Shadowing Practice: I Stayed in Earth’s Deadliest Hotel - Learn English Speaking with Video

This is the highest building in Europe.

It's also a hotel and I'm going to spend the next three days crossing deadly glaciers

and fighting high altitude as I try and get there.

Thankfully the start of this super dangerous hike to the highest hotel in the world starts here at a ski lift.

Hopefully I can manage that part.

Okay here we go.

So I've got to take two ski lifts up now and apparently that's where I'm going to be meeting my guys.

Of course this hike is so dangerous that I'm going to need Okay here we go the second lift.

Is that not the most like ominous looking thing ever?

You just get a lift up into the clouds.

I am terrified.

Ah, we're through.

Martin?

Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you, how are you doing?

I'm good, are you?

Yeah I'm good thank you.

Are we taking this thing?

with Martin and we spoke about the hike

that we're about to go on today's gonna be a bit

of an easier day isn't it yeah it's gonna take like 40 minutes walk nice

and then tomorrow is the big day it's the big day the big day okay

so we've just been and got kitted out with crampons harnesses

and a helmet and that's all for tomorrow when we go over the more challenging terrain are we getting another Wow.

We set off on the hike for what was meant to be an easy day one

and within two minutes we were on ice.

Hi Gigi, just watch where you put your feet because it's icy so maybe it's a little bit slippery.

Okay, okay, got it.

I can tell we're at a high altitude, I'm feeling okay.

It'll be interesting to see how we get on tomorrow because that is, that's going to be next level.

across the ice, the rest of the hike for day one was pretty straightforward.

There was some slightly technical sections but nothing compared to the danger that would face tomorrow.

And before we knew it, okay, we can see the refuge for tonight.

Still a bit of climbing to go.

but it looks really cool.

There we go.

Just up there.

Everyone's heading the same way.

And the views are just breathtaking like -

both metaphorically and literally.

And here we are, the refuge for tonight.

Let's go!

Yeah!

Thanks for the drone lesson, Martin.

No, no, no, no. How are you?

Martin's a drone flying expert.

This is us.

Wow.

Little two better.

Are you, uh...

Top bunk or bottom bunk?

Bottom.

Bottom bunk, okay.

Okay.

Me and Martin got to know each other a bit better over a beer

and spoke about the plans for tomorrow hiking up to the highest building in Europe.

Wow.

Let's see.

Really good.

Yeah.

Oh my gosh.

The food here is absolutely insane.

This is a refuge built for mountaineers.

It's a sort of purpose built.

It's not a hotel.

But the food is rivaling that of hotel.

The two meals we've just had are incredible and apparently there's dessert.

Do you enjoy your food Martin?

Oh yes!

That was so nice!

There's an incredible sunset outside, look at this.

- That mountain way off in the distance is Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in central Europe.

- Okay, so me and Martin, we've refueled after that lovely dinner, haven't we?

- Yeah.

- That was something of dreams.

- We're just getting our stuff ready for tomorrow.

The weather's looking okay.

- Yeah, the weather is really good. in the morning.

5 :30.

Yeah.

Nice and early.

And we've got about a thousand meters of climb.

Yeah.

Now, I've just been and done a bit of research.

How many margarita pizzas do you think that's the equivalent to stacked on top of each other?

A lot.

50 ,000.

Yeah.

We're doing 50 ,000 margarita pizzas tomorrow.

Okay, it's time to get ready for bed.

Got a big day tomorrow. Do you snore?

Snore when you're sleeping.

No, no, no. No, I don't think so.

Morning Martin.

Some granola toast for breakfast.

We're literally the last ones to leave the hut this morning because most people don't actually stay over at Margarita hut.

They just go up and come back down.

So people were up at 3 :00 a .m this morning, weren't they?

at this refuge, feeling refreshed, ready for the big day.

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Look at this.

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What's that?

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What's that thunder?

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Yeah, down there.

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Oh my gosh!

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Is that coming for us?

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Oh my days!

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The hike begins!

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Wow!

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This is where I get serious.

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Yeah, so it's time to put the crampons on.

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Okay?

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Helmet and crampons for the spikes that go in your shoes.

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They're going on.

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So is the helmet.

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This is where we're going.

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Wow, what an epic backdrop.

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It has dropped significantly in temperature because we've just got on the glacier.

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And the final thing we need to do is me

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and Martin are going to tie ourselves together to ensure that if one of us does fall down a crevasse, we can pull each other out basically.

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This is where this hike goes up a level and becomes much harder.

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Panamagherita.

