Forgot to mention in this episode that these huge swathes of fallen trees aren’t normal. They are destruction caused by recent storms, namely storm Arwen in 2021. PS. Of course I didn’t shit in the river. Thanks again everyone for tuning in. Keep them likes and subscribes coming in!
I should use this opportunity to point out that most types of conifers in these plantations aren‘t native species. And the way they are planted isn‘t natural either. So yes, the storms felled them, but it‘s the prevailing farm practices (focus on non-native species, monoculture and maximum profit) that made the plantations so susceptible to this devastation. Great content as always, Tom!
Maybe for Scotland Attempt 2 try steer clear of massive forests so that's not a problem in the future. Better safe than sorry. Great video and editing mate :)
My man totally shit in the river... If not I bet the dirty bastard at least captured the sound effect of throwing it in and played it... I'm onto you, sir....
In a couple of decades, farmers will tell tales of the man wearing camo running through their fields in an oddly specific manner, climbing hedges and fences for no apparent reason.
Yeah maybe it’s just because I’m Scottish so going through a field is generally fine but I always picture Tom running through trying to be all stealthy and a farmer just staring at him wondering what the hell he’s doing but otherwise not giving one single shit
@@TomJohnson67 What about getting billions in funds to pave a straight line that cuts through the entire USA or something, even going through existing buildings and people's houses, and repaying each of the people affected by the project. Imagine just having a foot highway from ocean to ocean that is completely straight
@@TomJohnson67 Would be a cool video game, but the level detail needed is beyond anything ever attempted really. At that point why even bother making a video game about it when you could just do it for real.
I love how the grass is always greener in the other terrain type. In the farms, Tom yearns for the safety from farmers in the forest. In the forest, Tom wishes for the flat easy terrain of the farms.
I feel like the worse of the two is probably the forest, as the stakes are higher (your actual life), but we do have a way of building up lesser dangers. Some days I'd rather climb up El Capitan than deal with an awkward social interaction
Climbing under the fallen trees being described as “a series of brown rooms” is some genuinely incredible wordsmithing from Tom. Such a perfect description
The fallen trees seems dangerous, but nothing will ever be worse than the swamphole you went into in Norway mate. That was really terrifying. Love to watch your adventures Tom! The best on youtube for sure. Keep it up!
@DonaldDonaldson-ug9lp definitely a misnomer to say navigating those fallen trees isn't dangerous - those stacks can be several meters high and a single fall through branches with a rough landing would very likely be a mission ender
@DonaldDonaldson-ug9lplanding on one of those sharp branches in the wrong place in an isolated area is definitely very dangerous. If he got hurt to the point where he couldn't move it would also be very hard to get him out of there if he was right in the middle of it all. Probably an air ambulance situation tbh.
@DonaldDonaldson-ug9lp tf mate? he literally said some parts he was going over 12ft up, and he was picking routes that looks safer, so it can go even higher. Its all wet and slippery + he is tired. One mistake and you could even be risking a lot more than just a "failed mission".
The editing. The music. The voiceover. The beautiful setting of England. Even the 4:3 aspect ratio! I can’t think of a more wholesome, cozier video than this. Anyone with depression or anxiety should watch this.
This is exactly the kind of content that I enjoy watching on TH-cam. In a world where everything has seemingly become political, it's so nice to watch a bloke wading through dog shit, climbing over fallen trees, jumping fences, running from farmers and generally making us forget any worries that we may have. God bless you Tom
Yeah this is by far my favorite series to watch on TH-cam. I’ve been watching Tom for many years now since geoguessr, it’s incredible how this guy never fails at entertaining and creating something new.
Honestly since 2019 Tom has gotten me through some super difficult and anxious times. As someone with severe health anxiety It can affect my quality of life a lot at times, and these missions and of his geoguesser content has just been such a huge saving grace during tough times. ❤
Every Geowizard video has a sentence that has surely never before been uttered in the history of humanity. #2 - "This huge expanse of branches, stumps and man-sized craters stretched on for no less than seven football pitches; ordinarily this would be quite an exacerbating exercise; right now it was a chance to relax, think and make some good ground in the process."
Doubt you'll see this Tom, but my two cents on the matter is that you are the one imposing these "Platinum run" standards upon yourself. We're all just here to see our mate Tom on an adventure, and I think we'll love it no matter how far you have to deviate from the straight line. So please don't put yourself in a situation where you're risking life and limb for the sake of your subscribers, particularly with a baby on the way... huge congrats by the way! Cheers brother, and thank you for sharing the journey with us!!
I mean I am having hard time to call something straight line mission when you are 25 meters deviating from the middle, and that’s just the platinum , you can go to 100 and still call it straight line? Come on
Platinum doesn't matter if you end up hurting yourself Tom. Bronze is completely fine and even if you had to abandon the mission for your own safety, it would be worth it. We all know how much you love these missions and how much you are willing to push through some things but never forget about your own safety. We would prefer having you well and alive with a failed mission than you injuring yourself. Keep up the good work and can't wait for the next episode. Get in!
The difficulty with sacrificing the platinum line is that you also sacrifice the shortest distance traveled through the worst of the terrain. Is it really that much less risky to take the bronze line if you end up having to cover twice the distance across those fallen trees?
@@aspzxGoing around some of these areas would be way quicker by the looks of it, that one area tom had to climb through took almost an hour for 300m. Walking around that has to be faster and less energy used.
On safety - it's great that you're a normal bloke (albeit in good shape) trying to do something impossible. But no-one here thinks you're Superman. You push yourself harder than is sensible, and we love watching it, but if you're on the spot and even with your risk tolerance you decide to call it, the loyal viewers will get it -- just like we got it when you had to bail on Wales runs. We still get your adventure, we're still there with you in the moment. On all your missions: take whatever call you need to.
Just to add to this, and I feel like I speak for us all. If you feel like Bronze is the only way of completing a mission you should definitely go for it opposed to cancelling the mission. As you said in the video a completed mission is a completed mission. If Bronze can't be done it's definitely time to call it off. And nothing would stop you from attempting a silver, gold or Platinum run on a different line in the future too of course!
