old fishing the whole year on the rivers here and in winter ditch here on the ice in summer I'd bring my boat I need to feed my daughter my family serving the employment pays just 150 euros a month well we need of a communists back in power what they would give everyone work I have 200 euros as a pension if you see what all the politicians around here get well governor of bacteria well he gets a pension worth 18,000 you know but the region is rich but the people are poor because the government doesn't care about them we took that as well the government only takes care of itself they did you Watson Akula poor accordion what what can we do Eileen thank nature yesterday by cold yet without the lake everyone would have died a long time ago [Music] the ice slowly melts as the Sun gradually warms up in a few days it will no longer be possible to walk here the men will have to wait for the four before they can head out to fish for all mold in their boats [Music] while waiting Anatoly and his friends will need to hunt for something even more dangerous Siberia and grizzly bears [Music] [Applause] [Music] Demitri in his truck are also victims of the warmer weather as the snow softens the truck gets bogged down leaving man and machine facing walls of snow and ice but can be 2 metres high the only way is driving through them which is exhausting what stickler when you're in the scary deep like this you need to reverse quickly you get stuck even just for a second you'll get really stuck it takes hours to prize a few kilometers off the mountain Dimitri's had enough he carries on at this rate he'll never make it to the refuge by nightfall there's any one way to get round the wall of snow and that's to use his truck the bulldozer [Applause] the trees are a problem but almost need to get they might rip the brake tubes apart and itself smash everything that's under the truck get open that could even pierce the cabin I've seen it happen [Applause] [Applause] as each kilometer drags past the difficulties increase the road gradually where's men down Dimitri and his co-pilot Yura begin to argue because of the stress they disagree over what route to take okay well we'll need to go around here while these shores what go right then listen to me go this way please otherwise as you can see we'll get blocked and we'll never get fruit go right alright no no no left [Applause] go to hell I'm telling you it's this way you're not listening [Applause] this time the truck is well and truly stuck it's completely blocked its resting on its axle attach the winch I'll run it out and you pull it to attach the cable reel the trick is to get the cable out by tying it to a tree my winch will save us did you that's good Dimitri the front of the truck is stuck in the mud to get it out it needs to be pulled back with a winch and here we have a slogan which goes forward for the motherland and forward for Stalin [Music] [Applause] [Music] there's one problem after another until well into the night at 10:30 destiny plays a fateful blow and even the gods of the ranks seem to have abandoned them [Music] the trunk has become trapped a second time and a tree is lodged below the chassis [Applause] [Music] not enough damn it by 11 p.m. the winch is no longer useful it's now minus 10 degrees the snow has hardened the game and the truck is wedged tight in the Mart of a nice hollow god dammit Olson at midnight the thermometer has dropped to 20 below there's nothing for it but for the exhausted team to spend the night in the truck everyone that is apart from euro missin Dimitri at least the engine works you can turn the heating on I'll be back tomorrow with snow tractor and some war men go on Dimitri get some rest I'm going to get to the refuge Yura has a ten kilometer walk among the bears and wolves ah shit up god only knows if I'll make it I might have to sleep in the aircon in the forest [Applause] [Music] after five hours in -20° Yura finally reaches the shelter but no one wants to risk going back in the middle of the night the men will leave when it's daylight the reindeer herders village is another 35 kilometres away and the daunting prospect of the baya mountains than lie in between [Music] the spring sunshine gently awakens nature an unspoken signal to man and beast that it's time to return to the forest bears and humans have spent the past six months in enforced hibernation an Italian even have teamed up to go hunting bear to 1950s rifles a 30 year old Russian four-wheel drive and they're in business they also have 60 kilos of rotting fish as bait for the big Siberian grizzly this really stinks money has no smell good we'll be making some money we'll see who will buy the Baskin if the meats good it'll fetch a good price - well I can only hope and especially pray to the good Lord the jangling noise of the old vehicle speaks volumes about the road ahead [Music] we'll fix that later something's caught up in it yeah well the parts of twisted on camera my dear [Music] you see my old horse slow but it's irreplaceable [Music] bears are