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Here we come!

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As we're getting higher and higher, I'm having to work harder and harder.

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because of the altitude.

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I thought I'd stop and tell you about the perils of this hike that we're doing.

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This is a crevasse and this is a danger of a glacier.

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You can see there is the ice below and then the snow there.

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So later in the season the snow on top of the glacier gets thinner

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which means your odds of falling through the snow into a crevasse are higher and crevasses are the dangerous part about glaciers.

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Earlier this season someone on this exact walk fell 20 meters On that note, should we carry on?

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Let's go!

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The later in the day, the warmer it gets, the more the snow melts, the more the glaciers move, and the more the risk increases.

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We're really starting to climb now.

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I reckon we've covered maybe 10 ,000 margarita pizzas.

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They see these people down here crossing all of those crevasses.

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Look how dangerous that is.

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compared to the path on the left.

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It's crazy, I just look in front and all you can see is just a wall of snow.

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But then you look behind you, down into the valleys, you should realise just how high up we actually are.

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Literally just crevasses everywhere.

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This is Crazy. but crazy.

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I want to know how they got up here carrying stuff.

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for the original Margarita hut.

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The original Margarita hut was actually built back in 1889.

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All by hand.

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Oh, and that's Queen Margarita.

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The same lady the Margarita pizza's named after.

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And of course, this hut.

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Capanna Margarita.

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And like, mules as well.

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How on earth did they get up this slope?

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That is crazy.

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Like our heroes.

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Yeah, literally heroes that built this.

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Wow.

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So when we get to the top here, we would have done just under half and that would be my first time ever

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going to 4000 meters altitude.

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This is where the oxygen starts getting very thin.

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Oh my gosh, that must be 60 meters deep.

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This is the danger of glaciers.

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I'm getting a bit of a headache now from the altitude.

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Nothing bad.

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That's one of the telltale signs of altitude sickness.

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My breathing feels okay.

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I feel like my running fitness is sort of helping me here.

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But we've still got a long way to go.

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And I imagine the difference between here and Capano Margherita altitude is going to feel pretty significant.

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How do you say let's go in Italian?

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Yeah, mom.

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So, andiamo, andiamo.

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Quick progress update for you.

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We're at 4 ,140 meters, meaning we've got 400 meters of climb left.

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Thank you.

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Yeah!

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Those guys have got the right idea.

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I can really feel the altitude now.

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Just feels like you're breathing through a straw.

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No way!

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Oh my gosh!

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There it is!

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A panama margarita!

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Now I can see it.

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It's just giving me like a burst of energy.

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It looks so insane!

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We've still got a really long way to go.

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We've got to go down and then up.

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How are you feeling, Martin?

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I'm feeling good, isn't you?

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Feeling good?

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Yeah, we're good!

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Just 10 ,000 more grated pizzas left.

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It seems to have come out of the bad patch I

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was going through earlier where I had a bit of a headache.

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I feel okay now.

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I think it just seems to come and go in waves like...

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There she is!

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We're so close!

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Yeah Martin!

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Oh yes sir!

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Yeah!

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Final post!

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We are so close.

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Literally about 5 ,000 Margarita pizzas of elevation left till we get to Margarita Hut.

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Come on!

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We can do it.

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Is this the steepest section?

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Yeah.

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The steepest section of the whole climb coming up.

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Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Woo!

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Woo!

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Happy birthday, Sam!

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Oh my god!

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Wow, thank you so much!

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Oh, mate!

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That was incredible!

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We go inside to take a walk a little bit.

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Morten was right.

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It was absolutely freezing on this ridge.

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Sounds like a good idea to me.

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Let's go and see what Capano Margarita, the highest building in Europe, is all about.

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Overnight, temperatures were going to drop to minus 10 degrees.

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pretty damn cold

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and in this moment i could only think of one thing the new drio whole room heater

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which allows me to take off my thick jacket instantly thanks

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to the 3d whole room heating technology the two second instant heater

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and the eight layer safety protection system look at all the

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crocs we've got here i'm in the changing rooms now it's really really busy

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so i'm just going to get changed slip on my crocs go check in

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and then take you on a tour around capanna margarita i've So many things we need to find out.

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Drio has been the number one space heater brand on Amazon US for two consecutive years, and they just leveled up massively with their new whole room heater.

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The 90 degree horizontal and vertical rotations paired with revolutionary fan technology means it covers three times the area of regular heaters.

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And it does all of this whilst being whisper quiet.

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You can control the heater directly from the heater or using the remote.

