Adventurer Dwayne Fields braves the harshest climates and terrain in ‘7 Toughest Days’
When it comes to adventure, there are many survivalists who deliver the adrenalin rush.
Bear Grylls, Ed Stafford and Ben Fogle certainly top the list when it comes to individuals relying on their skills in some of the most uninhabitable parts of the world.
And they make compelling TV shows doing so.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t mind being left on tenterhooks as long as it is from my couch. Roughing it is not my idea of fun.
So when I was asked if I was keen to chat with Jamaican-born adventurer Dwayne Fields, I was keen to see “7 Toughest Days” first.
After watching two episodes, I wondered if he had a death wish because those extreme places were more like a death trap. And bear in mind that this is coming from someone whose idea of extreme adventures is either camping or hiking.
Fields has amassed an interesting array of feats. He was the first black man to ever reach the North Pole.
And, in co-founding #WeTwo Foundation, he mentored underprivileged people on life-changing experiences.
Given his threshold for physically and mentally demanding adventures, it made sense why he chose to experience Kyrgyzstan in winter, the deadly rainforests and rivers of Gabon and the sweltering sea of sand dunes in Oman.
In unpacking his resilience and mindset, he touched on his past, where he was homeless, walking the streets of London, and unsure where the next meal was coming from.
Fortunately, he was able to turn his life around and he ended up having the ear of execs from National Geographic and Disney who were keen on his idea for a show.
Fields explained: “They wanted to do an adventure show around me, my experiences and what I knew. I’ve been doing adventure exploration for many years now.
“I’ve walked to the North Pole, I’ve crossed deserts before. I’ve been at sea before. I’ve been in jungles before.”
His idea of going to the most extreme places was well received.
I have to warn viewers, though, it is not easy watching Fields brave the elements, battle with his emotions and soldier through to the end.
In fact, there were so many hairy moments during the Kyrgyzstan and Gabon shoot, especially with the elements not on their side.
I asked him about it.
“I love that you picked up on that. It was particularly tough for a number of reasons. One, we were at altitude. Now I’ve been at altitude before, but haven’t suffered altitude sickness.
“In Gabon, I felt the beginning of altitude sickness. The air was absolutely freezing. I think at one point, it got to -13 degrees or - 28 degrees or so.
“In terms of the terrain, it’s up and down. It’s absolutely miserable and painfully cold. And every step, like you said, could be an ankle broken or a sprain or a leg broken. Out there, that is the game changer that will stop the show in the blink of an eye.
“When you are walking over rocky, craggy terrain and it’s snow-covered, it makes every kind of step that much riskier. You have to consider what you would kind of do and, if you were to fall, where would you have fallen and how would you have fallen. So psychologically it is very, very draining.”
He continued: “So one of the great things about this series is that it taps into all those emotions. And I think you saw that in Kyrgyzstan, every single emotion, there were moments where I was genuinely anxious.
“There were moments where I was absolutely frustrated, there were moments, like you saw, where I was elated, like when we heard that van fire up and we ran about two and a half kilometres.”
Of course, he wasn’t simply dropped in the middle of nowhere with a cameraman.
He revealed: “With the preparation and safety processes that we have got in place, we can call out for help. We do have a Garmin and there are medics on call.”
That said, he also does some additional training, where possible, to be prepared.
He added that even if you are prepared, things can go wrong.
Fields revealed: “In Gabon, I did a lot of kayaking. I spent a lot of time in the water. The great thing about this series is that it doesn’t portray me to be a master. It is not always about being prepared for everything, it is about drawing on what you’ve experienced in the past.
“It could be something I read or saw on a video. It’s about drawing from any kind of memory I have of doing something similar and applying it in that environment.”
Although Fields ticks off a few bucket list destinations with this show, he is hopeful of getting another series where he can continue the adventure, meet new people and learn new things.
“7 Toughest Days” airs on National Geographic (DStv channel 181) on Sunday at 9.30pm. Check your schedule for repeats.