EXA: What's it all about?

How do you make an extreme TV programme with a group of archeologists who are more used to being in a trench than on a cliff face; cameramen who don't know a bow tie from a bowline; several hundred thousand pounds worth of state-of-the-art equipment that has to be taken into some of the most inhospitable places in Britain – and the little matter of a presenter-cum-expedition leader who has never presented a television programme in his life? Extreme Archaeology presenter Mark Davies tries to explain how it was done.

Utter madness

I remember sitting in an office in London listening to series producer Tim Taylor and executive producer Alan Hayling outlining the idea to me. 'Fascinating,' I said. 'Utter madness,' I thought.

Six weeks later I'm on a plane heading to Ayrshire with a group of people I've never met before.

'So how much climbing have you done, Meg?' I ask Meg Watters, one of the three expert archaeologists in the team.

'Oh, the delivery team took me out last week,' she replies.

'All week?' I ask.

'No, just the day,' she smiles.

'Me too,' says Alice Roberts, another of the archaeologists.

'Ohhhhhh,' I think, then smile and ask the same question to Mike Craven-Todd, our cameraman.

'Never climbed in my life, Mark,' he replies. This time I nod my head but don't smile back.

Mel Morpeth, the series producer, then turns to me and says, 'So how much presenting have you done, Mark?'

'The only presenting I've ever done, Mel, was at Cub Scout camp 28 years ago,' I say. This time both of us smile nervously.

Rude awakenings

So here we all are, a band of experts within our chosen fields, being asked to perform in unfamiliar and dangerous surroundings and under strict time lines. We are all about to get a rude awakening in one way or another.

On arriving at Culzean Castle in Ayrshire, I get to meet Mike, Bean and Trevor, our access team for the first time. Being a climber myself, I have a quick look at the rigging they have constructed to get the archaeologists, the equipment and myself down to the excavation site, a sea cave 120 feet below the castle. The ropes and safety devices they have rigged resemble a knitted jumper, and instantly I realise that these guys are good – very good. But getting the team, cameraman, sound man (all novices when it comes to extreme sports) and all the equipment down to the site will be a different matter.

That was then, and now – well, what can I say? Meg, Alice and Katie Hirst, the third archaeologist and archaeological team leader, can rig a rope and harness to get down a cliff in a heartbeat. Mike Craven-Todd now dangles from intricate zip wires with camera on shoulder as if he's been a trapeze artist all his life. Even series producer Mel Morpeth now flies through the air with the greatest of ease (well almost). The expertise of each of them is testament to the patience and teaching of the access team.

As for the access team, the learning experience has been reciprocated. Mike Weeks, Bean Sopwith and Trevor Massiah are all experts with a mattock, can operate the radar and tentatively excavate buried skeletons under the watchful eyes of the archaeologists. And I've learnt how to present a television programme.