The first three episodes of Long Way Up premiered globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, 18 September 2020, and eight further episodes aired weekly through to 13 November 2020.[1]
Overview
The journey covered a 13,000-mile (21,000 km) route, through 13 countries, over 100 days, starting on 5 September 2019 and finishing on 14 December 2019, using prototype Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycles that had been converted into adventure bikes.[3]
Accompanying Ewan and Charley were the same key team members from Long Way Round and Long Way Down, including director/producers David Alexanian and Russ Malkin and directors of photography Jimmy Simak and Claudio Von Planta. Joining for the first time were associate producer Taylor Estevez and cinematographer Anthony Von Seck.
The production team followed Ewan and Charley's route in prototype Rivian electric pick-up trucks built especially for the journey.[4] Trucks and motorcycles were charged at charging points built especially for the journey by Rivian.[5][6][7] They were supported by diesel powered vehicles and generators.
Eight months prior to the intended start date of 1 September 2019, the team reunite to map out the route, revealing that they plan to use electric motorbikes for this series. Having tested an electric road bike, Charley and Ewan are satisfied they have made the correct choice and that electric motors represent the future. After discovering that range of even the best off-road electric motorbike is limited to a 72-mile (116 km) maximum, doubts start to creep in as they want to travel a 150-mile (240 km) distance per day, but this would entail a lengthy charging session, placing the entire fourteen week schedule in jeopardy.
During the planning stage, Charley has a serious motorcycle accident, raising concerns with the rest of the team. After recovering, he tests an all-electric Harley-DavidsonLivewire. Although designed as a street bike, the team work with the Harley engineers to adapt the design for dual purpose use, receiving the prototypes ten weeks before departure.
Both Charley and Ewan want to offset their carbon footprint for the journey which necessitates using BEVs as support vehicles for the production team and equipment. Rivian agree to supply two hand-built pre-production R1T pick-up trucks and install 150 fast chargers along the 13,000-mile (21,000 km) route to keep both them and the electric motorbikes charged.
Episode 2: "Ushuaia"
Start point at Bahia Lapataia
Bridge over the Rio Lapataia
Pinguino Rey Reserve
Original release date: 18 September 2020
On arrival in Tierra del Fuego the team are met with heavy snow as it is still winter in the southern hemisphere. The Harley's ability to use level 1 AC charging is a concern as the level 3 DC fast-charging equipment is too cumbersome for the duo to carry on the motorbikes. The team decide to wait until a new component arrives holding up the start of the three month trek by three days.
During the initial leg, Charley and Ewan make the first of many border crossings in and out of Chile and detour down Ruta Y-85 to Pinguino Rey Natural Reserve on Inútil Bay, to see the only colony of King penguins in South America. Ever present, range anxiety resurfaces and they plan to charge from a support vehicle that has solar panels. When this fails, they attempt to charge from sockets at the reserve’s research station, but with a low current, the motorbikes fail to take a charge making the onward journey to the ferry at Porvenir look doubtful. The pair find refuge at Estancia Caleta Josefina, which although still closed for the winter, welcomes them with open arms. The production team, also getting acquainted with their vehicles, run out of charge with ten miles to go and resort to tow-charging the R1Ts.
With a mere 235-mile (378 km) stretch covered and a freezing cold night, the enormity of the challenge ahead is brought home to all.
After several unsuccessful attempts at charging overnight, Charley and Ewan call in the support team to bring a diesel generator the following morning to charge the motorbikes to a level where they can make it to the ferry at Bahia Chilota just beyond Porvenir and cross the Strait of Magellan to Tres Puentes, the port serving Punta Arenas. Despite this, Ewan again runs out of charge, this time within sight of the ferry and the production team have to assist him, delaying its departure.
The next two days are spent in the Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia. Whilst lodging at EcoCamp Patagonia, charging again proves challenging and overnight both the 12-volt batteries that power the motorbikes' electrical systems discharge. After jump starting both motorbikes, it appears they have enough range in the traction batteries to make it to the border with Argentina, but once across, again they have to utilise a diesel generator to charge them so they can cover the next 100-mile (160 km) section to El Calafate in Santa Cruz province.
