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The Series – Copper Canyon
This week, Bear goes deep into Mexico's Copper Canyon. At four times the size of the Grand Canyon, it is the largest system of its kind in North America.
Set in the middle of a vast desert, it is a good backdrop for a classic Western film. Lots of hikers and trekkers come here to get a feel for the cowboy life, but 100 of them are lost or injured every year.
Bear heads west towards the Chihuahua al Pacifico railway that runs the length of the canyon. It's cold and there's no water at the canyon rim, so Bear heads a mile straight down to the bottom. It's a hazardous journey with scorpions living in the rocks, although to Bear they are just another item on the menu.
He shelters in a cave that has been used by the local Raramuri tribe over generations and lights a fire using the traditional 'fire saw' method. The next morning, Bear shows how to make a compass using a piece of metal he finds in the cave, a leaf and a small pool of water.
He follows animal tracks leading to a river at the bottom of the canyon and uses a tree to descend a waterfall. Without a fishing line, Bear catches a fish by damming the stream and stunning it with a stick. He also makes good use of local vegetation, using a cactus to purify water and as a depth gauge.
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