The first episode of the trilogy shows Richard preparing his body and mind to deal with the rigours of the challenge ahead - deprivation training, cold water immersion training, and the actual climbing of some of the worlds most inhospitable regions. In this programme, the South Pole, Mount Vinson - the highest peak on Antarctica - Aconcagua in South America and Kilimanjaro in Africa, each of these hurdles is attempted in this amazing challenge of human endurance.