The Rest of Everest: Episode 54 -

I'm a little late in getting my Rest of Everest fix this week, but the episode, as always, has been worth wait. Regular viewers of the video podcast know that the climb is over, and the goal of the summit has been achieved, but now Ben is back in Base Camp and sharing his experiences on the mountain.

This episode is entitled Episode 54: A Summit A Day Keeps The Doctor In Pay, and what a fitting title it is. You'll see Dr. Dima, from the Russian St. Petersburg team drop by the tent to examine Ben's feet. As many of you know, your feet take a pounding on a climb like Everest, and taking care of them is very important. And that doesn't even take into account the effects of extreme cold and possible frostbite at high altitude. Dima is an expert on treating frostbite from spending time in Siberia, and is expertise can come in handy on Everest, where climbers lose fingers and toes on a regular basis.

As it turns out, Ben did suffer some frostbite due to his boot being a bit too tight while on his summit push. Dima described the purple discoloration as "chronic freezing" however, and compared it to what soldiers in WWII would suffer while in the trenches that were common in the European Theater.

If all this talk of frostbite isn't enough of you, be sure to watch the bonus video that Jon has made available only from his website that shows Dima treating a climber from Moscow who has contracted "fourth degree frostbite". When it gets to that level, it means that someone is going to lose fingers and toes. The footage wasn't included in the regular broadcast because it is a bit on the graphic side, but interesting none the less and a grim reminder of what can happen up their at altitude.

Also, as a reminder, remember that voting is still open for the PodCast Awards, in which The Rest of Everest is nominated in the "Best Video Podcast" category. You can vote once every 24 hours up until the 11th of August, so go stuff the ballot box for this excellent program.