Original release date: 25 September 2020 (despite the name, this episode features very little of the Andes!)
The pair cross back into Chile, now familiar with the fact that the bikes' batteries perform much worse in cold temperatures they adjust their expectations, traversing the Aysén region and the Carretera Austral northbound to the port of Chaitén without mishap. Here the team elect to cross both the Gulf of Corcovado and the Gulf of Ancud by ferry to Puerto Montt as there are several gaps in the Carretera Austral further north which necessitate either multiple water crossings or long detours inland.
Whilst Charley and Ewan head along a stretch of the Pan-American highway towards another border crossing, and into the Argentinian province of Neuquén, the production team, off-grid and running low on juice, co-opt a semi-truck driver to give them a tow-charge. David’sR1T has its first break down en route to Las Lajas but a system reboot eventually sees it on its way again. After adjusting their route to experience the Bajada del Rahue switchbacks on RP46, Charley and Ewan face another delay in Zapala whilst they wait for camaraman Claudio, who is riding a petrol-engined Harley-Davidson Sportster XL1200, to refuel at a busy local petrol station. Despite this they manage a 137.6-mile (221.4 km) distance on a full charge due to warmer temperatures. In high spirits, they visit the indigenous Mapuche communities in Chorriaca and Chos Malal. Later the duo camp for the first time on the trip near Barrancas and are awestruck by The Catwalk (La Pasarela), where the RN40 crosses the Rio Grande and the Agua del Toro hydroelectric dam in Mendoza province.
Having entered Salta province, Charley and Ewan detour from the RN40 to marvel at the beauty of the surrounding landscape, in particular the Gorge of Shells (Quebrada de las conchas) and a natural amphitheatre off RN68 near Cafayate. The entire team then head for an excursion on the Cloud Train (Tren a las Nubes) that will take them high into the Andes. In an effort to counter the strong headwinds, Charley and Ewan slipstream a support vehicle to eek out some extra range. Altitude sickness takes it toll on assistant producer Taylor and he departs for lower altitudes with a view to rejoining in Bolivia.
With both British and American passports, Ewan uses his US passport to exit Chile not realising that to enter Bolivia he will require a visa. After some confusion, the team pay for a visa and they enter the altiplano to head through the Siloli Desert on little more than gravel tracks resulting in Ewan falling off his bike.
Setting off from the refuge near Laguna Colorada after nightfall in a bid to reach a charging station, one of the R1Ts runs out of charge and yet again has to be tow-charged. The other suffers damage to its suspension and parking brake. In daylight, Charley and Ewan press on through the Siloli Desert, marvelling at the Blood of the Gods lake but finding the terrain under-wheel ever more sandy. Charley also takes a tumble but is not seriously hurt. Having set off contrary to the advice of Rivian, without a fully functional braking system, David finds his R1T rolling back on an incline and ultimately wedged on a rock with a hydraulic oil leak. Near Challapata Charley and Ewan visit the UNICEF backed Challamayu School for indigenous Quechua children where they are taught not only in Spanish but their native tongue, helping preserve the Quechuan language and cultural identity for future generations.
Once they reach La Paz the pair visit GustuBar, a restaurant that began as a school for under-privileged kids, many of whom have gone on to become successful chefs. Taylor in the meantime has devised a solution which detects a live electric current to alert them when charging has silently stopped via an audible alarm.
On Lake Titicaca, after another challenging day of riding, Ewan succumbs to the rarefied atmosphere on a barge across the Strait of Tiquina, and both he and Taylor start to feel the effects of altitude sickness culminating in a visit by the team doctor.
Having crossed into Peru, Charley and Ewan stop off at Inca Uyo, a pre-columbian site replete with stone-carved phalluses near Chucuito. On the outskirts of Cusco they visit the Ccochahuasi animal sanctuary where they observe Condors and Andean Geese. After reaching Ollantaytambo the team take an overnight train to Aguas Calientes, the nearest town to Machu Picchu. With the site shrouded in mist, Ewan becomes as much a tourist draw as the ruins themselves. Once the clouds lift, the magnificence of the site can't help but make a lasting impression on both him and Charley.
