On Thursday night’s second episode of Alone, nine survivalists remain in Mongolia as they quickly find out they are not the only predators on the prowl for food.
In our exclusive teaser clip, Larry Roberts’ camp is surrounded by wolves, while Dave Nessia is shown pumped and ready to kill something to eat.
Which is good, because if you remember in the Patagonia season, Dave wasted away to a skeleton and the lack of food and calories was the reason that the decision was made off camera to remove him from his camp.
The Season 5 premiere last week introduced us to ten past participating survivalists who are all seeking redemption and a second chance to win the $500,000 prize offered to the winner of History’s gruelling survival show.
The setting this time around is Northern Mongolia, a foreboding and desolate location with the weather frightfully mercurial and animal and reptilian dangers scattered all about.
Alone Season 1 survivalist Sam Larson described it cheekily on the premiere as where “Vancouver Island had a baby with Patagonia while Colorado was watching”.
The premiere also saw Season 4 survivalist Jesse Bosdell, whose survival strategy was described as “to be a turtle”, saying of the Mongolian climate: “It gets so cold your dreams freeze.” His immediate concerns are packs of wolves roaming about. But he made it through to another week.
The fact that only 7 per cent of Mongolia is wooded is quite worrisome to Season 2 survivalist Nicole Apelian, who said: “It’s gonna be hard to build a shelter and build a fire with this lack of trees.”
Nicole previously tapped out to be with her kids back in Season 2, and last week she talked about her lucky second chance and how her family was behind her again.
So far she is managing to hang in despite her worries about pit vipers and “bear activity”, with the area home to Asian black bears and “huge 1,000 pound grizzlies”. In the first episode, Nicole scavenged ant larvae, grasshoppers and wild rhubarb for her first meals. But she, too, made it to another week.
But then there was Carleigh Fairchild, who tapped out in the premiere after an awful fish hook scene.
Carleigh was one contestant that we hoped would make it in Mongolia. Out of the Season 5 gate she caught three fish, an impressive feat. But a hook entering her hand after she caught her biggest fish (and subsequently lost it) was a shocker.
It burrowed so deeply it had to be surgically cut out. Despite her best efforts of scavenging botanical analgesics and salves like wild Yarrow, she had to call for help and leave the show.
Read our interview with Carleigh Fairchild here
Watch the clip below as Carleigh tries to get the doctor to explain his methodology as she fears he may cut her thumb tendon. The hook is so embedded in her flesh and it is compounded by a barb that makes a clean exit impossible.
“You never know what will take you out,” said Carleigh. “A simple little fishing hook was the end.”
Warning: The video is gnarly!
Episode 2 reveals just how spooky the Mongolian terrain is and it will focus a bit on Dave Nessia’s enthusiastic hunting jaunt along with the other remaining nine contestants who get creative, to say the least, in their foraged and hunted down meals.
Nessia was a Roman Candle of emotions in his Patagonia run, with ultra highs and crushing lows. He’ll be an interesting one to keep tabs on.
Alone airs Thursdays at 10/9c on History.