Shivangi Sinha
History Channel’s ‘Alone’ is a survival competition that strips the genre down to its rawest form. Contestants are dropped into remote wilderness locations with minimal gear and no crew, documenting their own experiences as they battle extreme circumstances. The last person to endure wins a life-changing cash prize. In season 11, the challenge was set in the brutal Arctic Circle, where conditions were especially unforgiving. Against freezing temperatures and relentless hardship, William Larkham Jr. outlasted everyone else and claimed the $500,000 prize.
William Larkham Jr. Managed to Survive by Catching a Lot of Fish
William Larkham Jr., a 53-year-old father from Happy Valley–Goose Bay, Labrador, entered the season in June 2023 and was dropped into the Arctic Circle near Great Slave Lake. From the start, his technique reflected a life shaped by northern winters. Drawing on Indigenous knowledge from Inuit and Innu traditions, he relied on practical, time-tested skills like careful fire management, efficient snow travel, and a respect for cold-weather discipline. As temperatures plunged toward –40°F, survival became a daily calculation. Larkham built and rebuilt shelters using spruce boughs, tarps, and axe work after structural collapses forced him to adapt. Food was a constant battle.
Fishing became his lifeline, and he managed to catch lake trout and whitefish, including a haul of more than 20 pounds. He supplemented this with snared rabbits and ptarmigan, along with foraged cattails and birch fungus. Even so, starvation took its toll, and he lost significant weight despite his efforts. Psychological isolation weighed heavily over 84 days, but Larkham stayed methodical. His gear choices reflected this mindset: a bow and arrows, fishing line, an axe, a tarp, and basic tools, which he supplemented with fish traps, snares, and spears. When the final competitor tapped out, Larkham stood alone and was declared the winner.
William Larkham Jr. Documents His Life on YouTube Today
William Larkham Jr. is a professional commercial fisherman and trapper based in Happy Valley–Goose Bay, Labrador, to date. Raised within Inuit traditions, he learned land-based skills through lived practice, passed down through community knowledge and daily work on the land. The methods he learnt guide his work even today, and he has managed to support himself and his family through the lifestyle. Since the season ended, he began sharing more of his day-to-day life and traditional skills online through his YouTube channel, Bigland Trooper. The channel focuses on practical hunting and trapping methods, seasonal living, and straightforward vlogs from Labrador, and it has since grown to over 28,000 subscribers.
In September 2024, he was presented with a handcrafted crib board by Dusty of DustyMoustacheCreations, a gesture he publicly acknowledged as meaningful community support. In January 2025, Larkham was invited to the Fur Harvesters Convention, reflecting his standing within the trapping and harvesting community. He has also expanded his public-facing work by selling merchandise through Inuk Glass and opening a Buy Me a Coffee page. It is a creator-support platform that allows followers to make small, voluntary contributions to support ongoing content and projects. He has not shared much about his work recently, but it seems like he is content with where he is.
William Larkham Jr. is a Proud Father to Two Kids
William Larkham Jr. has always described himself as a family man. That attachment was especially clear during his time on the season, when thoughts of home helped carry him through the hardest days. He and his wife, Jill, are proud parents to two children, William and Anna, and family remains the center of his life. He often involves his son in outdoor pursuits, taking him along on hunting trips, including excursions to places like William’s Harbour, where skills are shared across generations. In September 2024, William traveled solo to Inuvik, returning home just in time for the holidays. Since the season, he has spoken about valuing time with family and friends even more and making a conscious effort to stay connected and present.
Read More: Kelsey Loper: Where is Alone Season 12 Runner Up Now?
