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‘Alone’ Moves To Patagonia Where Survivalists Will Face Even More Daunting And Dangerous Challenges

By Charlinda Robinson
Published on: 03:37 PST, Nov 30, 2016

A sneak peek video of the new season of History’s hit series Alone begins with the statement that Patagonia is one of the most remote places on earth. For Alone, complete isolation and treacherous conditions are exactly what the 10 new hardcore survivalists will face this season. As on the previous season of Alone, both men and women will take on the cold and extremely harsh environment while their primary goal, besides staying alive, is to be the last person remaining in the Alone challenge.

Broadway World shared that Patagonia, which is located in Argentina, is a tough and unforgiving region, which is perfect for the Alone challenge. If the preview clip of Alone is any indication of what the survivalists will face, then they are in for a tough time. They will be experiencing unpredictable and brutal weather conditions, vicious predators, and every bit of survival knowledge and skill they have will be put to the test on Alone.

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Besides dealing with what the region throws their way, the Alone survivalists may find that the biggest challenge could be what the isolation does to them mentally. For many Alone participants, that has been the hardest obstacle of all to overcome. The Alone competitors who have the mental fortitude to push through the isolation and loneliness are the ones who will have the best chance to succeed. On Alone, mind over matter is often the most important and deciding factor on who can last the longest.

As on previous seasons of Alone, there will be no camera crews, no contact with another person, and no help. Each Alone participant will be completely alone and with limited gear, it will be up to them to get a fire going, find food and water, and build some sort of shelter for protection from both the elements and the wildlife. The Alone survivalists were trained on how to use and maintain their cameras, and they will be filming everything themselves.

Alone cast member Zach Fowler’s Facebook page describes him as a boat builder, off-grid homesteader, and slingshot enthusiast. History posted bio pages on each Alone contestant, and Zach’s states that he lives along the coast of Maine on two acres of land with his wife, Jami, and their two daughters, Abigail and Sparrow. They practice a self-sufficient lifestyle and live in a hand-built yurt. This Alone participant likes to spend his days building boats and enjoying the wilderness that surrounds him.

Alone survivalist Dan Wowak loves being outdoors and his passion led him to spend a lot of time hunting, trapping, and camping. After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, this Alone cast member began pushing himself even more, often competing in obstacle course competitions and 24-hour endurance races. This drive and mental toughness slowly began to mesh with his love for the outdoors, and should serve him well on this season of Alone. Dan now shares his passion for bushcraft survival skills with his son, Jax, and his wife, Brooke.

Britt Ahart loves to camp and hike and after living for 30 years in Virginia, this Alone cast member moved to a rural farm and forest region of Ohio. As this Alone survivalist focused on learning bushcraft and other primitive living skills, he began to pass on that knowledge to his 6-year-old son, Campbell, who shares his love for the wilderness.

In the past, Alone participant Jim Shields has worked as a professional wilderness guide in both Colorado and Alaska. In 2003, this Alone cast member started an Adventure Club where he teaches high school in Horsham, Pennsylvania. Over the years he planned and guided trips to Maui, Alaska, British Columbia, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Costa Rica, and Turkmenistan. For eight years, he’s been teaching a wilderness survival and mountaineering course and is a certified Wilderness EMT, which should come in handy on Alone. This Alone challenger lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their two dogs Gizmo and Ouray.

Dave Nessia was a Desert Survival Instructor at Boulder Outdoor Survival School (BOSS) and this Alone participant has lived in a cave, a pit house, a stone shelter, and a Kazakhstani felted yurt. In the quest to continually improve his skills, this Alone survivalist has completed many walkabouts without the use of any modern gear, and once he spent 44 winter days living in a pit house where the temperature often dropped below zero.

Greg Ovens is a self-taught survivalist who has read nearly every book on the topic, and has developed some of his own survival techniques, which could be invaluable on Alone. This Alone participant spent the next 40 years learning bushcraft skills and studying plants and edibles. This Alone hopeful and his two daughters enjoy spending most of their time in the woods picking berries and camping.

Alone competitor Megan Hannacek’s survival and bushcraft skills were honed through 20 years of forestry and biology field work. This multi-talented Alone challenger is a certified fitness trainer, fisher-woman, marathon runner, and adventure racer. She lives on Vancouver Island with her husband and two children, which is an excellent location to practice the skills she may need as a participant on Alone.

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Alone survivalist Callie North calls Washington State island home, and she lives in a small cabin in the forest. This Alone survivalist has no electricity or running water, and has learned to live off the land. Her main passion is singing and songwriting, but she also has a deep love for medicinal plants and recently opened an herbal apothecary business. According to her Alone bio page, she views living in the Patagonian wilderness as a gift. She told Island Weekly that she was very grateful to go to Patagonia. She also hopes to grow both emotionally and spiritually as she meets the challenges she will face on Alone with good humor and fortitude.

Carleigh Fairchild is another Alone cast member, and she lives in a small remote Alaskan community of just 50 people. This Alone survivalist would like to someday build a cabin and travel the world with her boyfriend. Besides being an Alone participant, she is a city council member in her community, and has several jobs including gardening, landscaping, roofing, framing, and finish carpentry. All her life she has had a passion for adventure and self-discovery and looks forward to testing her skills in Patagonia on this season of Alone.

The youngest Alone survivalist, Zach Gault began practicing living by himself for long periods of time in the wilderness of Northern Ontario’s boreal forest at the age of 18. He has a strong connection to the land, and this Alone participant has learned how to construct many different types of primitive shelters that he often lives in for extended periods of time. Building shelters is a skill that should serve this Alone challenger well in the wilds of Patagonia.

This may be some of the most experienced survivalists so far to face the daunting Alone challenge, but if previous seasons are any indication, that may not be enough. On the previous two seasons of Alone, there were participants who tapped out before the first 24 hours were up. There are many reasons why Alone participants leave the competition, but it usually comes down to negative thinking and what they begin to tell themselves. There are times that Alone participants end up talking themselves out of staying for one reason or another. Perhaps on this season of Alone, the new batch of survivalists will be able to push through and make this the season that everyone talks about.

Deadline Hollywood shared that although the Alone participants must battle everything from deadly territorial predators such as puma and wild boar to sub-zero temperatures, the men and women also display incredible ingenuity. Alone viewers will see elaborate inventions including a floating, propeller-driven duck trap, self-draining wooden shelter floors, a punji stick boar trap, and a live fish refrigerator system.

Dave McIntyre, Alone’s Season 2 winner, recently posted to his Facebook page a video where he gives a shout-out to the Patagonia survivalists. He tells them that their experience on Alone is something that no one can take from them, and he congratulates the winner of Alone, whoever that may be. As for the winner of Alone, besides bragging rights, a $500,000 cash prize will be awarded to the person who lasts the longest on Alone.

McIntyre goes on to say that they are an amazing group of men and women, and he’s hoping someone on the new season of Alone was able to top his stay of 66 days. He is looking forward to the new season of Alone, and says that it would be great to get together with the new group at some point to trade stories on their experiences on Alone.

“You’ve been part of a great experience,” he says. “No one can ever take away the accomplishments you made in the bush.”

Are you a fan of the show? Leave your comments, thoughts, and opinions concerning the new season of Alone below. The new season of Alone airs on Thursday, December 8 at 9 p.m. ET on the History Channel.

[Featured Image by History Channel]

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