Crossing the river _ Top Gear Africa Special _ Series 19 _ BBC

The Thrill of Crossing the Crocodile-Infested River

As I inched forwards, a hungry audience gathered around me. You'll feel when you're on this course because you'll hit the chock. At two and a half feet, feet? Yeah, good, a bit more. You're just about to go off. There you go. You're on! Put it in gear and turn off. These come with us for the other side.

As I prepared to embark on this daring adventure, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and nervousness. The thought of navigating through treacherous waters infested with crocodiles was daunting, but I was determined to see it through. With the ramps on board, we set off. "Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," shouted James, my companion in this perilous journey. "What did you just do?" he asked, his voice laced with confusion.

"Cast off," I replied confidently, pulling on the rope to initiate our journey across the river. The audience around us was abuzz with excitement and concern. "Are we now underway?" James asked, his eyes fixed intently on me. "Yes," I reassured him, "we are." With a steady hand, I began to pull the raft forward, navigating through the choppy waters.

The journey was not without its challenges. The logs beneath us proved slippery, making it difficult for James and me to maintain our footing. "Oh, these logs get really slippery!" he exclaimed, struggling to keep his balance. Despite the obstacles, we pressed on, driven by a shared sense of adventure and determination.

As we neared the midpoint of our journey, the audience began to cheer us on. "Red Or Black? or something," someone shouted, referring to the popular TV game show that had brought us together for this thrilling challenge. The tension was palpable as James and I worked together to maneuver the raft through the treacherous waters.

Finally, we reached the halfway point, where a yellow rope awaited us like a lifeline. With a burst of energy, James launched it towards me, hoping to guide me safely onto dry land. "Can you get on the bank from there?" he asked, his voice laced with concern for my well-being. I nodded confidently, gripping the rope tightly as I made my way up onto the shore.

But our journey was far from over. As we disembarked, a new challenge emerged: how to reverse the raft without turning the wheel too sharply. "Hold on! Does that look right from there?" James asked, his voice laced with doubt. I reassured him, guiding the raft towards the bank while keeping a steady eye on the proceedings.

As we continued our journey, it became clear that our cars were not designed for river crossings. The BMW, in particular, proved to be a formidable opponent, its weight distribution and 50-50 front-to-back axle configuration making it prone to tipping over. "Are we attached? Have we attached the...," James stammered, his voice filled with uncertainty.

"We have begun!" I shouted triumphantly, guiding the raft across the river. With slow, deliberate movements, we pulled the BMW towards the shore, its weight distribution and balance allowing us to navigate the treacherous waters with relative ease.

As we neared the end of our journey, the tension mounted once more. Jeremy, our third and final car, was ready to embark on its own perilous journey across the river. "Forward," I shouted, guiding him towards the water's edge. The audience held their collective breath as Jeremy made his way onto the raft.

And then, it happened. With a flourish, Jeremy pulled us forward, our cars gliding smoothly through the waters. It was a moment of pure triumph, one that would go down in history as one of the most daring river crossings ever attempted. As we emerged on the other side, victorious and triumphant, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment.

It had been a fraught undertaking, one that pushed us to our limits and beyond. But against all odds, we had succeeded. And as we stood there, basking in the glow of our triumph, I couldn't help but wonder: what's next?