protected by law so hunting permits are rarely issued and only to a hand-picked few who then have the right to shoot 10 also bears annually Yvonne is one of the few permit holders and has been hunting for more than 20 years [Music] I'm the one who's basically made this road by using this track so often ivana doesn't spare his old vehicle which in turn makes him pay dearly the mother breaks a shot they've gone mad emotional panic burn go on without brakes carefully to slow the car down I'll use the clutch the engine brakes [Music] they'll still need to be able to change gears though and make sure the ancient clutch can deal with so much abuse [Music] look right clutch has gone too new the first hurdle on the bear hunt will soon get the better of the two men's friendship [Music] Oh I don't understand what happened what I need to reverse no no definitely not if you go in reverse we'll have serious problems while we're on the bumpy we should try and go forward other features that you can do it I'll try and free up the back wheels so you can grip the ground in Reverse need some stones down here [Music] if you hit that star never get out way right I'll lift it what are you doing [Music] [Applause] damnit do you want us to be stuck here forever I put that stone there on purpose so we wouldn't skid when did you move it where and don't touch anything alright in trying to stop the car moving backwards it'll wedge some snow under the wheel that will help to [Music] [Applause] the belt has got off to a bad start after a few kilometers even stops the car he's still upset at the accident on the river and heads off without waiting for Natali [Music] soon the two men lose sight of each other it's a dangerous thing to do if there's a grizzly roaming in the area it will take them more than an hour to find each other [Music] Wow but the tension does not ease up tell me what are you doing you're crazy yeah well that's not an answer well what do you want me to tell you that and we're here to hunt a pickup women okay so I made a mistake I miss the path because I was looking for signs of the bear on the ground no it'll be a laughing stock if we go back empty-handed after a two-hour walk Avani rise of what he calls his bears playground to get the animals used to coming here he leaves food and toys like this canister Levon uses the technique to kill at least one bear a year at this spot just what will a king in blue will put the fish in this can the bear is somewhere nearby not far away wandering about over there Yvonne's right as the fur and a fresh paw print prove [Music] and one other stuff apparently but after he's eaten here the bear stretches out over there the ciliary muscle scared [Music] [Applause] butchy butchy is a smell of the rotting fish will attract him that's for sure stop on parish hall got a meal sir the issue is a lot you'll fall asleep don't with this music you dellacroix it's closed tonight fall and the two hunters will return the next morning to ambush the bear they plan to sleep in Yvonne's hunting cabin along the way something catches their eye [Music] [Music] it's a big grouse like a large pheasant [Music] asana so one day a friend of mine went hunting bears dreamed of catching one and using the skin to make a sleeping bag spiny chick on the day of her huh he satisfy the road leavel quit midweek the banner Rowlett and it was enormous wanted this daily car first material immediately for the sleeping bag would be immediate but a soul his bag is closer my friend takes careful aim and shoots it in the head ah but only a few splinters hit the bear in the eye did you hula music bear stands and growling he approaches the man my friend steps back towards a tree large fellow well-built he pushes himself back as far as he can still holding his rifle he's thinking oh god I wish he'd leave I swear I'll sleep on ice and just a t-shirt for the rest of my life and the bear does leave after all that I've almost forgotten this bird [Music] the next morning the two men returned to see if the Bears been attracted by the smell of the decaying fish as they get close to the bait Yvonne spots a print he doesn't like the look of just about yours and stray dogs treat it but it sounds a bit I might have caught something on you sit in it no need to hurry to see what's happening let's go every year hunters lose some of their dogs in the forest left to their own devices the dogs quickly revert to instinct when they hunt in packs they often attack smaller bears [Music] [Music] a bullet II there were three of them by tracking an animal and then you smother they couldn't catch oh it's got a collar it's a spray the matter stray dog they caused a lot of damage yeah they like Hildy reindeer anything really doesn't mean lady chase bears they cause huge damage it's why I shot it like a button as will be whilst the steaming it was impossible to get rid of them all hey it's only a meter we shoot them perched on top of a tree frightened is the prey the dogs were after my cutie what's up in the tree it's a sable come on kill