The Rest of Everest Episodes 116 & 117: Catching Up With The Trek!

It wasn't until I was downloading this week's episode of The Rest of Everest that it actually dawned on me that I hadn't had the opportunity to watch last week's episode yet. I hate being behind, so I had to power through two great episodes back-to-back, just to catch up!

In last week's episode number 116, entitled Landing In Lukla, the trekking team does just that, arriving in the small town that is the gateway to the Himalaya. Jon his once again joined by several people who were on the trek, including Chris Marquardt from Tips from the Top Floor, his co-host on this trek/workshop. The episode opens with the gang visiting a number of cultural sites in Kathmandu, while exploring the streets of that eclectic city, before everyone heads off to Lukla, a place that serves as the gateway to the Himalaya, with an airport that is legendary for it's, lets just say, unique approach vector. If you're not aware of the situation, you'll have to watch the video to see more. After landing, the group is off to the town itself, where they get some of the local tea and begin the process of acclimatization.

Episode 117 is the aptly named No Planes, No Trains, and No Automobiles. With this episode, the trek itself is underway at last, and group heads out into the Himalaya itself. There is plenty of great video this week of the beginning stages of the trek to Everest Base Camp, and for anyone considering that trek, this is an amazing introduction of what you can expect on that journey. The large group of trekkers that join Jon on this episode help to add a great element to this episode, as they share their thoughts from the early portions of the trek. Some of the highlights include not only the great landscapes of course, but also the Sherpa culture and villages that are evident along the way. On an EBC trek for instance, you generally don't stay in tents, but tea houses instead. There are plenty of great things to see in this video of course, but don't miss Jon's very inspirational speech on trail etiquette when dealing with trail gas and other bodily functions while at altitude. Funny stuff!

As someone who is really looking at doing this trek in the near future, perhaps as early as next spring, these episodes have been great so far for really showing me what to expect. They've also been extra long in length, which I've enjoyed as well.