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enAs I inched forwards,a hungry audience gathered.You'll feel when you're on'cause you'll hit the chock.At two and a half feet.-Feet?-Yeah.Good, a bit more. You're just aboutto go off. There you go. You're on!Put it in gear and turn off.-These come with us for the other side.-Yeah.With the ramps on board, we set off.Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.-What did you just do?-Cast off.-Are we now underway?-Yes.-Pull on the rope.-I am. I'm Geoff Capes!I am pulling a BMW 528i Touringacross a crocodile-infested river!The impressive thing is,you're not making a fuss about it.No, I'm not showing off, but I am...James, wait! James, James!-What? It doesn't make any difference.-Please stay at the back!James, please stay at the back!Stop being such an old woman.It doesn't make any difference!Oh, really? So, that barrel's justcome back above the water again.It's not going to goall the way down, is it?I feel like an explorer now.Right...If I get on the bankand James throws me a yellow rope.Can you get on the bank from there?-Oh, these logs get really slippery!-Yes.Right, you're on the bank...Good catch.-The thrower wasn't brilliant.-I'll go to the back. Whey!Well...People are now turning over to watch...Red Or Black? or something.Well, I'm sorry we made it.Nobody was expecting that.Got it?Mind you, there was stillthe small matter of disembarking.Not convinced.Yes!Well, you're nearly ashore.-Aren't I ashore?-Not entirely ashore, no.-Yes, I'm ashore.-Is that wheel ashore?Yes.We weren't convinced,so we gave him a helping hand.Here we go!Yes!Feeling good.Oh, yes! Oh, yes!God, I'm a good driver.Oh, God.Back on the other bank,it was Hammond's turn,and for some reason, he decidedto make life difficult for himself.Why are you backing on?Because it is quite difficult gettingoff at the other side. Yeah?And your BMW is now there,so, it could tow me off.The only towing eye is at the back.It does mean I'll have to reverse on.Hold on! Does that look right from there?Have a look.What...?-No! Stop! You're turning the wheel.-I did not turn the wheel.-You did. You turned it minutely.-I might have leant on it.You're miles off the end.A little bit more and... stop.Oh! I am so on board!James, you can pull this time.You'll see how easy it is.I shall be ballast, there.That's the ticket!-Not all at the same time.-You can't come on this side.What? I can't go on the other side.-Well, look at the angle.-Gentlemen!-Climb through the car.-It is impossible to stand therebecause there are two rampspiled on top of one another.-Hammond, get in your sitting room!-I can't.-Get in your sitting room!-No!-You need to be on the other side.-Climb over the bloody car.You've got heavier as...-That was tied on!-No, I took the rope off.-We needed the rope.-I took it off.I can go on the other side...as it turns out.Perfect. Right, let's go.Forget the chair.-Are we there yet?-Somebody's had me chair!-That man's got your chair!-Good for him. Enjoy it!On the other side,I was determined to make a better jobof disembarking than Jeremy had.Power.Some of you's on board. Now...Whoa, we got a problem. No, st...No. That's all completely hopelessand you've sunk the raftand your cat flap's terrible.Go!I then pulled Hammond off...And that gave me an idea.Why don't we use this to pull the ferryacross with the Volvo on it?Why would we not do that?Rather sceptically, Hammond and Iwent back to get my Volvo.Crack on.Our father, who art in heaven,if you're there, make it go upside down,please, please, please.Steady!That looked a bit perilous.-Shall I come back?-A little tiny bit.Stop making squeaking noises.The thing is, the BMW has what we calla 50-50 weight distribution,50% over the front axle,50% over the back,which is why the raft was level.With James' car, all of... well,70% of the weight is over the front axle.That's why the whole thingis tipping down.-Are we attached? Have we attached the...-Yes.Jeremy, we have begun!Right, so I pull you across the river.-Yeah, gently.-Yes. Very, very slowly indeed!If it goes under,it'll probably go nose-in, won't it?-Yeah, I'm going to stand at the back.-Are you ready?He's going already. Look, hang on.This is Captain Hammond ringing downto the engine room. You've got the slacks.That's plenty fast enough!Yes, gently.Seriously, Jeremy, we are going under.That's plenty fast enough.That's too fast!Oh, yes!Oh, yes!Gently, gently, seriously! We're going in.Stop!Jeremy, absolutely stop,or you'll have deaths on your hands.I've been shouted at so much.Need a zesty drink.Eventually, our third and final carwas ready to go ashore.-Forward.-Oh, my God!Well, credit where it's due.Come on!You got to admit that is quite a finish.-Come on!-With a flourish!It had been a fraught undertaking,but the fact was that, against the odds,all three of our cars wereon the other side of the river.That's the first time, I think,in ten years, we've ever done anythingambitious and successful.I think you're right.Doesn't it feel good?-It feels weird, frankly.-Normally there's one of us in the water,in the jaws of a lion, going:\"Oh, I'm dead!\"It was genuinely peculiar.-We must now contemplate the journey...Oh, my God!Gentlemen. Gent...-It's gone! It's completely gone!-It's completely sunk!It's completely gone!-Well done!-You can see how difficult our job is!-Very good!-That's how deep it was!-That could have happened to us.-It could have done.-But it didn't!-But it didn't!-Right! Onwards.-Onwards.\n"