NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL INVITES YOU ON THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME

Summit One of the Highest Mountains on Earth, Trek from Antarctica to the South Pole, Dive into the Blue Abyss on a Single Breath, and Journey to Siberia in Search of Frozen Mammoths - No Passport Necessary

National Geographic Channel Presents an All-Day Expedition Marathon Beginning Sunday, October 26, at 12 PM ET Leading up to the Premiere of Mammoth Unearthed at 8 PM ET

(WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 7, 2014) It's the ultimate staycation: journey alongside National Geographic adventurers as they traverse the globe, risking it all in the name of exploration - from the comfort of your own home. On Sunday, October 26, National Geographic Channel takes viewers to the ends of the Earth and back with a Day of Expedition Marathon beginning at 12 p.m. ET, leading up to the premiere of the two-hour special Mammoth Unearthed at 8 p.m. ET.

For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com and follow us on Twitter at @NGC_PR.

Travel to Niagara Falls where daredevils can't resist the natural wonder's allure, and visit the hidden valleys and pristine canyons of Yellowstone National Park. Meet a bold group of friends who left their daily lives behind to hike the historic California John Muir Trail. Hold your breath as the legendary William Trubridge attempts to break his own world record in the extreme sport of freediving. Traverse K2, one of the most treacherous mountains in the world, and jump from unthinkable heights with only a wing suit to break your fall.

The adventure culminates at 8 p.m. ET with the premiere of Mammoth Unearthed. The two-hour special follows two unorthodox American scientists, Trevor Valle and Professor Tim King, on a race to secure and research frozen mammoths emerging from the melting permafrost of Siberia. The duo must fight to stay one step ahead of Russian officials, the environment and tusk hunters - local gangs who dig up mammoths to sell the tusks for a small fortune. The risk pays off with an unbelievable find: a frozen mammoth so fresh it appears to be bleeding - it's the best preserved mammoth ever discovered.

Expedition Marathon Programming Will Include:

12 PM ET - Conquering Niagara To the more than 10 million people who visit it each year, Niagara Falls is an astounding spectacle, a beautiful natural phenomenon and one of the wonders of the world. But for some thrill-seekers, Niagara's pull is overwhelming. For them it becomes an obsession, a life-or-death battleground where they match wits, strategy and daring against one of the most bone-crushing forces nature can dish out. Now, NGC explores what drives these daredevils to the brink and the secrets of its allure.

1 PM ET - Secret Yellowstone The name "Yellowstone" may have a backyard familiarity, but 90 percent of the national park's two million acres is barely touched and holds much more than what most people see. It's a giant swatch of terrain - much of it remote, some of it dangerous, but all commanding awe and respect. Wolves, bison and bears roam freely. An incredible 300 waterfalls have been documented in recent years, and for the intrepid explorer, there awaits life-changing encounters with the natural world. We'll take you off the road and beyond the hot tourist spots to a see the hidden valleys and a 20-mile long canyon, in a Yellowstone you don't know.

2 PM ET - The Man Who Can Fly As perhaps one of the world's best BASE jumpers, Dean Potter holds several records for height, distance and flight duration. Now, Dean has set his sights on Mount Bute - a 9,000-foot granite launch pad along the British Columbia coastline. But before Dean can literally take the plunge, he has to prepare his body and develop a new wing suit. At Dean's home in Yosemite, Calif., we watch him train, climbing difficult rock faces and practicing multiple untethered tightrope walks. We then follow Dean as he turns to top-notch scientists and engineers (as well as the birds) to fine-tune his gear for the three-minute flight. Will the newly designed wing suit perform as designed? Will Dean break his own record?

3 PM ET - Best Hike in the World Network Premiere In an epic snow year, a bold group of friends leave their daily lives behind to hike the historic California John Muir Trail. NGC follows their journey from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney: 219 miles in 25 days. Along the way they face tough obstacles physically, emotionally and mentally. But in the midst of the grandeur and daily grind, they discover what matters most is the opportunity to seek inspiration and adventure wherever and whenever you can.

4 PM ET - Deep Dive Network Premiere Follow the legendary William Trubridge as he attempts to break his own world record in the extreme sport of freediving. Trubridge is taking on the unthinkable - he is attempting to dive completely unaided to a depth of 300 feet, almost to the bottom of the deepest blue hole in the world - "Dean's Blue Hole" in the Bahamas. Candid interviews with locals who live in fear of the hole, interviews with Trubridge's family members who are in constant fear for his life and stunning underwater footage of Trubridge in action offer rare insight into one man's fascination with the underwater world.

5 PM ET - Last Great Climb Network Premiere A daring team of adventurers takes on one of the most technically demanding climbs in one the world's harshest environments: Ultvetanna Peak in the stunning mountains of Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. The mountain was discovered only in 1994 and this will be the first-ever ascent of the route - a risky and potentially deadly goal in an unforgiving terrain.

6 PM ET - The Man Who Doesn't Breathe Network Premiere Join world-champion freediver Stig Severinsen as he attempts to set chilling and unthinkable records. In Greenland, his attempt takes him under a frozen lake on a single breath of air. After braving the frigid and beautiful underwater environment, Stig heads back home to Denmark to attempt to break his own record of holding his breath for an excruciating 22 minutes.

7 PM ET - Die Trying: K2: Death Mountain This is a grim reminder of why K2 is known as the Savage Mountain. In August 2008, 11 people lost their lives on one of the world's tallest mountains - one of the largest losses of life in the history of K2 mountaineering. Die Trying traces the disaster with in-depth survivor interviews and actual footage from the ill-fated expedition that quickly turned into a frantic rescue operation. For these adventurers, an attempt to conquer the most treacherous mountain in the world turns into a story of both courage and tragedy.

8 PM ET - Mammoth Unearthed Two-Hour Special Premiere Two unorthodox American scientists, paleontologist Trevor Valle and archaeologist Dr. Tim King, are on a race to secure and research frozen mammoths emerging from the melting permafrost of Siberia. As they enter the dangerous ice tunnels of Muus-Khaya, winter is breathing down their necks but the duo is up against more than just the environment: Russian officials, superstitious natives and tusk hunters - local gangs who dig up mammoths to sell their tusks for a small fortune - are all slowing down the mission. Finding only fossil evidence but not the frozen flesh they hope to study, they change course, traveling hundreds of miles to Kazachie where doggedness pays off: They are officially the first Western scientists to view a frozen mammoth uncovered earlier and stored in a permafrost tunnel beneath the town of Kazachie. One of the best-preserved mammoths ever discovered, it is so fresh it appears to be bleeding. But now Trevor and Tim face a new challenge - they need to perform critical research that could unlock new secrets about how this ancient elephant species lived in the harshest place on the planet. But their work needs to be performed on site - nearly impossible in a country with no infrastructure, no roads, no buses, no rule of law.

10 PM ET - Die Trying: Crossing the Ice No one has ever walked without any assistance across the wasteland of Antarctica to the South Pole and back ... until now. In a special documentary, NGC follows Australian explorers Justin "Jonesey" Jones and James "Cas" Castrission on their excruciating journey to set a world record. Not only do these daring adventurers have to battle freezing weather, serious injuries, hypothermia and gear failures, but along the way they learn that a Norwegian skier is also attempting to achieve the exact same goal. See how these men, delirious with starvation and pain, test their boundaries of endurance on a nail-biting journey from which no man has ever come out alive before.

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National Geographic Channels

Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in over 85 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in more than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.