Dogs: they were springer spaniels. Very friendly dogs. Bark with sociable excitement but certainly not a danger. Used for (sniffing out and disturbing) wildlife for shooting. So would be more concerned about someone out with a gun than the dogs themselves!
I love the 4:3 aspect ratio of these videos, it gives off such a cozy and nostalgic feeling almost as if I’m watching an old tape recording from my childhood or my parents past.
Indeed. You'd be amazed how many Norman-derived aristocratic families (including the Royal Family) still own the majority of English and Welsh land. Almost 1000 years since 1066 and still we English and Welsh people cannot walk freely on our own land.
@@leod-sigefast I'm guessing when you mean "English" you mean Anglo-Saxon? Obviously the English identity has changed over the course of a millennia I don't know what you mean by not being able to walk freely in our own land, lots of places all over the English countryside have right of ways. You just can't go directly into people's farms but that's the same in most countries
I do find it tragic how nearly all of the nature has been destroyed to make way for fields. The majority of which for animals which is completely unnecessary too. I hope to see some of the land re-wilded too in the future.
One thing I really enjoy about these videos is seeing parts of nature humans normally don’t venture to. It’s almost mystical to see these big isolated moss forests and complex patterns of fallen trees and rooms, that no human has walked through for years and which will hopefully remain hidden from our eyes in the future (Although I can imagine it definitely didn’t feel mystical to cross them).
I wonder how the posh boys tackled that giant section of fallen trees. Knowing their tactics they probably hired a crane to hoist them over it or something!
They uploaded all of their first day last week. Seems like their route avoided the worst of the fallen trees, and if it were that bad, they went through it and didn't say too much about it. I mean, I hate to say it but they might just be beating him at his own game-look at the Berdell scores on the Isle of Man. 98.8% for the posh boys vs 92% for the brummie.
@@hoixthegreat8359 I mean that's a large part of why I like his videos - he's just a regular bloke at the end of the day. I'm sure there are plenty of people who could do these straight line missions better than him out there, not just the posh boys
@@hoixthegreat8359 I mean absolutely no disrespect to the posh boys with this, but Tom's storytelling skills with these videos got them beat 100-0, and personally I'd say that's the most important part (for me of course, for them it's obviously the challenge itself and I definitely also respect that). Tom's videos are so much more gripping to watch. Not just this series, pretty much every adventure series he posts has just great editing, narration, and of course the iconic soundtrack. The boys might be better at the actual challenge but personally I'd say Tom's still the best in the video making part. Which is also nice, because it means there are different reasons to watch and enjoy both videos, even if they're the same challenge :)
Before watching the posh boys attempt a straight line mission I generally wanted to just hate on them due to being a huge geowizard fan but they are very good at the challenge and make fun entertaining videos in the mean time. They (and I don’t mean this in a disrespectful way) come across a lot more immature and remind me of me when I was their age. I find myself relating to Tom a lot more due to being a similar age etc. Long live both the posh boys and geowizard though!!
its one of the best feelings bewing your morning coffee, sitting at your computer, opening youtube, and seeing a straight line mission uploaded 23 mins ago
I honestly appreciate how this channel features several failed missions. It shows that the missions you're taking up are actually quite difficult, not just made to look more impressive than they are. And then when you put out a series like this, it's high suspense since we know it could be curtains at any point.
Concerning safety, I think almost all viewers agree it's safety first. However, the problem is you're doing something inherently unsafe. So while you're out there, it's always a decision on where to put the line between what you regard as safe or unsafe. If you always say safety first, you'll never do anything. It's basically impossible for us viewers from the outside to judge. The fallen tree sections are quite on the dangerous side I'd say. But if avoiding them means there is no straight line through England, it's a really tough decision...
From what i noticed from watching your channel for the past 4 years and reading the comments under the video. Everyone always seems te be so respectfull to each other and taking the jokes well. Not like other channels where there seem to always be some jerks in the comments. Really a breath of fresh air.
I feel like it's hard to tell how dangerous those fallen trees really are from the video. it all looks very doable when you're doing it but we aren't feeling how slippery it is or how brittle the branches you grab onto are. I think you are really the only one who can make the right decision for yourself but also your family.
33:21 never in the life and times of GeoWizard have I gripped so hard onto the edge of my pillow in anticipation for next week’s episode. Amazing job on day 1, Tom
Yeah, that's the onset of hypothermia. He should be getting out of those wet clothes and under a space blanket, with Verity as well hugging him. Get some of her body warmth.
Your background music was already iconic, but it has become nostalgic... just those first few notes in the video and i'm already beyond hyped! You're the best mate
Congratulations on the baby! My wife and I just had our first baby 2,5 months ago too, the first 1-2 weeks are stressful but it gets much better! We are about the same age and it's fun to see you go through the same things about the same time as me, like marriage and baby, all the best! 😄
A lot of trees in Northumberland were knocked over by Storm Arwen a few years ago. Uprooted many, damaging buildings. Most have been cleared up, but in these forests in the middle of nowhere they will be left forever. Amazing that Tom travelled through them and we get to see them, places noone else will ever go!
There's all kinds of methods people have come up with to score these runs; the whole platinum / gold / etc thing just happens to be the one Tom came up with on his own back in the day, when this whole thing was just a silly idea and not nearly as organised as it is now. It's not the perfect system, and it's completely arbitrary, but it's the ORIGINAL system, and there's prestige and sentimentality to it.
I feel like a very good pair of safety glasses might be a good investment for these. It will prevent you from flinching when there's a stick riddled place, and could prevent some nasty nasty injuries.
