The Rest of Everest: Episode 59

Good things come to those who wait, and our patience in waiting for a new episode of The Rest of Everest has paid off with the release of Episode 59: Bartertown.

Rest of Everest producer Jon Miller is once again joined by lead climber Ben Clark. This weeks footage is of the last afternoon in Base Camp, as Jon and Ben set off to visit some of their friends still in BC, including the Project Himalaya Team The second half of the episode is a set of still photos, some of the stunning views of Everest from BC, but also a number of them of Jon and the various characters that he met on his Everest adventure. The photos are of friends saying goodbye as the end of their journey nears. One of the last photos in the group, is of Jon and Ben, with Everest behind them in the background, which they remark is the only shot of the two of them together on Everest.

We also get a glimpse, early on in the episode, of a place called Bartertown. A small collection of ramshackle hut and tents, that are temporarily erected in BC to offer up goods for the tourists making their way to camp. They sell craft items, Coca Cola, beer, fresh meat, and so on. The area also offers places to sleep for the trekkers making their way to camp, and several pubs have sprung up as well. Ahh... free enterprise is a beautiful thing!

The whole episode gives you a sense that things are coming to an end. For most of the people in Base Camp, the climb is over, and everyone is packing up and getting ready to back to Kathmandu. The season on Everest is coming to a close, and it's time for everyone to head home. Jon assures us that there are at least two or three more episodes from the 2003 climb yet to come, and while this adventure is drawing to a close, there is still plenty more to come from The Rest of Everest. There are other climbs and plenty more stories to tell, and we can expect more episodes in the future.