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And I can keep this heater on all day without having to worry about my energy bill

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because it comes with Eco Mode, which gives up to 40 % energy saving.

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I've had this heater on for a solid 20 minutes now and touching it around the outside, it's not hot at all.

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That's the cool touch casing.

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And then this is the tip over technology.

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Within seconds, the heater's turned off.

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So transform using the Drio whole room heater, which you can get using the link in the description for less than $100.

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Thank you Drio for supporting the channel and keeping me warm this winter.

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We're not messing about here straight in for the pizza.

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Let's go.

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What did you say?

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It's the best?

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Your favorite pizza?

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Yeah, they made it here and it's so good.

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It's not that thin, you know, it's quite big.

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Yeah, I cannot wait for this.

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The fact that they made this four and a half thousand meters up a mountain.

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Mind blowing.

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- Yes, yes.

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Mmm.

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Oh my gosh, that pizza was incredible.

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Martin just let me know as well, there is actually Wi -Fi at this refuge.

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Right guys, it's time for a tour of Margarita Hut.

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If you can't tell, it's still really, really windy.

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Let's go inside, let's go inside.

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Right, so this is like the reception sort of area.

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People drop off their stuff here, all their climbing gear, helmets and that.

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Also the same thing, but slightly bigger.

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So you've got some benches.

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I mean, look at all these crocs.

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That's two to get into me already.

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This is the winter room.

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Margarita Hut is only open for three months in the summer,

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and then for the rest of the year, It's closed other than this room and I think This room.

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No one at reception at the minute, but you can see coffee machine, beer on tap, wide selection of drinks.

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Also, you probably can't hear it, but there's always reggae playing in the reception and I absolutely love it.

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More seating.

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Look at the views.

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Absolutely just looking at the views.

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Yeah, very good.

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The next place we get to is the dining area.

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This is dining area.

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The kitchen is in there.

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Can't really see in, but that's where the magic happens.

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That's where the margarita pizzas are, mate.

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There's a balcony Wow.

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And then round the side here is a generator.

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That's how they get the power from solar panels and generators.

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Back inside it's cold outside.

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There's just like random pictures of people everywhere now.

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I actually almost fell over when I saw this.

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Get ready.

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A shower!

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There is a shower here thinking about it.

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I think that says reserved and it means reserved for the people that work here at Canna Margarita.

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I think there is six rooms capacity for 70 people look

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how many power sockets we've got luxury way of room number three Look who's here?

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Seven beds in here and four people staying in here tonight.

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Pretty standard sort of refuge setup.

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Nice, big, comfy duvet, nice pillow.

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But this is the absolute centerpiece.

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this room a balcony oh my gosh I actually feels like I'm in heaven

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that is such a cool balcony that is epic not that you need to see this but uh Here's the toilet,

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but with the view!

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Look at this!

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I mean this might be the best view for a * ever.

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Cheers!

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Just ordered some more food, because the margarita pizza was that good.

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Got some pasta.

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Oh my gosh.

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The Parmesan.

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Martin's going for a second margarita pizza.

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It was that good.

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You had to get another.

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Okay, we've made it to Pan Amargarita.

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Yes.

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You've had two margarita pizzas.

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I was just going to ask you some questions.

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Having heard parts of his story, I sat down with Martin for an interview.

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I didn't quite realise the huge financial risk he'd taken to become an Alpine guide.

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Having quit his old job, which he didn't really enjoy, he pursued his dream of working in the mountains and that's

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when he became an alpine guide in early 2025 after completing his rigorous and expensive training.

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But you're glad you did it?

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Yeah, yeah.

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It wasn't that easy and but right now I can say I'm really happy, you know.

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And do you have a general message to the world?

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What I just thinking, the life it's so short sometimes, you know, so...

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arrive to the end of your days, and you're just thinking: "Oh, maybe I can go to Margherita, or maybe...

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I wish I would want to do that stuff, but right now it's too late." Yeah, yeah, yeah.

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So sometimes take time from yourself Yeah,

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and try to enjoy more your life.

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Yeah, life's short, you've got to go and get it, haven't you?

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Yeah, that was brilliant.

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Bit of an update for you guys.

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It's currently 5 p .m.

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I've been here since 11 a .m.

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and I've just been lounging about all day.

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Dinner is being served at half past six, praying for more margarita pizza.

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40 minutes till dinner.

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Just giving this bed a good old try out.

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It's really, really comfy and that is not an exaggeration.

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I know we're at high altitude but I just don't see how I can't sleep well tonight.

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Just bought a Coke.