On day 39 of their adventure they depart Ollantaytambo for Ayacucho, where they hope to meet a tribal community in the rainforest near Cutivireni. En route Ewan has another off. On Ruta 3S they spot Peruvian Para-cyclist Yuber Pichihua Perez. Once in Ayacucho, they leave the motorbikes and travel the final 90-mile (140 km) stretch into the rainforest by helicopter to meet the Asháninka people who are trying to reduce deforestation and promote sustainability with the assistance of an NGO called Cool Earth. In the village of Tinkareni the pair witness how the traditionally nomadic tribe has put down roots in twelve settlements and become guardians of the forest. Once back on the road they continue to Ica and take a light aircraft flight to see the Nazca Lines, and before leaving Peru they visit UNICEF at a refugee camp in Tumbes assisting children fleeing Venezuela. In the meantime, the Rivian engineers add a feature which allows the motorbikes to fully charge from the R1Ts' batteries using vehicle-to-load (VTL) circuitry in just two hours.
Charley and Ewan find themselves mobbed in Guayaquil by Star Wars fans. In Montecristi they stop off to see Panama hats being made by hand in a local factory and then head to what's left of the coastal rainforest to visit a reforesting initiative led by the Third Millennium Alliance (TMA). Blighted by the expansion of cattle ranching, the jungle had lost more than 90% of its vegetation before the conservancy intervened. With the tree cover returning, the pair spot Howler monkeys and hummingbirds.
The production team meanwhile make for the port of Esmeraldas to drop their vehicles for onward shipping to Panama City in a bid to avoid the dangerous and impassable Darién Gap.
In Tulcán, near the border with Colombia, Ewan's motorbike throws up an error message. A hard reboot fails to clear it. Tele-support from Harley-Davidson HQ diagnoses that the BMS failed during a software update and either a replacement motorbike or traction battery are the only options, but this would best to be done in Panama. A revised plan, once they cross into Colombia, involves flying from Pasto to Buenaventura and then sailing up the coast to Bahía Solano, where yet another flight will take them onto Panama City avoiding the roadless Darién Gap which they would have had to do anyway. With his motorbike now on the back of tow truck, Ewan commandeers Claudio's bike with Claudio riding pillion. At the border, they have difficulties with Customs until it is pointed out that Obi-Wan is in danger of missing his plane the next day. En route to Pasto they detour to the Las Lajas Shrine built on the site of a vision of the Virgin Mary. Delayed at Pasto airport due to bad weather, the team look unlikely to make the boat headed up the coast.
When they eventually reach Buenaventura, it appears the team may have been the victims of some sort of bait and switch as the boat they had seen in photos does not match the rusting former fishing vessel they are directed to. Despite misgivings, the team find themselves with no choice but to accept what is on offer. The boat makes stops at several isolated coastal villages in the Chocó region to trade supplies and the team take the opportunity to explore one called Nuquí. News arrives that the parts for Ewan's bike will be shipped to Costa Rica for speed, so he decides to rush ahead there, leaving Charley to navigate Panama alone.
Whilst waiting for the plane the team have chartered they head to a beach at El Valle. As the cargo plane is not permitted to take cross-border passengers, they alight in Medellín, but Ewan is granted crew status so he can stay on board all the way to Panama, however, Customs formalities create an overnight delay. While Ewan eventually accompanies the bikes, Charley explores Medellín, visiting Comuna 13 (San Javier) and meeting local street artist Yesgraff.
On arrival in Panama, Ewan loads his bike onto a pick up truck for the drive to San José, traversing the Puntarenas region. Charley collects his bike when he lands later that same day and heads to the Panama Ship Canal to meet Ilya, the female chief of engineering and to recreate a scene from The Tailor of Panama which was directed by his father. He then drops in on a fellow Harley-Davidson enthusiast Pachanga Russell in Chiriquí province who is 85 years old. After a complete strip-down and rebuild overnight, and a fully functional motorbike once again, Ewan seeks out Charley who has arrived in San José.
