watched it a fair bit and think its just entertainment .. the guy would have some knowledge but very set up..
I noticed he looked a bit puffy when he went down some rapids cause he had a life suit on hidden under his clothes, the other night he absailed down a big cliff but managed to undo his rope and take it for the next cliff .. It seems that he could walk around the icy water but its always better to jump in and then strip off and do some push up ! but entertaining and not much similar at the moment 21st century bush tucker man .. I prefered albi mangles and malcom douglas ..
He knows so many people who have died cause they dropped in the water or could have eater berries or didnt cover there face with sht or didnt crawl in the kakas of a camel ..
Whilst I really do respect the knowledge of ASF users when it comes to stock chat, there is a bit of misunderstanding regarding Bear Grylls, and especially the episode you are referring to where he floated down through the rapids, ostensibly using a bag for floatation. He was in fact wearing a PFD under his shirt, which his production crew talked about in an interview online some time later. As a white water kayaker and paddling instructor, having paddled big water in Asia, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, I can tell you I have never heard of the existence of a 'life suit'. Dry suit: yes, rescue suit: yes - but not a 'life suit'. They don't exist. What I can tell you though is that white water is dangerous and every year around the world there are a great many deaths and near misses caused by incorrect equipment and/or lack of knowledge. My point being here is that I would find it hard to believe that the insurance comapny and the network would want their 'star' or 'talent' to undertake something potentially dangerous without a back up plan.
That being said though, a PFD will not keep you alive if you knock yourself out or get a foot entrapment.
As for abseiling and retrieving rope: That is pretty much the idea of abseiling: - that you complete yor repel, pull your rope and repeat the cycle in order to descend a face/bluff/crag/mountian etc.
I work in the adventure industry, am a mountaineer and climbing guide and I will tell you that rapelling and retriveing rope is one of the MOST basic skills in the business.
It isn't my aim to defend the reality or otherwise of the show - from my time teaching survival in the Pilbara in WA I would suggest that Bear's approach to covering distance durning the day, in the heat, is not how most folk in the business would go about it -i would suggest he is a skilled and physically fit guy (6 hours a day cardio and fitness training!) with a long history of adventure sports (SAS paratrooper and youngest briton to summit everest) and he does train for his scenarios with locals who have the knowledge and skills relevant to the area he is travelling in. He would also have a pretty good idea, by looking at a map etc and pre-planning his route, as to what he is getting into and where hi resources would be. This ensures he actually finds interesting things for the show. A crossing of the simpson desert for example, walking at night and sleeping during the day would make for pretty boring viewing for instance.
So:
Is the show about entertainment, sometimes at the expense of 'reality' and 'truth'? - Absolutely
Are some shots and stunts set up for the benefit of viewers (eg the eyeball cooking episode?) - Absolutely
Is Bear Grylls a very skilled, physically prepared hard **** - Absolutely.
So for the simple face he makes a ghood show and eats crap no one else ever would for our entertainment the verdict must surely be 'Legend'.