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The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #17

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The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #17

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #16

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The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #16

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #15

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The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #15

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #14

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The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #14

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #13

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 04:39:59 +0000

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #13

“If I Ever Get Out of Here, That’s What I’m Gonna Do…”

Jon — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 03:19:14 +0000

Good morning everyone!

So, today is the day we leave for home. It’s around 8am Nepali time and Thamel is waking up. All of the shops are beginning to open and the tourists are coming out from under their massive hangovers. Karma will be meeting us at our hotel at 11:30am to take us to the airport. Personally, I’m looking forward to moving on: it’s been a wonderful trip with so many incredible memories.

Unfortunately, the air quality in KTM is taking its toll. My throat is getting pretty raw from the pollution. I’m looking forward to my Rocky Mountain air again!!

Before we leave, Scott and I thought it would be great to post a few pictures from the adventures we’ve been having. So, here we go:

Here’s a shot of Scott and I before we headed out on the road to Pokhra. We actually were stopped to fix a flat tire.

Jon conducting an important interview with one of the locals on the road to Pokhra.

Although his name escapes us right now (we don’t have our notes with us while this is being typed…) here’s a photo of us with our driver for the 2-day stint to Pokhra. Wonderful guy.

One of the holiest sites within Tibet. The Johkang was truly amazing. Jon and I performed many Koras around the temple, which according to our Tibetan guide gave us virtue (much needed!).

The Potala Palace was once home to the Dali Lamas. Standing outside one can imagine this as the center for political and spiritual guidance within Old Tibet. Currently, there stands a Chinese political monument across the city square. It’s a good metaphor for the clash between Tibetans and Chinese within this struggling country.

Standing on top of the roof at the Drepung Monastery in Lhassa. This is a common Tibetan ornament, adorning rooftops of holy buildings, which depicts the wisdom of Buddha.

These lamps, made from yak butter are absolutely everywhere.

The fortress on the hill at Cyangtse. This was right outside of our hotel. The 1890-1904 English exploratory expedition ended in violence at this site, with 700 Tibetans killed in one afternoon.

The Baiju Temple in Cyangtse. This was one of the few holy sites that allowed photography of its interior. I have it all on tape. The design is actually more Indian than Tibetan since it has rooms inside that can be visited. Tibetan chortens are sealed off.

At Tashi Lhun Po Monastery we were fortunate enough to be on the roof and observed the monks called to prayer. A sole monk blew a conch shell horn very loudly, using circular breathing for an uninterrupted sound. Amazing. This monastery also holds the largest sitting Matryia (Future) Buddha statue in the world. I was totally unprepared for it when we walked into it’s chamber. It’s enormous! I was in rapture. Interestingly enough, my wife, Heidi dreamed of this statue 4 days before we visited it. She didn’t know it existed, yet told me about it in detail. Behold, the power of Tibet!

Here’s a group of monks at Tashi Lhun Po checking out Jon filming. They were very curious about the cameras we had. One monk took Scott’s camera and began shooting pictures of his friends.

Picture of a monk, through the eyes of a monk. We have several of these free-form shots after a monk took Scott’s camera. We feel these may be the best shots from the trip!

Standard room at a tea house in Shegar (New Tingri) Tibet. No, it’s not charming.

In awe of Chomolunmga. Scott was initially blown away with the immense size of this mountain. Then the beauty of it sinks in and one can only stare. Beautiful morning.

Scott’s introduction to my good friend, Chomolungma. They got along just fine…

Scott and Jon (wrapped in prayer flags) with several 8000 meter peaks in the background.

Scott, Jon and our first-rate driver Yunloe (on left) and our Tibetan guide, the rockstar Lobsang. Lobsang was THE MAN. I can’t speak more highly of him. He made the trip everything it was. In all seriousness, we feel he is the future of his country. What a truly amazing individual.

The view of Everest from the Tibetan base camp.

Once again, Jon with Mike W’s childhood flag.

Jon filming near his old 2003 camp. The LUNGevity team just happened to be using it this year. What a coincidence!

Again, Jon conducting an important interview with some locals. These ones were a bit hairy.

Scott standing next to the faded base camp marker. It says “Chomolungma Base Camp 5200 meters”.

These guys come in handy for climbers, as they carry most of the gear to advanced base camp. For Scott, they came in his curry.

The luxury bathroom in Old Tingri. I think the picture speaks for itself…

Here’s a shot of Shishapangma (8012 meters) which Ben Clark will be climbing in a few days. We had a great view of it from Tong La, the final pass before descending to the border with Nepal. Safe climbing, Ben and Co.!! Be well.

