Beyond Survival with Les Stroud

On a journey to Sri Lanka, Stroud lives alongside men once believed to be half-human/half-demon and exorcises dark forces in a rarely seen ritual.

Les heads into open waters with the Sea Gypsies of Malaysia to spearfish in shark filled seas, and survive in a world of water, where storms and tsunamis threaten to wipe out the tribe, forever.

Les Stroud treks deep into the Kalahari Desert to learn from the original masters of survival, the San Bushmen, a unique tribe believed to be the closest living descendants of the first humans.

Les travels to the wilds of Papua New Guinea to join a never before filmed (or photographed) Hewa ritual honoring the dead. But danger lurks around every corner of Les's arduous three day journey into the jungle, and he is armed with a machete and bow and arrow.

Many days journey on rough, dirt–red roads leads Les to the Antandroy and Antanosy tribes of Madagascar. Les practices their traditional fishing techniques, hunts with wild dogs, builds shelter and takes part in a mysterious seed ceremony to connect with Malagasy Ancestors.

Les journeys to the top of Baffin Island in rural Nunavut, Canada: the Arctic, to visit a small Inuit community called Pond Inlet. The integration of modern technologies has ensured cultural and physical survival in an environment where temperatures can drop to 40 degrees below Celsius. Today, Pond Inlet faces its greatest challenge: climate change. Les bears witness to the marriage of Western technology and indigenous knowledge, in the face of rapid economic and cultural change -- while the ice slowly recedes from the North.

Deep in the Amazon forests of Peru, live indigenous cultures that have been hidden from modern civilization for hundreds of years. Les travels by plane, bus, boat, and finally on foot to reach the Huacharia Tribe: a deeply spiritual people whostill hunt with bow and arrow, and gather wild mushrooms, snails, insects, worms, plants, and fruits for food and survival. Huacharia allow Les to join their daily ceremonies honoring the elements: from gentle water ceremonies, to ingesting the rare and purifying Ayahuasca plant. Les will raft, trek and machete his way into the heart of the Peruvian jungle, learning the secrets of this rare ecosystem from the jungle's very secret-keepers themselves.

Les travels to South Africa to join the Zulu, one of the most legendary tribes in Africa and among the world's greatest masters of survival. In Zululand, Les meets with a female African Shaman, or Sangoma, to experience the rite of passage known as scarification. He'll also learn the Zulu methods of traditional hunting, and take part in the deadly sport of stick fighting.

Les climbs for more than 5 days through the Andean mountains to join the Q’ero Indians on their yearly pilgrimage to the holy site of Qollorit’i. Given special entrance by the Ukukus, the Spiritual Warriors of the Inka Tradition, Les is the first outsider in history granted permission to film these ancient Inka rituals, performed at an astounding 17,000 ft.

Survivorman Les Stroud journeys to the remote jungles of Borneo to learn the secrets of the Mentawai, and survive in an extreme environment where almost every form of life can kill, and even caterpillars pack a deadly bite.