‘Alone: Frozen’ Premiere Recap: [Spoiler] Taps Out After Just 5 Days

Some of Alone’s top competitors are back for what may be their toughest test yet. In Alone: Frozen, six participants from past seasons of the reality survival show are dropped on the frigid Atlantic coast of Labrador, Canada, just as winter is setting in. The goal? Last 50 days in a remote environment with conditions more extreme than on any other season of the show. Those who make it to the end will walk away with their share of a $500,000 prize. 

So, who will be able to survive in the harsh Canadian wilderness? Alone: Frozen premiered August 11 on The History Channel, and by the end of the first episode, one contestant had already tapped out. 

Six ‘Alone’ alums test their mettle on ‘Alone: Frozen’

In  Alone: Frozen, six competitors will fight to survive for more than seven weeks in the Canadian wilderness. They are:

• Greg Ovens, who lasted 51 days on his own in Patagonia in Alone Season 3 before he had to tap out because of hypothermia. 
• Woniya Thibeault, the runner-up from Alone Season 6. She spent 73 days near the shore of Canada’s Great Slave Lake.  
• Callie Russell, season 7’s second-place finisher. She made it 89 days in the wilderness but ultimately was forced to tap out due to frostbite. 
• Amós Rodriguez, also from season 7. Starvation brought his Alone journey to an end after 58 days.
• Mark D’Ambrosio, another season 7 competitor. Homesickness led to his decision to tap out after 44 days. Once he returned home, he was diagnosed with a parasitic infection and had to be hospitalized.
• Michelle Finn from Alone Season 8. She spend 21 days on her own in a remote part of British Columbia before she had to tap out because of starvation.  

Callie finds an unusual food source, Amós snares a hare 

Most of the Alone: Frozen participants have lasted more than 50 days in the wilderness before. But they know that the unforgiving terrain and brutal weather conditions in Labrador will make this season completely different than what they’ve experienced before.

“This is gonna be hard,” Callie says. “Otherwise, it wouldn’t be just a 50-day challenge.”

After getting dropped off by helicopter, none of the contestants waste any time scoping out their surroundings, finding a place to set up camp, and preparing for the long ordeal ahead. This episode focuses on Amós, Callie, and Mark, who immediately encountered some challenges.

Callie worried about her site’s north-facing exposure and the problem of wind. Amós is hoping to hunt for more of his food this season but ended up losing an arrow when he failed to shoot down a bird. Mark struggled to set up permanent shelter while questioning his decision to sign up for another season of Alone.  

But it’s not all frustration and failure. Amós finds a hare caught in one of his snares. Callie scavenges some useful items – including a board and piece of rope – near her campsite. Later, she finds a seal skin coated with fat that she turns into a soup (though that’s a move that may come back to haunt her due to the laxative properties of seal fat). Mark relishes the peace and natural beauty he finds in the wilderness.  

One contestant taps out after five days

At the end of the episode, one of the contestants has already reached his limit. After five days, Mark decided to tap out. As with his first time on Alone, homesickness was a major factor. Mark realized he’d rather be spending time with his young son Max than braving the elements for a reality TV show. 

“I’d be lying if I said I wanted to be here right now,” Marks said. “I just wanted to try to give it another go. But you get to a point in life where you’re like, ‘Man, I just want to be home … I need to be home with my kids. And man, I’m just not willing to give it another 45 days.’” 

Though he didn’t expect to tap out so quickly, Mark had no regrets about his decision. He realized it was time to retire from activities that kept him away from his family for long stretches of time, whether it was hunting trips, contracting positions, or filming Alone. 

“I just feel like I’m being extremely selfish right now by trying to stick it out for 50 days,” he said. “I’m really not doing any justice to Max. You know, I could be spending time with him.”

“I don’t look at this as me quitting,” he added. “I look at this as me starting a new chapter in my life.”

New episodes of Alone: Frozen air Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on History Channel.

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