We hope all of you enjoy these pictures. There will be more to come in the next week or so. But right now, we’re off to buy more prayer flags….time to go home!!

Namaste,

Jon & Scott

Last Minute Kathmandu

Scott — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 11:33:41 +0000

Hi Everyone,

So today is officially our last day in Nepal for this trip, as we fly out tomorrow morning. True to our pace, it has been busy as we ran about the Thamel District seeking out last minute gifts (Thamel is a tourist center busting at the seams with souvenirs). I’ve become fairly adept at “bargaining” and Jon and I are perfecting the tactic of the two man purchase; if one of us wants an item badly enough but the price is too high, the second man walks out of the shop with a look of impatience. This has not yet failed to bring the price down.

This morning however, was spent at Boudnath Temple which served as a reminder of the deeply spiritual soul, which lays beneath the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu. Boudnath claims to be the largest stupa in the world and it is easy to imagine as true. I spent a good portion of my time spinning prayer wheels and ringing bells. At the beginning of this trip I was cautious about doing this in the temples, as I am not Buddhist. We have been extremely careful to show proper respect to those around us there to worship and to the culture in general. We learned however, that spinning prayer wheels is somewhat non-denominational and fully allowed by visitors. Ringing the many bells “sings a song to god” and that can never be bad, right?

Thinking back on Tibet and still need a lot of time to process the many things experienced. A few of the highlights:

The welcome we received at Everest Base Camp (Jon’s connections came in handy). Many camps offered a seat to rest a while, always accompanied by tea, coffee or even whiskey shots (the Russian camp!). I passed on the latter as it probably would have killed me at that altitude.

Attending a Puja for a French climbing team. The Sherpa invited us from the distance of a shout. The ceremony was filled with the chanting of prayers, offerings of tsampa and a rice/seed mixture, and some good cheer as a prayer for safety and luck on behalf of the climbers. This is a tradition in the Himalayas and a wonderful thing to participate in.

Chomolunmga herself, amazing! I sat at the base of Ronbuk glacier and gazed at a single mountain face rising approximately 12, 000 feet higher than where I was seated.

Yak butter tea is excellent up until the fourth cup.

The road from Nyalaam to Zang mu is outrageous. Winding, narrow (single lane-two way) and an endless descent.

The Tibetan people are wonderful.

-Scott

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #12

admin — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 13:05:15 +0000

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #12

Scott — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 09:58:27 +0000

Hi Everyone,

Back in Kathmandu with mixed emotions. To be honest, Tibet was wonderful and I’m a bit sadened at having to leave. Arriving at our hotel however, I relieved some of the sadness with a much needed shower. Tibetan guest houses and Base Camp tents offer much in the way of the warmth from a yak dung fueled stove, endless milk or butter tea and conversation with Tibetans or other travelers. The showers there however, seemed to be absent. Jon tells me that in 2003, he made it through most of the expedition under these circumstances and with good company. This time around however, we were aware of the “funkiness” accumulated over the course of one week. I’ve never showered better.

Looking forward to downloading some of my 1000+ photos. Plan to share a bunch. Actually, Jon is begging for full access to my SD cards and I’m happy to give it. I have many experiences to share and will try to start tomorrow, in my next post. Currently, we are pretty dehydrated from the cold air and altitude of the Tibetan plateau, so are going to regroup over some Everest Beers and orange Fanta.

Scott

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #11

admin — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 08:47:29 +0000

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #11

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #10

admin — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 01:59:33 +0000

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #10

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #9

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The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #8

Humbled and Inspired

Scott — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 13:51:35 +0000

Hello Everyone,

Thought I’d finally post to introduce myself. My apologies for the tardiness, but I’ve been having too much fun wandering the streets of Kathmandu and now Lhassa. I am truly fortunate to be traveling with Jon, and The Rest of Everest.

There are many experiences that I would like to share but perhaps I’ll start with a couple of highlights. As you know our luggage was late, causing me concern as all of my cold weather gear was contained within those duffels. I was doing my best to “roll with it” when Thai Airlines came through, delivering our gear after only twenty fours hours without. Actually, it turned out to be a great deal as Thai Airlines paid 180.00 USD for the trouble. With check in hand I hitched a ride on the back of a motorcyle and traveled the approximate 2 KM to the bank to cash it. For those of you who are familiar with the traffic in Kathmandu you may be able to understand the adventure in the undertaking. For those who are not; the streets are about one lane in width, with mulitdirectional vehicle travel, pedestrians, bicycles, rickshaws and the occasional cow going about their business.