I think the relief you talked about feeling at the prospect of having to give up was very honest and very telling. You're not the same man you were five years ago when you started these types of mission. You've got a wife and a child now and there would be a lot more lost now if the worst happened, God forbid. I feel like sooner or later, you're gonna to have to come to some sort of compromise in that you will still be doing adventures, but ones with less of the unknown/danger element. Just my thoughts anyway 🙂
Tom has already mentioned that this is THE last opportunity for him to do a mission of this scale and intensity because of his child (by the time they are an adult, Tom will be in his 50s and therefore almost certainly physically unable to do straight line missions by then). I don't think he has ruled out future straight line missions, though I do believe that every one he's done so far is way too risky to do as someone with dependents. Doesn't necessarily mean he would have to stop completely, but he will probably have to do them on easy mode (so more rigorous studying and scouting of planned lines, utilising full support crews, accepting larger deviations and lower Burdel scores, and more safety precautions/equipment) going forward, and scaling back to Welsh or even Norwegian sized missions. Though honestly I do think it might be best to just stick to 'How Not to Travel' or 'Tenner in Pocket' type adventures, which seem to be much safer, and pass the straight line torch to the younger folk he inspired like the Fieldhouses.
I was stuck once in patch of fallen trees during a trail run (probably from a storm / strong wind gusts). It's easy to let your mind imagine the worst when you are stuck among these giants and are not sure how long / if you're going to get out of it safe and before darkness. Well done...
I've watched some other straight-line missions that have been posted recently and I have to say you're style of editing and narrating is just the absolut best. Never change, Tom! Greetings from Germany.
The 'plop' sound on 2:26 when you mention shedding some weight is why I love your narration. So witty and clever. Your narration is a massive part of what makes these great. I've tried to watch the posh lads but they just don't have your sense of humour and clever way with words.
I live the the middle of a forest near Graz in Austria. Trees that have fallen down is all utilized by the farmers. It is a shame that millions of tons of wood could not be utilized effectively in the UK. I love your videos.
We had a huge storm a couple of years ago in Northumberland that wiped out huge swaithes of forest land. Literally entire woods, like Thrunton Woods for example, were wiped out. Massive trees that stood for hundreds of years just gone. It's taken over 2 years to remotely clean up the damage, obviously there's lots still left! So that's what you're trying to get through. Fair play for tackling it!
Friday, after long day at work I finally sat down and started the video and immediately the music made me smile. Those missions and videos are such a vibe and the music just matches it perfectly.
I know it probably wasn't an option due to time constraints, but the fallen trees section is exactly why I think you should always get somebody to do these missions with you. If you get injured there's somebody there to get help.
These videos are better edited and more entertaining than most of the stuff available on streaming services. Kudos for taking on the challenges you do, but right along that are the kudos for your storytelling - you keep us engaged, curious, and in suspense as we come along with you for your incredible adventures. So many of us are living vicariously through you and we're here for it for as long as you do them and for whatever adventures await in your next adventure: fatherhood.
This guy is my favourite TH-camrs I’ve ever found out of 13 years on this app the sheer thrill I feel before I click on the episode I feel like I’m almost doing the walk aswell
crossing england in a slightly wavy line (vs straight line) would still be an amazing feat, if you have to skirt around the dangerous logs, then do it, its still totally worth finishing (if you’re safe)
It has probably been said before, but it's not only Tom's ability for adventure that makes his videos work, it's also the narration and story-telling. Just watching someone run over fences and fields would probably get old pretty fast.
Oh!! You've stumbled upon a slight temperate rainforest - that's awesome! See all that lichen and moss? While true temperate rainforest has far more + consists of deciduous rather than non native farmed trees + has a proper understory rather than the dead ground you see in parts of this, I can see that this area would be a FANTASTIC candidate for a proper rewilding project just based on the sheer amount of lichen alone!
For me as a Swede, I just realized how wierd this "Hiding from farmer" is for me. In sweden you can go almost anywhere you want. You can even camp at someones land for up to 3 days (wothout leaving traces). Lovely video as always.
That seemingly stems from livestock theft unfortunately being very common here in the UK. I personally know some people who have had 1 or 2 of their horses stolen from a shared stable
Well, they are expensive to take care of, usually set to do some sort of job or task for you! @@henrywalton5967 I argue not being able to own them for use would be far far odd, no?
I love every second of this series. The music, the sensibility in not wanting to risk hurting yourself and then sending it anyways, the snack reviews. Love it
Its funny watching both Tom and the boys videos together. Tom concerned for safety and often says 'this is a trip ender' then the young lads not giving a shit and running headlong into danger 😂
This mission is through my neck of the woods and walking through the forest is unimaginably hard work. Storm Arwen felled millions of trees in Northumberland in late 2021.
Thrilling. Also, this should sounds minor compare to the danger that represent fallen trees, but please, consider wearing safety googles. One small branch that you didn't see or that springs back... gives me sweaty palms.
The fact that you went back and were honest about that property where you walked by the worlds smallest church is party of why I really love your videos. It'd have been so easy for you to just not mention that and deny any knowledge should it ever come up, but you didn't. Your challenges and adventures are honest and 'pure' or 'clean' in a way I really appreciate and feel is lacking in most of the TH-cam media coming out today. Overall, however this challenge turns out, thank you for undertaking this one last mission before taking on the arguably harder challenge of being a full-time father to your child. Perhaps in the future you can bring them along for some straight line missions of their own 😁 Cheers!
the little preview for the next episode at the end, man i know how that feels it is the absolute worst even as someone that welcomes the cold and cold rain, sometimes its just too much
Might sound daft but I'm remembering how comfy the old DPM smocks were. The first lot of MTP ones were crap but got better. My last one was all worn and very well used. Made it very comfy.
Tom you're a bloody warrior! I love these straight line missions please don't stop, they remind me of the daft things I got up to as a kid. The problem is I'm too pig headed to realise when it's too dangerous! What I've gotten away with is so far too foolishly, falling off a 20ft cliff drunk and still walking home 2 miles being one of my personal idiocies. You have a familly to look after now but let the adventure continue without putting them at risk
The fallen tree issue from my point of view. I see it as a passable obstacle. I do see your point that you risk injury. But I also think that is the risk you take for taking on this challenge of straight lining. I do not say that to be callous, merely that if you aren’t willing to climb over fallen trees to stay on the line then you probably shouldn’t attempt the challenge, at least with a realistic expectation of completing it. Just my opinion that is easily said from my sofa lol. But you did ask what we thought. Lol
Tom I know you won’t see this but I genuinely think these high quality videos you produce are some of the best on TH-cam. It is all very genuine, honest, witty and well paced. Not to glaze too hard but keep it up. Best of luck with the family in the future!!!
