National Geographic Kicks It Up A Notch With ‘Running Wild With Bear Grylls: The Challenge’

It should not come as a surprise that Bear Grylls has been out adventuring around the world. That is what he is most well-known for. It’s also not a shocker that he is inviting celebrity guests to join him on these expeditions. That has been the format of the “Running Wild with Bear Grylls” series from National Geographic. The new season does have a little twist, though, which is why it is now called “Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge.”

The 6-episode season premiers Monday, July 25 and will feature guests Natalie Portman, Simu Liu, Ashton Kutcher, Florence Pugh, Anthony Anderson, and Rob Riggle.

The Challenge

Previous seasons of “Running Wild with Bear Grylls” have been amazing. Bear and his guest always venture into the beautiful and amazing wilderness and overcome challenges and obstacles. Along the way, the audience learns a lot about nature, and a lot about the celebrity guest as well—often things that you might never learn from traditional interviews or entertainment media outlets.

They wanted to spice things up, though, so things are a little different this season. A press release from National Geographic explains, “This season, guests will not only be pushed physically and mentally — like plunging into a frozen lake in the Canadian Rockies or foraging for food in the deserts of the Great Basin — but Bear will be testing each on their survival skills. This time, they will be tested beyond other guests: after Bear teaches each of them a key set of skills, they will then have to master them on their own and deploy those skills at a high-intensity moment to earn their extraction from the wilderness.”

Bear Grylls

Bear Grylls is a legend, but there may be people out there who don’t know much about him. He is easily one of the most recognized names and faces in the world of survival and outdoor adventure. His father taught him to climb and sail as he grew up on a small island off the coast of the United Kingdom. Bear spent three years in the British Special Forces, where he learned and perfected many of the survival skills that keep him alive as he pits himself against Mother Nature.

Aside from doing outdoor adventure shows for National Geographic, Bear is a best-selling author and an honorary colonel of the Royal Marine Commandos. He is also one of the youngest climbers ever to reach the summit of Mount Everest, and the youngest ever chief scout.

Expedition Tech

There is no substitute for knowledge and skill when it comes to surviving in the wilderness, but a little technology doesn’t hurt. There are constantly advances in the materials and construction of outdoor equipment—gear that is stronger and more resilient, lighter weight clothing and footwear that protects better against the elements, etc. There are also things like portable chargers and cordless gadgets that can make living in the wilderness more bearable.

One thing that stands out when it comes to technology for a wilderness adventure, though, is communication. Bear has always stressed the value of having a satellite phone on an expedition. When I spoke to him about this season, he told me, “The world’s getting ever smaller, and communications are getting ever better every year and that’s a great thing. And I think communications in terms of adventure is often a game changer in the sense of being able to access really accurate forecasting, for GPS and map stuff, but also for rescue when things go wrong or for letting people know if people are in trouble or researching situations. So, communication is always key.”

He added, however, that you still need to be prepared with traditional skills and knowledge as well. He emphasized that while technology is valuable, it is a luxury in the wilderness, and you shouldn’t rely on technology alone.

The Next Big Adventure

I’ve been telling National Geographic and Bear Grylls for years that they need to invite a journalist on one of these expeditions for a firsthand perspective—and that I happen to know one who would jump at the opportunity (hint: it’s me)—but so far they haven’t taken me up on it. I’m not letting that stop me, though. My best friend and I are doing an expedition of our own in September—hiking in Yosemite. You won’t see my adventure on National Geographic, though. You’ll have to follow me on Instagram or something.

I asked Bear if there is anything that stands out for him about the latest season. He told me, “I think this one we really push the boundaries in terms of the locations we’ve gone to and the sort of challenges we’ve done along the way. You know, we’ve renamed the show ‘Running Wild: The Challenge’ just because I think a fun new dynamic is really getting the guests to end up leading a lot of the journey and having to learn these skills and then use the skills on the journey. So that’s kind of thrown a whole new dynamic in there.”

“It’s so fun to be able to take people who really want to be there. They want the challenge. They want the experience. They’re up for it. You know that they’re not there for the money or the fame. They want something that only the wild can give them and I never take that for granted. It’s a great privilege,” proclaimed Bear.

You can check out the new season of “Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge,” on National Geographic starting Monday, July 25. A new episode will premier each Monday. All episodes will be available to stream on Disney+ beginning August 10.