Edmonton·Blog

52 Skillz: Stephen Robinson takes on the Amazon Jungle

An Edmonton man has challenged himself to learn 52 skills (or skillz) in 52 weeks - this week, Stephen Robinson tells us how to survive in the Amazon.

Edmonton AM's summer columnist is racking up unique 'skillz,' one week at a time

Stephen Robinson learns how to collect drinkable water in the Amazon. (52 Skillz/Youtube)

"This is the jungle man, it eats you alive."

That is, if "you" were one of the two fish Stephen Robinson caught while trying to survive for three days in the Amazon jungle — and "it" was the eagle that swooped down and plucked the fish away.

Surviving in the jungle is just one of the 40-odd unique skills (or "skillz," as he calls them) Robinson has racked up since last October, and the first he's shared with Edmonton AM as a summer columnist.

The 22-year-old University of Alberta psychology student is currently 41 weeks into his 52 Skillz project, which sees him taking on a new challenge, learning opportunity or unique experience every Wednesday.

"I've always wanted to learn so many different skills but I've never really had the motivation to do so," Robinson says. "I wanted to figure out a way to motivate myself to do it. And for me, social motivation is a huge thing. So, if I tell people I'm going to do something, then I'm going to do it."

Each week, Stephen Robinson challenges himself to learn a new skill or complete some type of experience he's always meant to try. This summer, he'll be sharing his experiences with Edmonton AM as a columnist. (Caitlin Hanson/CBC)
To keep himself honest and on track, Robinson started a blog (unofficial skill #1) and taught himself how to edit videos (unofficial skill #2), which he now uses to share his weekly adventures (and misadventures, see: How to get out of going to jail in Bolivia).

By Robinson's estimation, each skill or experience takes about eight hours to learn "if you really, really focus" — but adds that many of his blog posts are really about experiences. So far, he has posted:

"If I was on TV, there'd by quotation marks right now: 'skillz,'" he says.

And Robinson says it's not hard to find new chances to learn.

"Opportunity is everywhere —I mean, I'm learning how to talk on the radio right now."

Robinson recently returned to Edmonton after two months traveling the globe, fitting learning opportunities in along the way.

Back to that jungle story ...

"There's camping in Jasper in a tent next to the highway, and then there's being deep in the Amazon," Robinson says.

"It's super hot, humid, mosquitoes are constantly biting you, you get sand flies constantly biting you … it's not fun, but it's an incredible experience."

According to Robinson, the three-day jungle training trip was inspired by a story from the 1970s, about an Israeli man who survived 20 days alone in jungle, after his guide was bitten by a snake and died.

"You go into the jungle with a machete and a backpack, and then guide teaches you how to survive, and you quote unquote 'survive' for three days."

That includes sleeping each night on the ground in a hand-built shelter (with mosquito net), fishing and gathering food and being very careful about what to drink.

His main takeaway?

"Mosquitoes are the true kings of the jungle, really."

The tour also runs in 9-, 15- and 40-day durations, but Robinson has no interest in trying it for the long haul, saying that the return to civilization and his hostel following three days of roughing it was a near revelation.

"I think everyone should do it, because you come back and you're like, 'Wow! Water! There's water that doesn't have parasites in it?'"

Now that the experience is behind him, Robinson says he's cautiously optimistic about his chances of surviving for a few days, should he ever find himself deposited in the jungle.

"I would do OK."

Robinson will join host Mark Connolly back in studio with a new skill next Tuesday.