'Long Way Up' Episode 6: Beautiful Bolivia, Boorman's crash and some gnarly riding highlight the sixth chapter
Spoilers for 'Long Way Up' Episode 6 'Bolivia'
As the journey continues, there's beauty and danger in equal measure for Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor in 'Long Way Up'. In 'Bolivia', the duo ride their electric Harleys through the exotic and breathtaking Bolivian countryside and all the while making that challenging ascent. The episode showcases some of the challenges the hosts and the crew face when they scale the terrain. One of the Rivians runs into trouble while sandy roads and a heavy breeze sees Boorman take a tumble.
To start with, the sandy roads make riding an arduous task. For Boorman, the ride is an absolute nightmare considering the rods inserted in his legs as treatment procedures from his previous accidents. He is shown to be a picture of nervousness before eventually taking a fall. Even as a concerned McGregor checks upon him, it is revealed Charley is fine apart from being a tad shocked from the fall. At the other end, the absence of a parking brake sees the Rivian go backward before banging into a boulder.
It may have screeched to a halt, but the damage comes in the form of a broken hydraulic oil reservoir that spills the liquid. The crew and the riders lose quality time as they go about getting the Rivian back on track and eventually manage to do so. However, apart from all the accidents, 'Bolivia' also shows some quality work done by UNICEF when it comes to educating and working with the children in Bolivia. McGregor and Boorman spend time with the kids before resuming their journey and ending with a ferry ride over lake Titicaca.
By then the altitude sickness hits Taylor, their logistics man real bad and McGregor starts feeling it as well. The episode ends with a doctor heading to his hotel room to check up on him. As a takeaway, it just goes on to show how riding is a test of skill, character and ultimately one of the things that make people bond better. These are evident with the way McGregor and Boorman carry themselves in the episode and we can't wait for the next chapter in their unforgettable journey.
'Long Way Up' Episode 6 is available for streaming on Apple TV+.