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It's got six euros.

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A beer was five.

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I think the rest of the food I've had has been pretty standard prices.

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Cross number one.

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Oh my gosh, those first two dishes were incredible.

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I'm slightly socially overwhelmed as I'm sat on a table with six people all talking Italian and I don't know any Italian.

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But they seem really nice!

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How do they make such good food?

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4 ,500 meters up a mountain.

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This is so nice!

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Bellissimo!

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Dessert!

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No way!

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Look at this!

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There is literally a halo!

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What?! on earth.

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What the heck?

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Who did that?

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Okay, last thing we're gonna do is try and ask a staff member a couple of questions.

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Sorry.

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I have to ask how long do you stay up here for?

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Yeah Three, four weeks.

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Three, four weeks.

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Do you walk up or do you get a helicopter?

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Depends.

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Oh, okay.

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Usually we go up by helicopter, go down by walk.

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Right, okay.

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- At the end of the season, we go by Eligato because we have a roper and...

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- Oh, you got all your stuff to bring down?

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- Yes.

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- Right, nice.

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Do you get used to the altitude?

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Like, do you...

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Can you tell you're at altitude still or?

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I feel good.

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You feel good?

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Yes.

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I bet you're super fit.

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Thank you.

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Okay, so I found out.

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One night at Margarita Hut is 150 euros.

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Let's look at this sunset.

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Okay, I've got quite a bad headache from the altitude, but hopefully I can sleep.

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See you in the morning.

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Morning, it's twenty past five in the morning.

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But when you said I'd do well to get two hours sleep, you weren't kidding, were you?

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Oh my gosh, never had anything like it.

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I have got a banging headache from the altitude.

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Thankfully Martin's gave me some paracetamol's though.

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Holy smokes, this might be the greatest sunrise on planet Earth, look at this.

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you Is it true that you can get married here?

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I do say that they already did it.

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Really?

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Yes, yes.

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No way.

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You want an Alphanguide?

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Yeah.

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Oh, they got married here.

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That is confirmed.

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They look at the stars here because we're so high up, there's no light pollution.

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People get married here?

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Yeah.

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Do you research on the impact of altitude here?

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Yeah, exactly.

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I mean this place, it's got it all going hasn't it?

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Yeah.

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Thanks again to Drio for making this video possible and stay warm this winter using their heater linked in the description.

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It's a bit windy.

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Just a little bit.

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Alright we're going down.

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What an adventure this is.

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Let's go.

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you

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Speaking Goals for This Clip: Mastering Adventure Vocabulary & Casual Dialogue Flow

This video clip is perfect for building fluency in describing high-stakes experiences and casual conversation. You’ll practice talking about challenges ("deadly glaciers," "high altitude"), planning ("gonna take 40 minutes walk"), and reacting to new situations ("I am terrified," "views are breathtaking"). It’s ideal for learners ready to move beyond basic phrases and into natural, expressive speech.

Phrase Bank: Reusable Expressions for Real-Life Chats

"Thankfully the start of this super dangerous hike..." – Use "thankfully" to balance a tough situation with a small win.
"Is that not the most ominous looking thing ever?" – A casual way to emphasize surprise or unease (great for storytelling).
"tomorrow is the big day" – Perfect for building excitement about a key event.
"the views are just breathtaking like - both metaphorically and literally" – Add humor and vividness by blending literal and figurative language.
"Let's go! Yeah!" – Natural exclamations to show enthusiasm (essential for conversational flow).

Fix Your Weak Spots: Pronunciation & Rhythm Tips

This clip helps you tackle connected speech and intonation in casual dialogue. Notice how phrases like "gonna take" and "I'm gonna" blend sounds (not "gon-na" but "gonna"). Practice the rising intonation in questions like "Is that not the most ominous looking thing ever?" to sound natural. For the shadowing technique, repeat Martin’s relaxed tone when he says, "today's gonna be a bit of an easier day isn't it yeah" – focus on linking "isn't it yeah" smoothly. Tools like a shadowing app can help you match the pace and rhythm. Use this clip to practice shadowspeak – mimicking the speaker’s tone, pauses, and emphasis to sound more like a native. Remember, learning English with YouTube isn’t just about words – it’s about how they’re said.

Want more? Try shadowing the dialogue line by line, focusing on the casual contractions and excited exclamations. You’ll be describing your own adventures with confidence in no time!

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	we've just been · we've refueled · I've just been
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	was meant · was actually built · being served

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: I Stayed in Earth’s Deadliest Hotel - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Grammar in this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?