I respect the effort being put into this. It certainly is rough, the tree area and all but I ee a sense of fun in it also. Reminds me of exploring as a kid
![The most brutal day of missioning on record [ENGLAND PART 3]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/tfjReZ9cx2c/mqdefault.jpg)
![The most brutal day of missioning on record [ENGLAND PART 3]](/img/tr.png)
![Can I complete my most epic mission to date? or will a hunting party end it.. [ENGLAND PART 6]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wGA6fun0Tjc/mqdefault.jpg)
Forgot to mention in this episode that these huge swathes of fallen trees aren’t normal. They are destruction caused by recent storms, namely storm Arwen in 2021.
PS. Of course I didn’t shit in the river.
Thanks again everyone for tuning in. Keep them likes and subscribes coming in!
I should use this opportunity to point out that most types of conifers in these plantations aren‘t native species. And the way they are planted isn‘t natural either. So yes, the storms felled them, but it‘s the prevailing farm practices (focus on non-native species, monoculture and maximum profit) that made the plantations so susceptible to this devastation.
Great content as always, Tom!
So he did take a loo in the river. Noted.
JK man these episodes were absolutely stellar! Hope you three are doing fine!
Is this just throwing shade at the logging companies for not cleaning it up 3 years later 😂?
Maybe for Scotland Attempt 2 try steer clear of massive forests so that's not a problem in the future. Better safe than sorry. Great video and editing mate :)
My man totally shit in the river... If not I bet the dirty bastard at least captured the sound effect of throwing it in and played it... I'm onto you, sir....
27:12 The shipping container is welcoming Tom to the Gold Zone!
someone flag this as spoiler please xD
Was thinking that exact same thing
@@kevinschreiner4179 Why are you reading the comments before finishing the video if you don't want spoilers?
If you didn't comment this I would have 😂 So random the timing. Sure Tom thought it during the edit too.
I thought "blimey, straight lining's come a long way! There's even signposting for the different zones" 😅
In a couple of decades, farmers will tell tales of the man wearing camo running through their fields in an oddly specific manner, climbing hedges and fences for no apparent reason.
"I'm telling you mate, there was a path literally 10ft from him and he was still choosing to run through the field looking around every 3 seconds"
Wendigoon will be doing a cryptid analysis on the "Pasty Farmland Strider" before you know it
Yeah maybe it’s just because I’m Scottish so going through a field is generally fine but I always picture Tom running through trying to be all stealthy and a farmer just staring at him wondering what the hell he’s doing but otherwise not giving one single shit
And the sheep won't believe them...
@@cod-the-creator Probably, Wendigoon prefers people that are white after all.
Seeing as this video is up, we can successfully confirm that Tom doesn't perish to a bunch of fallen ents.
Probably. Could be a posthumous AI voice done by his gf and uploaded to subvert our expectations... you never know
He still might have got it up the back side
@@hks-lion Verity could've mounted him in a pot, saves on chairs I suppose.
Ever heard of found footage?
Obviously I'm joking
Maybe it’s all pre recorded and he dies after the series is over
"Don't do this at home". Of course I won't. I don't live in the middle of a forest.
Or rather, your home _isn't_ a forest
It's just a phrase to say it's dangerous to those watching. It doesn't actually imply you can do it in your own home
That's the joke...
I do.
Woooow you got the joke !@!@
27:12 Almost aggressive how just as Tom goes into Gold, the shipping container rubs it in a bit
Might as well have said "YOU BLEW IT" on the side
The devs helpfully signposted it. Excellent design.
@@tahunuva4254 "The devs" just got me thinking, we definitely need a straight line mission video game.
@@TomJohnson67 What about getting billions in funds to pave a straight line that cuts through the entire USA or something, even going through existing buildings and people's houses, and repaying each of the people affected by the project. Imagine just having a foot highway from ocean to ocean that is completely straight
@@TomJohnson67 Would be a cool video game, but the level detail needed is beyond anything ever attempted really. At that point why even bother making a video game about it when you could just do it for real.
I love how the grass is always greener in the other terrain type. In the farms, Tom yearns for the safety from farmers in the forest. In the forest, Tom wishes for the flat easy terrain of the farms.
Imagines the vertical climbs and gravely inclines ahead.
I'm the same when out adventuring, each obstacle/struggle feels worse as you go through it 😅
I feel like the worse of the two is probably the forest, as the stakes are higher (your actual life), but we do have a way of building up lesser dangers. Some days I'd rather climb up El Capitan than deal with an awkward social interaction
hey fellow ethoslab fan ;)
"Its if one of them goes in my throat, or worse, up my arse" 💀
Felt like something that should've been said in Hot Fuzz when the chief gets "inspired" by the mini Church towards the end of the film 😂
We do know he didn't take one in the throat, since he's still kicking, but the arse situation is still ambiguous.
“get in!”
Haha this is what I wanted to quote and it's the top comment! Very funny line
"William Shakespeare" 😂
Tom this episode: I don't think I'd walk through here again, it's too dangerous.
Tom next week: Straight line mission through the Darién gap.
LMAO Have u been recommended that one recently too? One things for sure tho, if Tom does that, his ancestors would be proud xd
Bald and bankrupt collab potential? For real tho I don’t think he’ll ever want to do it again lmao
He’s gonna be doing a straight line mission through the world’s largest pete bog soon
@@chriswyatt9869 i don't think he does collabs with people unless they're also into sex tourism
@@mediumsizedcalwhat lol
Climbing under the fallen trees being described as “a series of brown rooms” is some genuinely incredible wordsmithing from Tom. Such a perfect description
You didn't know you'd lost your platinum run, but that shipping container was trying to tell you that it was now Gold.