it it'll breed and that'll make the fur trappers hypee this time of the year Sables begin to molt so their furs not much used occasionally before winters time to hunt them East so they returned empty-handed but a week later they'll be luckier they'll kill a 400 kilo grizzly more than 2 meters tall [Music] yura and the rescuers head for Dimitri and his trap vehicle yura risked his life by crossing the forests on foot and all for nothing by the time he arrives dmitri has already managed to free the truck the weather is wonderful snow has melted and so has the ice that had trapped the wheels the village is 35 kilometres away and the road still has plenty of nasty surprises we have to shovel our way out of here otherwise it'll be really hard labour later the trees are too far away to reach them with a winch [Music] that good now we can get out - Dimitri insist on crossing the river at widest point you'll speed across it he's nuts it's risky there's a gap beneath it a hole not sure he'll make it [Music] scared because now we're approaching the northern slope here it can drop to almost minus 60 in the winter with those temperatures the truck and the snow tractors will break down and within seconds the temperature does drop 10 degrees to minus 20 10 centimeters is already home we'll cut out some branches and put them under the wheels Demitri and his team are stuck on the mountain slope and things look bad you'll need to cover about 300 meters of the track with the branches he thought about a hundred so far so let's test it will advance slowly slowly cuz I thought we made just 50 meters still a long way to go you know once it took us three days three long days the truck had become bogged down we had to winch it out way what the shit took us three days to crawl up the slope [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] after two days of fighting the elements they finally site the village we made it I never thought we'd get here knows we're gone I didn't think we'd do it it's a good job we paid homage to the God book on [Music] [Applause] [Music] a dozen men live in this camp at the ends of the earth [Music] [Applause] during winter they are isolated far from civilization they haven't seen any new faces for six months [Music] I broke the brake line and twisted the Toba flower rice and sugar are stored up in a granary well beyond the reach of bears [Music] cocks to you this is where we work reindeer half a day's walk away to shepherds are keeping an eye on them the generator produces electricity but to save on fuel it's only switched on for a few hours each day it powers up the emergency radio and also the TV set there's a picture but no sound other than the noise that seems to come from outer space it's not great but it helps pass the time this is a really good detective model are you [Applause] the author's name is Corelli King was a French come here I only read good books and although it's about life [Music] Aleksei has never trailed further than lake baikal so books provide his only means of escape his whole life has been spent in the forests with the reindeer cupcake I'm 53 53 years old I have no family negative I could never have one [Music] Aleksei regularly takes supplies up to the two Shepherds who look after the 700 reindeer in the herd [Music] the effects raise their reindeer on the high plateaus of Siberia where the animals staple diet of lichen is bountiful in both winter and summer after 20 kilometers Alexey catches up with the two shepherds they're watchful as they now a bear is somewhere in the vicinity and has already killed one of their reindeer [Music] down there there's a small dead reindeer close they're eating it now there's also a bear over there from the forest he keeps coming and going he's huge he's smart probably an adult yet enter present bring supplies yes I've brought some milk any flour or sugar and salt yes yes that's the important thing [Music] the cabin is tiny and the two benches double up as beds [Music] dumb wop argument I'm good we'll come home when it's summer maybe he'll only little girl look young girls a long rest of some funky kilts and swimming on lake bike riding it's a wonderful place right the waters as warm as fresh cows milk [Music] they have another three months before they're relieved for the summer [Music] when winter returns they will also return to this the middle of nowhere and that's the way it's been with the air banks since time immemorial [Music] [Music] [Music]

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Channel: Best Documentary

Views: 890,959

Rating: 4.6154661 out of 5

Keywords: evenks, deadliest journeys full episodes, deadliest journeys, deadliest journeys documentary, siberia, siberia documentary, film, documentary, road, thaw, lake baikal, kholodnaya, truck, grizzly, national geographic, documentary 2019, roads untraveled

Id: nz6HNNvV-sQ

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Length: 51min 30sec (3090 seconds)

Published: Fri Feb 23 2018

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