Up a Long Creek

On three of the coldest days of the worst winter for 30 years, Fred MacAulay and Dougie Vipond set out on a Sport Relief challenge: to paddle a kayak the length of the Caledonian Canal. In the sub-zero temperatures, parts of the waterway are frozen, meaning they have to tackle long sections on foot. Putting body, mind and reputation on the line, Fred and Dougie find the hiking hard, the paddling harder and the wild camping hardest of all. A stand-up comedian and a drummer sitting in a boat might sound like the start of a joke, but being out on Loch Ness paddling directly into a snow-bearing north-westerly is no laughing matter. Up a Long Creek follows their journey along the Great Glen from Fort William to Inverness, showing them struggle against the elements, the physical fatigue and the mental strain of a formidable challenge, all to raise funds for Sport Relief.