Dont please spoilers
@@JoelBlackman.Don't read the comments before watching the video
@@Bisonrulz16we don’t have a choice on mobile it pops up right below the video and constantly changes with a vibration so we have to look at it
@@aristology6912It's annoying but this is why I often hover my thumb over that area in the way and immediately go full screen or picture in picture.
@@aristology6912 pop up the video description to block it, or watch it in fullscreen
The fallen trees seems dangerous, but nothing will ever be worse than the swamphole you went into in Norway mate. That was really terrifying. Love to watch your adventures Tom! The best on youtube for sure. Keep it up!
@DonaldDonaldson-ug9lp definitely a misnomer to say navigating those fallen trees isn't dangerous - those stacks can be several meters high and a single fall through branches with a rough landing would very likely be a mission ender
@DonaldDonaldson-ug9lpit is dangerous. Even slightly disturbing a single tree could cause them all to collapse upon you.
@DonaldDonaldson-ug9lplanding on one of those sharp branches in the wrong place in an isolated area is definitely very dangerous.
If he got hurt to the point where he couldn't move it would also be very hard to get him out of there if he was right in the middle of it all. Probably an air ambulance situation tbh.
@DonaldDonaldson-ug9lp tf mate? he literally said some parts he was going over 12ft up, and he was picking routes that looks safer, so it can go even higher.
Its all wet and slippery + he is tired. One mistake and you could even be risking a lot more than just a "failed mission".
i panic just thinking about the peat bog lol
The editing. The music. The voiceover. The beautiful setting of England. Even the 4:3 aspect ratio!
I can’t think of a more wholesome, cozier video than this. Anyone with depression or anxiety should watch this.
That's what I'm doing, been binge watching all the previous episodes between this and a previous video of England. Absolute treasure.
This is exactly the kind of content that I enjoy watching on TH-cam. In a world where everything has seemingly become political, it's so nice to watch a bloke wading through dog shit, climbing over fallen trees, jumping fences, running from farmers and generally making us forget any worries that we may have. God bless you Tom
*Steve Wallis entered the chat*
Yeah this is by far my favorite series to watch on TH-cam. I’ve been watching Tom for many years now since geoguessr, it’s incredible how this guy never fails at entertaining and creating something new.
Honestly since 2019 Tom has gotten me through some super difficult and anxious times. As someone with severe health anxiety It can affect my quality of life a lot at times, and these missions and of his geoguesser content has just been such a huge saving grace during tough times. ❤
Every Geowizard video has a sentence that has surely never before been uttered in the history of humanity. #2 - "This huge expanse of branches, stumps and man-sized craters stretched on for no less than seven football pitches; ordinarily this would be quite an exacerbating exercise; right now it was a chance to relax, think and make some good ground in the process."
"Oh that's up to my dick! Oh, ohhh I'm in!" Is one of the outliers then.
Nah, I said that in 1989
😂😂😂
This dude is a polymath! A writer, composer and explorer
pure poetry.
real ones will be blasting the 16 bit adventure album all summer long
bro ain‘t no way quadonka is a GW enjoyer 🙏
Can you blast me quadeca 🥺🥺
Quadrant watches these vids? Quad absolutely did! 🐐
quadinkly watches geowizard??
love u #Bulgaria
Doubt you'll see this Tom, but my two cents on the matter is that you are the one imposing these "Platinum run" standards upon yourself. We're all just here to see our mate Tom on an adventure, and I think we'll love it no matter how far you have to deviate from the straight line. So please don't put yourself in a situation where you're risking life and limb for the sake of your subscribers, particularly with a baby on the way... huge congrats by the way! Cheers brother, and thank you for sharing the journey with us!!
I mean I am having hard time to call something straight line mission when you are 25 meters deviating from the middle, and that’s just the platinum , you can go to 100 and still call it straight line? Come on
@@Vismajor01 Over the distance involved it's easy to consider that a straight line.
@@Vismajor01 100 meters over a line this long is nothing. If you zoom out until the whole line is visible, you can't even see the deviation.
@@Vismajor01did you expect him to climb over the roof of that airbnb farm to keep this straight line, or where’s the limit to deviate in your opinion?
Smooth brained take. Some obstacles are impossible to navigate, deviating slightly is non-optional.
Platinum doesn't matter if you end up hurting yourself Tom. Bronze is completely fine and even if you had to abandon the mission for your own safety, it would be worth it. We all know how much you love these missions and how much you are willing to push through some things but never forget about your own safety. We would prefer having you well and alive with a failed mission than you injuring yourself. Keep up the good work and can't wait for the next episode. Get in!
Well, the mission is done now. We’ll see in the coming weeks. I think he’s just a perfectionist (slightly OCD) like I am.
Where’s the fun in that? LolZ.
The difficulty with sacrificing the platinum line is that you also sacrifice the shortest distance traveled through the worst of the terrain. Is it really that much less risky to take the bronze line if you end up having to cover twice the distance across those fallen trees?
I would have taken it if he loses platinum because of the fallen tree horror.. But because of a random airbnb that nobody is around?
@@aspzxGoing around some of these areas would be way quicker by the looks of it, that one area tom had to climb through took almost an hour for 300m. Walking around that has to be faster and less energy used.
the negative voices are your newly acquired dad senses kicking in, embrace them
The 'plop' at 2.26 deserves some sort of Academy Award.
2:26
Tom better not have actually taken a dump in a waterway though.
@@vegancam Yeah, that would have been a pretty shitty thing to do.
25:59 that putrid sludge was probably their septic tank overflowing.. it could have been poo lol
I said exactly the same thing when I seen it! As I quickly explained to my wife:- ‘Ooo, that soakaway’s knackered!’
On safety - it's great that you're a normal bloke (albeit in good shape) trying to do something impossible. But no-one here thinks you're Superman. You push yourself harder than is sensible, and we love watching it, but if you're on the spot and even with your risk tolerance you decide to call it, the loyal viewers will get it -- just like we got it when you had to bail on Wales runs. We still get your adventure, we're still there with you in the moment.