Reunited once again, Charley and Ewan ride through Guanacaste province on the Costa Rican pacific coast and towards Playa Hermosa. Here Ewan introduces the team to his daughter Jamyan, an orphan from Mongolia he adopted after Long Way Round. She accompanies them on a visit to the still active Masaya volcano in Nicaragua and then through the rest of Central America until they reach the Mexican border.
In Honduras, Charley and Ewan visit a UNICEF project at the Centro de Alcance Juvenil Japón that helps children break from the cycle of gangs and gang violence. After crossing into Guatemala they head for the extinct Ipala volcano, camping beside Lake Ipala, its flooded caldera, and taking a swim.
At this point the team re-evalaute the safest way to travel through Mexico because of drug cartel activity and decide to ride by day, but load the bikes onto a bus that would travel at night. At San Cristóbal de las Casas, Charley and Ewan head to the pacific coast towards Chahuites, whilst some of the support team jump ahead to Oaxaca on the hunt for a suitable bus. In Tehuantepec, Charley and Ewan meet some Muxes from the indigenous Zapotec people. In Oaxaca, with a bus acquired, the support team get to work on making it roadworthy in time for Charley and Ewan's arrival.
On their arrival in Oaxaca, Charley and Ewan join in with the preparation of the bus which is progressing surprisingly well. With official paperwork and plates holding up departure of the bus, they press ahead on the bikes towards Teotihuacan via the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán valley. At Teotihuacán they take the opportunity to ascend in a hot air balloon giving them a bird’s eye view of the archaeological site.
Once the bus catches up with them they load the bikes and board for the journey north. With only a 95-mile (153 km) stretch to the US border remaining, they take to the open road once more and arrive in Juarez only to find localised flooding. The team on the bus get lost en route, but eventually everyone regroups at the border crossing only to find they need to be at different gateways into the USA some twenty miles apart due to the separation of commercial and non-commercial traffic. The sight of a refugee camp serves as a reminder of the problems facing Mexico. After a twelve hour hold-up at the border everyone is through. Rapid charging stations in the USA make the rest of the journey to California very straightforward. In Palm Springs, reunited with their families, they form a convoy to ride triumphant into Los Angeles with the adventure coming to an end at the Bike Shed Moto Co. in the L.A. Arts District.
The title song was performed by Welsh group Stereophonics, and is similar to the Long Way Round and Long Way Down theme with the lyrics "round" and "down" replaced with "up".[10] Other artists to feature include: Jhony Rojas (two songs under Astronauta, two with Passto and four with Últimos Glaciares), Totó la Momposina, Aurelio, Sidestepper, Los de Abajo and Charlie Winston.[11][12] During Episode 6 in Bolivia, McGregor performs an acoustic guitar cover of Endlessly by Muse, from their album Absolution.[13]
Critical reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 100% based on 6 reviews, with an average user rating of 8.50/10.[14]
During Long Way Round, Ewan and Charley visited UNICEF programmes in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia. The last of which is where Ewan came across an orphaned girl who he would subsequently adopt and features in Long Way Up. After being made UK ambassadors, the pair embarked on their second adventure, Long Way Down, and saw UNICEF’s work with child soldiers in Uganda and land-mine awareness programmes in Ethiopia.
The Long Way Up sees the duo visit three more UNICEF programmes in Bolivia, Peru and Honduras.[18] In Bolivia, Ewan and Charley visit the UNICEF supported Quechua indigenous Challamayu School and attend a bilingual lesson taught in Spanish and traditional Quechuan.[19] The UNICEF program is designed to give indigenous Bolivian children the opportunity to learn and further their education in their own language.[20]
In Peru the pair visit a Venezuelan refugee camp in Tumbes, close to the Ecuadorian border, where UNICEF is helping to identify and assist vulnerable or at-risk children, particularly those separated from family or unaccompanied by an adult.[21] Here Charley and Ewan meet several children who are stuck in the camp desparately trying to reach family in other South American countries.
Lastly, in Honduras Charley and Ewan visit a UNICEF project at the Centro de Alcance Juvenil Japón in Choloma that gives children an alternative to gang membership and gang violence by providing a safe space, one that offers a range of programmes in drama and the arts.[22]
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