In Lhassa now and falling in love with the Tibetan people. They are truly remarkable. Jon was down with a bit of a stomach ache, so I was making Koras (circumnavigations) around Johkang Temple in Barkhor Square. Some of the children were curious about me, so I made faces, chased and generally smiled with them. As a side note, it is impossible to smile larger than a Tibetan. As I was making my way a monk came up behind me, put his arm around me and walked with me for a long while. He smiled and said “good, good.” I was touched as his curiousity seemed genuine and intention only friendly. Like I said, the Tibetans are remarkable.

Tomorrow we are on the road, continuing the journey to Everest. We are doing fine, relativaly healthy (Yak tastes great, but bad for the stomache) and humbled by the energy of Tibet.

-Scott

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #7

admin — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 14:19:01 +0000

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #7

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #6

admin — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 16:12:51 +0000

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #6

Pictures from KTM!!

Jon — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:08:40 +0000

Hello everyone!

I’m sitting here at an internet cafe just down the street from our hotel. Scott and I have returned from Pokhra. We’re not able to get into Tibet as early as we had hoped (read: Red Tape) but will be making lemonade out of the lemons we’ve been handed.

In any case, things are going very well and we have the pictures to prove it. Here are just a few:

Here’s a picture of Scott making a deal with a salesman. Scott and I are like towering giants out here…but still we overpay!

This is a picture of me and Kumar. He is the lively shop owner Ben and I met outside Swyamboudnath Stupa in 2003. He’s in one of the early “Rest of Everest” episodes. Quite the character. It was good to see him again…he remembered me!

Scott and I inside one of the temples next to Swyambu Stupa.

These guys are the reason the tourists refer to it as “The Monkey Temple.”

A viewer named Mike emailed me a few weeks ago to see if I would be interested in doing him a favor. He used to live in KTM as a kid and flew thsi little american flag out his window. Over the years, it’s travelled with friends all over the world and across the USA. Mike wnted to know if I could take it back to Nepal with me. Of course, Mike, of course. Here is a photo of it’s 2007 return to Kathmandu. Tomorrow, it will arrive with us to Tibet.

Take care everyone,

Jon

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #5

admin — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 01:41:20 +0000

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #5

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admin — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 12:12:49 +0000

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The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #3

Last Leg to Kathmandu

Jon — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 03:01:24 +0000

We’re sitting in the airport in Bangkok waiting to get on our flight to Kathmandu!

It’s been many hours of flying and I even threw up on the flight from Hong Kong. Feeling so much better now and can’t wait to see Karma in just a few hours…

…And They’re Off!

Jon — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 18:32:46 +0000

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to say so long ofr now, we’re headed off to the airport! Before I go I just wanted to introduce all of you to Scott Jacobs. Scott will be my teammate for this little excursion.

Scott is one of my oldest friends and I’m so pleased to be traveling with him. He’s currently a National Park Ranger at Mesa Verde National Park in southern Colorado. He’s also been a ranger at Rocky Mountain, Joshua Tree, Big Bend, Yellowstone and the City of Boston. Scott is a trained EMT and has participated in countless search and rescue missions throughout his tenure.

Oh, yeah. Keep in mind that I’m just over 6 feet tall. I think Scott’s about 10 feet tall.

Finally, I also wanted to introduce everyone to the person who has really made this trip possible. My wonderful wife, Heidi Miller. We have her full support and she’s very excited about the possibilities awaiting us in Nepal and Tibet. I love you Heidi.

Heidi is a podcaster as well. You can find her show about Pilates at thepilatespodcast.com. She’s amazing.

Namaste!

Jon

Last Minute PR…..

Jon — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 07:54:26 +0000

For Immediate Release
April 1, 2007

Contact: Jon Miller
(970) 481-7715
jon@therestofeverest.com

Acclaimed Everest Podcaster to Broadcast from Tibet During Spring Climbing Season

Note to editors: Interviews with podcaster/filmmaker Jon Miller are available by calling the contact number above.

Ft. Collins, CO—The Colorado filmmaker who created “The Rest of Everest,” an award-winning podcast about an Everest expedition, will return to Tibet this month to broadcast more climbing adventures. In this groundbreaking effort, Jon Miller will be the first to travel to the Himalaya specifically to document expeditions through podcasting.

“It’s not just the large commercial expeditions that have a story to tell,” said Miller, who will depart for Tibet on April 1. “My goal is to give exposure to climbers without resources like expensive satellite modems. I’ll be podcasting live with a variety of teams, including the Lungevity team, a two-man team raising funds for lung cancer research.”

In addition to the Lungevity team, whose expedition is described at www.climbforcancer.blogspot.com, Miller is looking for other teams that would like to participate in the “The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007” podcast.