On all your missions: take whatever call you need to.
Just to add to this, and I feel like I speak for us all. If you feel like Bronze is the only way of completing a mission you should definitely go for it opposed to cancelling the mission. As you said in the video a completed mission is a completed mission. If Bronze can't be done it's definitely time to call it off.
And nothing would stop you from attempting a silver, gold or Platinum run on a different line in the future too of course!
He's a big boy, he doesn't need buttering up.
@@BodywiseMustard That's not what buttering up means.
Dogs: they were springer spaniels. Very friendly dogs. Bark with sociable excitement but certainly not a danger. Used for (sniffing out and disturbing) wildlife for shooting. So would be more concerned about someone out with a gun than the dogs themselves!
Yea, he's not worried about them attacking him really, but alerting humans.
@@esoteridactyl yes, and that's something they're very likely to do being such excitable little things!
Can’t believe there is an Air B&B on the line and you DIDNT book it!!
ikr, and to make it worse, have that be the spot where he loses plat. just sad tbh 😢
I love the 4:3 aspect ratio of these videos, it gives off such a cozy and nostalgic feeling almost as if I’m watching an old tape recording from my childhood or my parents past.
Looks a bit out of place on a modern widescreen display though. Maybe I need to plug in my old 4:3 monitor just to watch this?
4:3 is just superior
Loved these missions for years but they always highlight just how little access to land we have in the UK.
Indeed. You'd be amazed how many Norman-derived aristocratic families (including the Royal Family) still own the majority of English and Welsh land. Almost 1000 years since 1066 and still we English and Welsh people cannot walk freely on our own land.
@@leod-sigefast 958 years of hurt.
@@leod-sigefast I'm guessing when you mean "English" you mean Anglo-Saxon? Obviously the English identity has changed over the course of a millennia
I don't know what you mean by not being able to walk freely in our own land, lots of places all over the English countryside have right of ways.
You just can't go directly into people's farms but that's the same in most countries
I do find it tragic how nearly all of the nature has been destroyed to make way for fields. The majority of which for animals which is completely unnecessary too. I hope to see some of the land re-wilded too in the future.
@@beaucaspar3990 Suspiciously Norman outlook and name.
One thing I really enjoy about these videos is seeing parts of nature humans normally don’t venture to. It’s almost mystical to see these big isolated moss forests and complex patterns of fallen trees and rooms, that no human has walked through for years and which will hopefully remain hidden from our eyes in the future (Although I can imagine it definitely didn’t feel mystical to cross them).
I wonder how the posh boys tackled that giant section of fallen trees. Knowing their tactics they probably hired a crane to hoist them over it or something!
They uploaded all of their first day last week. Seems like their route avoided the worst of the fallen trees, and if it were that bad, they went through it and didn't say too much about it. I mean, I hate to say it but they might just be beating him at his own game-look at the Berdell scores on the Isle of Man. 98.8% for the posh boys vs 92% for the brummie.
@@hoixthegreat8359 I mean that's a large part of why I like his videos - he's just a regular bloke at the end of the day. I'm sure there are plenty of people who could do these straight line missions better than him out there, not just the posh boys
@@hoixthegreat8359 Oh yeah I have no doubt they're probably better at this thing, but that's only part of the charm of these videos.
@@hoixthegreat8359 I mean absolutely no disrespect to the posh boys with this, but Tom's storytelling skills with these videos got them beat 100-0, and personally I'd say that's the most important part (for me of course, for them it's obviously the challenge itself and I definitely also respect that). Tom's videos are so much more gripping to watch.
Not just this series, pretty much every adventure series he posts has just great editing, narration, and of course the iconic soundtrack. The boys might be better at the actual challenge but personally I'd say Tom's still the best in the video making part.
Which is also nice, because it means there are different reasons to watch and enjoy both videos, even if they're the same challenge :)
Before watching the posh boys attempt a straight line mission I generally wanted to just hate on them due to being a huge geowizard fan but they are very good at the challenge and make fun entertaining videos in the mean time. They (and I don’t mean this in a disrespectful way) come across a lot more immature and remind me of me when I was their age. I find myself relating to Tom a lot more due to being a similar age etc. Long live both the posh boys and geowizard though!!
its one of the best feelings bewing your morning coffee, sitting at your computer, opening youtube, and seeing a straight line mission uploaded 23 mins ago
Sure hope he is recording...
I just finished the video and I'm still not sure if he was recording or not 😭
I'm sure in part 6 we'll find out if he was recording or not.
God this series is gonna be bad if he forgot!
I honestly appreciate how this channel features several failed missions. It shows that the missions you're taking up are actually quite difficult, not just made to look more impressive than they are. And then when you put out a series like this, it's high suspense since we know it could be curtains at any point.
Concerning safety, I think almost all viewers agree it's safety first. However, the problem is you're doing something inherently unsafe. So while you're out there, it's always a decision on where to put the line between what you regard as safe or unsafe. If you always say safety first, you'll never do anything. It's basically impossible for us viewers from the outside to judge. The fallen tree sections are quite on the dangerous side I'd say. But if avoiding them means there is no straight line through England, it's a really tough decision...
I’d say some of his downhill slides and rock climbing is 10 times more dangerous than this
18:57 I can't believe you missed the chance to say "It's my life on the LINE."
Cleaning up Windfall is among the most dangerous forest work you can do. Be very careful with that stuff, a lot of things in tension
And also a lot of weight and rotten stuff suddenly not holding onto itself. It's basically a huge trap.
One massive game of Kerplunk
From what i noticed from watching your channel for the past 4 years and reading the comments under the video. Everyone always seems te be so respectfull to each other and taking the jokes well. Not like other channels where there seem to always be some jerks in the comments. Really a breath of fresh air.
I feel like it's hard to tell how dangerous those fallen trees really are from the video. it all looks very doable when you're doing it but we aren't feeling how slippery it is or how brittle the branches you grab onto are. I think you are really the only one who can make the right decision for yourself but also your family.
