Thousands of miles into the bush, trapped on a handmade floating log island drifting down the unforgiving and sometimes volatile Yukon River, are a chosen few with no escape plan, and only the will to survive. The River, deadly predators, starvation and the ever-changing harsh environment are their worst enemies. Every year, groups of hardened Alaskan bushmen descend on the Yukon River in a last push for cash and supplies to get them through a harsh Alaska winter. Following in the footsteps of generations and generations of log rafters before them, these true Alaskans will be forced to hunt, fish, sell their logs to villages along the way and trade for their daily necessities while navigating down Alaska's largest river. Every day they will fight for their livelihood and survival. With any luck, the haul will be enough for their families to purchase the goods they'll need to make it through the long winter ahead, but in the end it's the Yukon that decides.
Premiering on National Geographic Channel in Summer 2015 and globally in 440 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages, new series RAFTING ALASKA (W.T.) will introduce viewers to the age-old tradition of the log-rafting trade by following a cast of adventurous travelers as they navigate along the Yukon River collecting logs to trade in camps or native townships. When they de-board their rafts at the end of the trip, they'll disassemble their makeshift shelters and sell off the timber for cash. But to get to that point, they face harsh obstacles that test their survival skills, and only the strong and masterful will survive the journey. "Rafting Alaska embodies what our viewers want from our programming," said Tim Pastore, president, original programming and production, NGC US. "We're giving them a glimpse into the hard-core lifestyle and the pioneering spirit of these tenacious and skillful log-rafting Alaskans, invoking a sense of adventure that's based on sheer survival and 'NO WAY!' moments."Videos