The Rest of Everest Episodes 119 and 120: Into Namche Bazaar

Thanks to the holiday here in the States last week, I find myself once again a couple of episodes behind on my viewing of The Rest of Everest. Thankfully, I've managed to get caught back up, just as a new episode was released today!

The title of Episode 119, which is Stairmasters, says a lot about the content of the video. The group continues its trek into the Himalaya, with the ultimate goal of reaching Everest Base Camp, starting at the entrance to Sagamatha National Park. On this leg of the trip, we get some great views of the iconic rope bridges that are often photographed throughout the region. The trekkers are forced to negotiate those bridges on more than one occasion, as they make their way up the Khumbu Valley, visiting villages and tea houses along the way. Some of those glimpses of life along the trail are the most compelling moments of the video. As the trek continues, the group has to deal with more altitude, and incredibly steep trails, which begins to take it's toll as they approach the famous milestone village of Namche Bazaar.

Episode 120 is set in and around the Himalayan village, which is generally used as an acclimatization spot, where teams of trekkers and mountaineers stop for a day or two to rest, recoup, and regain some strength before proceeding up higher. In this episode, we get a Rest of Everest first, a view of the mountain from the South Side! After 121 episodes, podcast creator Jon Miller finally shows us the Nepali side of the mountain. A good chunk of this episode involves a number of the members of the team discussing their journey so far, and the challenges they've dealt with in reaching this point of the trek. Clearly they are all happy to have rest day in Namche. A short morning hike does keep them moving however, and gives them their first look at their ultimate goal, the Big Hill itself.

Once again, I'm really enjoying these episodes, as it's giving me a glimpse of what to expect when I make this same trip sometime in the future. Hopefully sooner than later. This is a great day-by-day guide that is excellent preparation for anyone thinking of doing the EBC trek.