The whole tree section just reminds me of the old children’s rhyme “Going on a Bear Hunt.” Can’t go under it, can’t go around it, got to go over it!
through it*
@@freez.mp4 Not in this case :P
33:21 never in the life and times of GeoWizard have I gripped so hard onto the edge of my pillow in anticipation for next week’s episode. Amazing job on day 1, Tom
Yeah, that's the onset of hypothermia. He should be getting out of those wet clothes and under a space blanket, with Verity as well hugging him. Get some of her body warmth.
Your background music was already iconic, but it has become nostalgic... just those first few notes in the video and i'm already beyond hyped! You're the best mate
couldn’t agree more
yes!!
Congratulations on the baby! My wife and I just had our first baby 2,5 months ago too, the first 1-2 weeks are stressful but it gets much better!
We are about the same age and it's fun to see you go through the same things about the same time as me, like marriage and baby, all the best! 😄
A lot of trees in Northumberland were knocked over by Storm Arwen a few years ago. Uprooted many, damaging buildings. Most have been cleared up, but in these forests in the middle of nowhere they will be left forever. Amazing that Tom travelled through them and we get to see them, places noone else will ever go!
I was wondering why there were so many uprooted trees! Thanks for the context
Heres an idea; percentage scores
Score all staight line runs with percentages, how much time was spent on each bar IE 73% platinum, 27% gold ETC
There's already the berdell score, which does something similar
He will go through this score at the end of the mission
There's all kinds of methods people have come up with to score these runs; the whole platinum / gold / etc thing just happens to be the one Tom came up with on his own back in the day, when this whole thing was just a silly idea and not nearly as organised as it is now.
It's not the perfect system, and it's completely arbitrary, but it's the ORIGINAL system, and there's prestige and sentimentality to it.
It's not all that interesting though, the result will be 99.99% Platinum and 0.01% Gold, that's a given.
12:37 I know Tom might hate that sight, but that is such a beautiful little spot with the bright green moss.
I feel like a very good pair of safety glasses might be a good investment for these. It will prevent you from flinching when there's a stick riddled place, and could prevent some nasty nasty injuries.
Your straight line missions are the best thing on TH-cam. Countless hours of joy. You're a legend. Love from Ireland ❤
That outro has me on the edge of my seat. I can't wait until next week.
27:13, says GOLD on the container just to remind you you'd just entered gold zone haha
glad I wasn't the only one I thought that
It must feel like heaven being in that van at night. Got some warm food, with some friends, some music, a nice chair and more.
I think the relief you talked about feeling at the prospect of having to give up was very honest and very telling. You're not the same man you were five years ago when you started these types of mission. You've got a wife and a child now and there would be a lot more lost now if the worst happened, God forbid. I feel like sooner or later, you're gonna to have to come to some sort of compromise in that you will still be doing adventures, but ones with less of the unknown/danger element. Just my thoughts anyway 🙂
Tom has already mentioned that this is THE last opportunity for him to do a mission of this scale and intensity because of his child (by the time they are an adult, Tom will be in his 50s and therefore almost certainly physically unable to do straight line missions by then). I don't think he has ruled out future straight line missions, though I do believe that every one he's done so far is way too risky to do as someone with dependents. Doesn't necessarily mean he would have to stop completely, but he will probably have to do them on easy mode (so more rigorous studying and scouting of planned lines, utilising full support crews, accepting larger deviations and lower Burdel scores, and more safety precautions/equipment) going forward, and scaling back to Welsh or even Norwegian sized missions. Though honestly I do think it might be best to just stick to 'How Not to Travel' or 'Tenner in Pocket' type adventures, which seem to be much safer, and pass the straight line torch to the younger folk he inspired like the Fieldhouses.
I was stuck once in patch of fallen trees during a trail run (probably from a storm / strong wind gusts). It's easy to let your mind imagine the worst when you are stuck among these giants and are not sure how long / if you're going to get out of it safe and before darkness. Well done...
These branches really make me think that some good protective eyewear is sometimes required for these missions
The bloody intro music and the excitement for another instalment gives me goosebumps!!
I've watched some other straight-line missions that have been posted recently and I have to say you're style of editing and narrating is just the absolut best. Never change, Tom!
Greetings from Germany.
The 'plop' sound on 2:26 when you mention shedding some weight is why I love your narration.
So witty and clever. Your narration is a massive part of what makes these great.
I've tried to watch the posh lads but they just don't have your sense of humour and clever way with words.
I live the the middle of a forest near Graz in Austria. Trees that have fallen down is all utilized by the farmers. It is a shame that millions of tons of wood could not be utilized effectively in the UK. I love your videos.
We had a huge storm a couple of years ago in Northumberland that wiped out huge swaithes of forest land. Literally entire woods, like Thrunton Woods for example, were wiped out. Massive trees that stood for hundreds of years just gone. It's taken over 2 years to remotely clean up the damage, obviously there's lots still left! So that's what you're trying to get through. Fair play for tackling it!
Friday, after long day at work I finally sat down and started the video and immediately the music made me smile. Those missions and videos are such a vibe and the music just matches it perfectly.
I know it probably wasn't an option due to time constraints, but the fallen trees section is exactly why I think you should always get somebody to do these missions with you. If you get injured there's somebody there to get help.
These videos are better edited and more entertaining than most of the stuff available on streaming services. Kudos for taking on the challenges you do, but right along that are the kudos for your storytelling - you keep us engaged, curious, and in suspense as we come along with you for your incredible adventures. So many of us are living vicariously through you and we're here for it for as long as you do them and for whatever adventures await in your next adventure: fatherhood.
14:35 just broke something inside me. Took me 5 minutes to catch my breath. Holy fuck I haven't laughed that hard in years.
Thanks for carrying me through my A-level revision. Any break is filled with these videos.
thank you for the captions!! as a person with poor hearing/processing, it is appreciated :)
Oh mate this channel couldn't be more dear to me. Thank you so much for your effort!
