Ultimate Rush

- Season 2

(2013)

Travelling with fellow adventurers Fabian Rupprecht and Helmar Fasold, Bernhard Witz walks an 2,625 feet high line at Angel Falls in Venezuela. Together they cut through dense jungle and tackle treacherous ascents, to reach the highest waterfall in the world. This is an epic journey and proves to be the greatest challenge Bernhard has faced, as soaring temperatures threaten to ground his aspirations of walking a high line in the clouds.

Tancrède Melet and Julien Millot are masters in the art of high lining. Together they are alone, balancing on a thin lifeline that is pulled taut between two vertical faces of the mountain. The French duo often takes steps to improve their skills, but on this trip they make an important stride - walking 'untethered' without a leash. Suspended thousands of meters above sea level and free of any attachments, Tancrède and Julien are able to try something new as they part with their lifeline and BASE jump into the void.

Seasoned surfers Ross Clarke-Jones and Tom Carroll set-off for the un-ridden waves of Pedra Branca, boldly surfing where no young gun has dared: into the eye of a formidable storm. These big wave riders and lifelong friends scour the globe; utilizing sophisticated technology they hunt the fearsome storms, which create monster-sized swells.

The Wrangell Mountains in Alaska may be out of bounds for helicopters, but they won't stand in the way of the legendary free ride snowboarder, Jeremy Jones. He ventures to climb these massive mountains by foot, so that he can experience the pure thrill of finding the hardest and fastest route down.

A freak swell creates a towering wave in Tahiti and a rare rolling cloud looms dangerously in the skies above Australia. Surfers Dylan Longbottom, Laurie Towner and hang glider Jonny Durand are privileged to be in the right place at the right time. These are extraordinary athletes with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to confront two natural wonders, however 'The Morning Glory' and 'Teahupoo' are unpredictable and dangerous, they are a phenomena.

Falling from a high-rise building or plunging from a cliff edge is most people's idea of a nightmare, but not for the worlds best BASE jumper. 'Other People's Nightmares' is a chronicle of Jeb Corliss' dream to fly - a series of encounters that very nearly ended when he got too close for comfort at Table Top Mountain in South Africa; this was a near death experience that has provided Jeb with a new meaning to life.

When Italian model and skydiver Roberta Mancino met BASE jump aficionado Jeb Corliss, their lives soared to spectacular heights. 'Lady Bird' explores the relationship between two vibrant people, who share a passion for life and a long held dream of flying.

Ben Brown leads a kayaking expedition across his home country of New Zealand. Travelling more than a thousand kilometers it is the ideal opportunity to tap into the 'flow', a meditative state where an athlete becomes at one with his surroundings. However this remote and exposed country is well known for its volatile weather - so when the dark skies unleash a torrential downpour, New Zealand's flowing rivers transform into wild raging torrents and Ben Brown's birthplace threatens to take the life of him and his friends.

One of the most enduring athletes on the planet faces one of its toughest challenges - The Race Across America. Cycling for a distance of nearly 5000 kilometers and negotiating 30,000 meters of grueling climbs and dangerous descents, Gerhard Gulewicz subjects his body to unimaginable physical exertion and sleep deprivation. Peddling against the clock from Oceanside California to Annapolis, Maryland requires a year of training and 15 days of unparalleled 'Endurance'.

Few climbers possess the skill and mental resolve that is required to climb 'free solo' and Dean Potter is a legend among these men. With dozens of dangerous ascents under his belt, he knows that without the safety of a rope, his knowledge and skill is paramount to survival. However, Dean also knows that to progress, he needs to tackle more technical routes. Falling has become inevitable, so living by the motto "flying is better than dying" he combines his expertise of climbing and BASE-jumping to dramatic effect.

Climbers Leo Houlding, Jason Pickles and Sean Leary trek deep into the Amazon, venturing to be the first to ascend the east face of the impressive Cerro Autana. In a trip filled with risk and enlightenment, these free spirits soon discover a host of reasons why this summit has never been reached from the east.

Free diver William Trubridge fills his lungs to capacity and attempts to be the first man without fins to dive to 300 feet in one breath. Deans Blue Hole in the Bahamas provides a beautiful backdrop, but beneath the surface lays a sport, which can only be mastered with rigorous training and extraordinary physical ability.

In the past 26 years, 16 expeditions have endeavored to summit a peak in excess of 8000 meters during the Pakistani winter - all of which have failed. Climber and filmmaker Cory Richards is determined not to become another statistic and takes the viewer on an intimate journey as he documents each fateful step on Gasherbrum II with fellow adventurers Simone Moro and Denis Urubko.

Rising to 2931 meters in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica - the Ulvetanna Peak is referred to as "the masterpiece of the range". However such a romantic title should not disguise the ferocity of the challenge Leo Houlding, Jason Pickles and Sean Leary have set for themselves. To succeed in being the first climbers to ascend the legendary NE ridge, the expedition must be watertight and the Antarctic weather must be sympathetic to their cause.

Chris Jewell has dreamed of penetrating Mexico's Huatla cave system to set the record for the deepest cave dive in the Western Hemisphere. Traversing caverns the size of sports stadiums and shafts as tall as skyscrapers, his team descends a mile deep into the earth into a mysterious world where a sudden flood of water can drown experienced adventurers without a moment's notice.

Darren Berrecloth leads a group of mountain bikers through the hostile terrain of Nepal's Upper Mustang and China's Gobi desert. Hiking under the weight of their bikes, they battle against the suffocating temperatures and high altitude before reaching breakneck speeds on some of the world's steepest and most dangerous descents.

Ice climber Harald Berger has waited patiently for one of Austria's most awe-inspiring waterfalls to freeze over. 'The Supervisor' is as high as the Eiffel Tower, a cascade of frozen water that entices and threatens through its fragile beauty. But without the security of rope, Harry's ice-pick and wits are all there is between him, a thousand feet of ice and air, and a first ever free solo ascent.

As one of the world's most pioneering wingsuit pilots and BASE-jumpers, Cédric Dumont knows a thing or two about fear. Whether he's flying just meters above the ground in Switzerland, jumping from a waterfall in Peru, or soaring above the Nazca desert, Cédric is constantly trying to break the mold. However with each attempt to push his boundaries, comes a complex mental battle, in which Cedric must contend not only with fear, but survival instinct itself.

Espen Fadnes is a world class wingsuit pilot on a mission: find and fly the perfect proximity flight in tandem with fellow wingsuit masters Jokke Sommer and Ludo Woerth. But encountering near misses and unexpected hazards in China and Bangkok, they retreat to Norway to train for the line of their lives in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland.

Without the technical skill and shear endeavor of the crew and cameramen behind the scenes, the accomplishments of the Athletes featured in 'Ultimate Rush' would go unseen. These artistic craftsman make an extraordinary commitment to make sure these images are shared with the world, providing inspiration and exhilaration to others -these are the Unsung Heroes.