The Rest of Everest Episode 107: Going Up, And Blowing Up

It may be old news to fans of The Rest of Everest, but since I was trying to catch up on episodes last week, I completely missed a new one that snuck out under my nose. In my defense, I thought the show might be taking a brief hiatus while climbers Ben Clark and Josh Butson snuck off to Ski The Himalayas and podcast creator Jon Miller prepared to trek to Everest BC.

Turns out Episode 107: Going Up, And Blowing Up, was recorded before the boys flew off to Kathmandu. Ah... the wonders of modern technology. Who knew?

Anyway, in this episode, Ben and Josh, set off to make another attempt on the summit of Annapurna IV. The plan is to go up in alpine style, and as this episode opens, they are back in Camp 1, and reflecting on their climb to that point and how much they are looking forward to continuing up the mountain. As usual, Ben and Josh offer some great insights into what it takes to climb in the Himalaya.

Soon, they're back on the trail and making their way to where they'll eventually establish an intermediary camp before reaching C2. Along the way, we get some great footage of the climbers working the route, skis strapped to their back. Soon they are at their next campsite, and we get to watch the process of creating the camp, this time greatly accelerated. We also see Josh wrestling with his "self inflating" Thermarest sleeping matt. I'm not positive, but I think the matt won. Back in the tent, they reflect again on their ongoing climb. Approaching the summit in alpine style is different than on most Himalayan peaks, and it is fun to watch that process unfold.

At the end of this episode, it is announced that the show will be gong on hiatus for a bit now, while everyone involved with the show will be off on their spring adventures. Stay tuned for new episodes soon.

The Rest of Everest Episode 102: Sweet Dreams

Wednesday brings us another new episode of The Rest of Everest, as we continue our adventure on Annapurna IV, a 24,688 foot peak that was the target of climbers Ben Clark, Josh Butson, and Tim Clarke last year.

In Episode 102: Sweet Dreams, we start things off with the boys sharing some of the very odd dreams that they've been experiencing while in base camp, including a reoccurring one from Ben that haunts him on every expedition he has been on.

From there we get some great footage of the team organizing their gear, with a good look at everything they have to take with them. Remember, on this trip, the intention is to not only reach the summit, but also make a first descent on skis as well, which makes for even more gear. Very educational for those wondering what it takes to get to the top of a big Himalayan peak.

Much of the footage is from in and around base camp once again, but there is some great footage of the mountain, including an avalanche crushing down the side and a glimpse of some other climbers higher up on the slopes. The episode ends with Ben getting philosophical about climbing and adventure. :)

Watch the full video at the Rest of Everest website or grab it directly from iTunes.

Catching Up with The Rest of Everest

it's no secret that I'm a big fan of The Rest of Everest, the video podcast that does such an excellent job of showing us the ins and outs of climbing in the Himalaya. While I was out of the country, there were two episodes released, and I'm just now catching up. For some of you, this is no doubt old news, but I wanted to share some thoughts none the less.

The first episode is entitled Cowboys But Not Indians, and has Jon Miller, Josh Butson, and Ben Clark once again talking about their attempt on Annapurna IV, which they also hope to make the first ski descent on as well. In this episode, the team actually returns to base camp after their first attempt at an alpine ascent on the mountain. The first climb was good for acclimatization, and making a recon of the conditions higher up, but in the end, they were forced to head back down to regroup and dry out their gear, before making another go.

The team admits that they had a rough first day of their climb, and if you saw the previous episode you know that TIm Clarke, the third member of the team, has decided to give up on his attempt to summit, and will let Ben and Josh go on without him. The team discusses this change and how they will now approach the climb. With the Austrian team they had been sharing BC with gone, they'll have the mountain entirely to themselves.

While the boys are back in BC, they do get some amazingly beautiful shots of the mountain and once again do a good job of capturing the feel of life in base camp. The video gets even more interesting when they also capture a debris cloud that was kicked up from an earthquake in China that has flown hundreds of miles just to dump on their camp.

The second episode that was awaiting me upon my return from the Amazon was an audio only bonus episode that offers some details on Ben and Josh's Spring 2009 expedition. The episode was recorded as Rest of Everest creator Jon Miller was driving Ben to the airport as he was heading out for Nepal, where the team will be attempting to climb and ski down Baruntse, a 23,688 foot mountain located in Eastern Nepal, between Everest and Makalu.

The old Annapurna IV website is undergoing a transformation now to reflect this new expedition, and it is becoming the "Ski the Himalayas" site. In this episode, Josh talks about how much he enjoys climbing and skiing in that mountain range, and that he intends to continue to focus on those ski descents in the near future. He also talks about his approach to climbing in the HImalaya, having knocked off Everest at the age of 23, and now pursuing lesser known peaks not on the 8000m list.

Obviously we'll be hearing more about this expedition in future episodes of the Rest of Everest, and I'll be following it from the website as updates come in over the coming weeks. For now, the show will go on hiatus, while Josh and Ben head off to Nepal to take care of business, and Jon will soon follow with his Everest Trek 2009 project.

Good luck guys! We're pulling for you!

The Rest of Everest Episode 101: Typically Himalayan

The adventure on Annapurna IV continues this week with another new episode of The Rest of Everest, with climbers Ben Clark and Josh Butson once again joining show producer and host Jon Miller.

In Episode 101: Typically Himalayan, the guys are now a bit more settled into base camp, and have explored the mountain some as well, hiking and skiing the immediate slopes. Early in the episode the team is stuck in their tent, thanks to the lovely Himalayan weather, and they have a chance to reflect some on the climb ahead, and the thoughts that are in their head while they wait for their opportunity to go up the mountain.

Later in the episode, Ben calls home to get a weather report from his father, where he learns that the weather patterns should shift some in the days ahead, but for now they'll have to wait for the jet stream to move. The team will need a five day weather window to make an attempt at the summit, but before they can do that, they'll need to acclimatize some as well. The plan is to make the climb in alpine style.

This weeks video gives us a lot of images from base camp with some shots of the mountain behind it, while the team sits and waits, something that is common in the Himalaya while they wait for their attempt. While it's not the most action packed thing to watch, it is part of the experience, as anyone who saw the 2003 Everest expedition will remember.

Everest Trek 2009: Preparing For The Trek

I've mentioned the Everest Trek 2009 a couple of times before. It's being led by Jon Miller from The Rest of Everest video podcast and Chris Marquardt of the Tips From The Top Floor podcast which is, for my money, the best photography show on the Internet. The trek combines adventure travel, in the form of a hike up to Everest Base Camp on the South Side, with a photography and videography workshop as well.

The latest episode of Tips From The Top Floor has Jon and Chris chatting for roughly 40 minutes about the trip. And while most of us aren't going to join them, the trek has been sold out for months, the podcast is quite interesting for anyone who is considering an Everest trek of their own.

The guys touch on a variety of topics, including some discussion on gear, both outdoor and video/photography related. They talk about how to get your batteries recharged in the Khumbu Valley and the effects of cold on those batteries. They also discuss conditions on the trail in regards to cooler temperatures and altitude.

This episode is definitely worth listening to, even if you don't typically follow the TFTTF podcast. (If you're into photography you should be!) There is just a wealth of information for those preparing for a high altitude trek and specifically one to Everest BC. My only problem with the episode is makes me wish I were going along all the more.

You can find the episode on the TFTTF website here or subscribe directly to the podcast in iTunes here.