2:43 "faint rumblings"
I thought he was going to shit himself after just shitting.
This guy is my favourite TH-camrs I’ve ever found out of 13 years on this app the sheer thrill I feel before I click on the episode I feel like I’m almost doing the walk aswell
crossing england in a slightly wavy line (vs straight line) would still be an amazing feat, if you have to skirt around the dangerous logs, then do it, its still totally worth finishing (if you’re safe)
Yeah, but "first man to cross England in a slightly wavy line" sounds like a Monty Python sketch.
It has probably been said before, but it's not only Tom's ability for adventure that makes his videos work, it's also the narration and story-telling. Just watching someone run over fences and fields would probably get old pretty fast.
"There could be people watching." is the straight line equivalent to "Are we recording?"
These outdoor series might be the only ones making me eagerly wait for the week to pass.
I love how contradicting voice over Tom is to mission Tom
Oh!! You've stumbled upon a slight temperate rainforest - that's awesome! See all that lichen and moss? While true temperate rainforest has far more + consists of deciduous rather than non native farmed trees + has a proper understory rather than the dead ground you see in parts of this, I can see that this area would be a FANTASTIC candidate for a proper rewilding project just based on the sheer amount of lichen alone!
For me as a Swede, I just realized how wierd this "Hiding from farmer" is for me. In sweden you can go almost anywhere you want. You can even camp at someones land for up to 3 days (wothout leaving traces). Lovely video as always.
Adds some tension though haha.
That seemingly stems from livestock theft unfortunately being very common here in the UK. I personally know some people who have had 1 or 2 of their horses stolen from a shared stable
@@BipedAthlete851it's weird to me how animals are being treated like property like that. That you can 'own' them and they can be 'stolen'.
Well, they are expensive to take care of, usually set to do some sort of job or task for you! @@henrywalton5967
I argue not being able to own them for use would be far far odd, no?
In the US he would have been shot.
I love every second of this series. The music, the sensibility in not wanting to risk hurting yourself and then sending it anyways, the snack reviews. Love it
No shot that was more dangerous than the peat bog Tom. You almost died in the peat bog.
The music at the beginning just gives such a vibe and makes these straight line missions seem like such a small, nice community
Its funny watching both Tom and the boys videos together. Tom concerned for safety and often says 'this is a trip ender' then the young lads not giving a shit and running headlong into danger 😂
Man those seas of fallen trees looked hellish ! This episode was absolutely thrilling, great job Thom (and Verity & Ben of course).
will watch this after the football thanks Tom! 😁 And congrats to you and V on the wee babber ❤
This mission is through my neck of the woods and walking through the forest is unimaginably hard work. Storm Arwen felled millions of trees in Northumberland in late 2021.
I was looking for this video. Traveling alone at the moment and this make it feel less lonely
I shudder at the amount of spiders you must have encountered while crawling through tipped over tree root/caves. I could never.
Thrilling.
Also, this should sounds minor compare to the danger that represent fallen trees, but please, consider wearing safety googles. One small branch that you didn't see or that springs back... gives me sweaty palms.
Ben seems like such a calming person, the emotional support you want to have when doing something crazy. ❤
They're not pine, Tom. Mostly spruce, some fir. Very few conifers are pines in the North and West. Just saying😂 Great video again.
These straight line missions are going to give me nostalgia in 10 years. Thank you tom for these amazing videos
"If that goes in my throat or worse up my arse" 😂😂
Made me chuckle too 😂
The fact that you went back and were honest about that property where you walked by the worlds smallest church is party of why I really love your videos. It'd have been so easy for you to just not mention that and deny any knowledge should it ever come up, but you didn't. Your challenges and adventures are honest and 'pure' or 'clean' in a way I really appreciate and feel is lacking in most of the TH-cam media coming out today.
Overall, however this challenge turns out, thank you for undertaking this one last mission before taking on the arguably harder challenge of being a full-time father to your child. Perhaps in the future you can bring them along for some straight line missions of their own 😁
Cheers!
My favourite part of the weekend
That music at the start puts me right into the mood for a straight mission! Love it
the little preview for the next episode at the end, man i know how that feels it is the absolute worst even as someone that welcomes the cold and cold rain, sometimes its just too much
Tom, huge thank you for putting all this together.
You bring out the inner child in me with these videos, and you are an icon in my mind.
We like the adventure but what we like even more is a healthy Tom bringing us content over the next years. Choose the safe way
Might sound daft but I'm remembering how comfy the old DPM smocks were. The first lot of MTP ones were crap but got better. My last one was all worn and very well used. Made it very comfy.
Get in!!!
Tom you're a bloody warrior! I love these straight line missions please don't stop, they remind me of the daft things I got up to as a kid. The problem is I'm too pig headed to realise when it's too dangerous! What I've gotten away with is so far too foolishly, falling off a 20ft cliff drunk and still walking home 2 miles being one of my personal idiocies. You have a familly to look after now but let the adventure continue without putting them at risk
The fallen tree issue from my point of view. I see it as a passable obstacle.
I do see your point that you risk injury. But I also think that is the risk you take for taking on this challenge of straight lining.
I do not say that to be callous, merely that if you aren’t willing to climb over fallen trees to stay on the line then you probably shouldn’t attempt the challenge, at least with a realistic expectation of completing it.
Just my opinion that is easily said from my sofa lol. But you did ask what we thought. Lol
But it’s not one tree, it’s many over the course of several days
Tom I know you won’t see this but I genuinely think these high quality videos you produce are some of the best on TH-cam. It is all very genuine, honest, witty and well paced. Not to glaze too hard but keep it up. Best of luck with the family in the future!!!
These missions feel like they contain a lot of accidental good life lessons
I respect the effort being put into this. It certainly is rough, the tree area and all but I ee a sense of fun in it also. Reminds me of exploring as a kid
Just imagining how, if this was any part of Australia, you would have already been bitten by 1827 snakes, 5364 spiders and 223 drop bears!
Great adventuring, Tom! Really rooting for you to have fun and success on this epic mission!