Viewers can subscribe to the new podcast for free at http://tibet2007.therestofeverest.com. The site will consist of blogposts and audio dispatches that will be updated regularly throughout the spring climbing season. Miller and other climbers will post to the site. Contributors will include Ben Clark, the Colorado climber whose 2003 journey to the top of the world is documented in Miller’s original video podcast “The Rest of Everest.” Clark will be posting audio dispatches from his climb of Shisha Pangma in Tibet, while Miller will focus on documenting Everest climbing teams.

Miller’s work is distinguished by his focus on the entire expedition experience, rather than on isolated climbing highlights. “The Rest of Everest” and “The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007” are companion podcasts which both aim to provide comprehensive personal accounts of what goes into climbing the world’s tallest peaks.

New episodes of Miller’s original weekly video podcast, “The Rest of Everest,” will continue to be posted at www.therestofeverest.com when he returns. “The Rest of Everest” podcast, which launched in April 2006, was recently designated the number one iTunes editors’ pick and also was selected as a “Best of 2006″ podcast. The podcast has been downloaded all over the world 205,000 times and has received positive reviews from critics and viewers alike. Within Apple Computer’s iTunes Store, the video podcast has garnered dozens of 5-star reviews, and comments including “the best and most complete documentary on Everest” and “the jewel of web content creation for 2006.” Miller’s 2007 trip is financed in part by “The Rest of Everest” audience donations.

Miller owns TreeLine Productions, an award-winning production company based in Fort Collins, Colo. He has produced video work around the globe. His work includes the highly acclaimed feature-length film “Everest: The Other Side,” which was released in spring of 2005. Before launching TreeLine Productions, Miller built and operated the Northern Colorado Bureau for CNN Headline News Local Edition.
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admin — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 07:33:06 +0000

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Almost ready to leave for Nepal! With less than 20 hours to go before the first flight, Jon catches up (quickly!) with Ben Clark and the two discuss Ben’s upcoming climb of Shisha Pangma in Tibet.

Don’t forget to check out the blog updates to http://tibet2007.therestofeverest.com

There will be a lot of new content posted to the website in addition to this podcast!

Namaste!

Jon

Jon’s Dirty Little Secret

Jon — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 04:21:34 +0000

Well, it’s less than two days until we leave for Kathmandu and I’m now entering the frenzy of packing.

I thought I’d share a little glimpse at what life is like for me right now. Yes, this isn’t going to be a 2 month expedition like 2003, but still, I have to make sure I’ve got everything so I can properly film the trip for all of you. I haven’t been out of the country since 2005 when Ben and I traveled to Aconcagua in Argentina. Over that amount of time I kind of misplace different bits of gear and have to tear my office apart to find everything.

Pictures cannot do it justice, but my office is a complete mess! This picture only shows about one tenth of the space. The rest of it is too painful to show publicly!

Notice the “interesting” rug on the floor? I purchased that from a Yak herder at Base Camp in 2003. It’s kind of funny. I remember storing piles of stuff on it back in Tibet. I guess not much has changed…

Everest Climb for Lung Cancer

Jon — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 06:28:10 +0000

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to let everyone know that if you’ve watched The Rest of Everest Tibet Update and would like more information on the charity that Brian Oestrike and Justin Hewitt are climbing for, then please visit lungevity.org

I lost my father to a terminal illness in 1997 so this really hits home for me. Best of luck guys, and I hope to see you at Base Camp in a couple of weeks!

Also, I would just really like to thank Major King for letting me share the video of these two with everyone.

Jon

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #1

Jon — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 06:26:46 +0000

The Rest of Everest: Tibet 2007 #1

Welcome to Our New Adventures!

Jon — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 05:39:40 +0000

Hello there everyone!

Welcome to this new “channel” of The Rest of Everest. Here you will find all of the blogposts and audio dispatches from Jon and Ben as they explore more of Tibet in 2007.

Jon will be travelling with his good friend Scott while Ben will be climbing Shisha Pangma with his friend Tim Clark. Although not travelling together, Jon and Ben will be posting audio dispatches so that everyone can follow their progress.

Jon and Scott will begin their trip on April 1st with Ben and Tim to follow a couple of weeks later.

I just want to thank everyone for their support of The Rest of Everest. None of this would be possible without you, and we thank you for everything.

Check back to this page often or better yet, subscribe to the podcast so you get all of the audio dispatches sent directly to you whenever we post one.

If you’re new to The Rest of Everest, consider subscribing to the original podcast to get aquainted with Jon and Ben. It should be well worth your time.

Thanks for checking in, and take care.

Namaste!