Video: Alan Arnette Presents Summiting Nepal's Manaslu

A few days back I shared details of a live stream of Alan Arnette's presentation of his Summiting Manaslu slideshow that was brought to us courtesy of Jon Miller of the Rest of Everest Fame. The event was your opportunity to not only learn about an 8000 meter climb, but also get to hear Alan speak. It was a fun, interesting experience for sure, and it included a major announcement about a Himalayan expedition that 16-year old Matt Moniz that you'll be hearing a lot about in the weeks ahead. Both spoke at a fundraiser for the dzi Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the lives people living in Nepal.

If you missed the event, Jon has kindly posted it online so you can watch it for yourself. It contains some great info about climbing Manaslu specifically and 8000 meter peaks in general. The video is more than an hour in length, so get comfortable.

Watch Alan Arnette's Summiting Manaslu Presentation Live On YouTube Tonight!

Last fall, Alan Arnette added another 8000 meter peak to his already impressive resumé when he successfully reached the summit of Manaslu. At 8156 m (26,759 ft) in height, it is the eighth highest mountain in the world and a challenging climb, although not in the same league as some of the other big Himalayan peaks.

Since his return from the climb last October, Alan has been giving a series of talks about the expedition, sharing his insights about climbing in the Himalaya in general and about Manaslu specifically. But unless you live in Colorado, chance are you haven't gotten a chance to see Alan's presentation. That can change tonight, as the slide show is going to be broadcast live over the Internet starting at 6 PM local time, which 8 PM EST/7PM CST.

The event is being broadcast on the Rest of Everest YouTube channel, which you can access by clicking here. This will be a great opportunity to see Alan in action and learn more about climbing in the Himalaya. It should be a fun and interesting experience for sure.

The Rest of Everest Episode 197: Tales From The Tent

Over the weekend a new episode of the Rest of Everest was released, continuing this season's expedition which has left Broad Peak for the slopes of K2. As is typical on these big mountain expeditions, weather dictates when the team can move and that is certainly the case here. The team, confined to its tent, waits for an opportunity to move up. This is a good example of what life is like on an expedition to the Himalaya or Karakoram where sometimes all you can do is sit in the tent and hope that a weather window will eventually open.

The Rest of Everest Episode 196: Welcome to K2

If you're a fan of the Rest of Everest video podcast and have been following this season's climb on Broad Peak and K2, the moment you've no doubt been waiting for is here. In the latest episode, available below, the climbers leave Broad Peak behind at last and head to the "mountaineer's mountain." K2 is arguably the toughest climb in the world, and the show will now shift to that peak as we follow the climbers on the second phase of their expedition.

The Rest of Everest Episode 195: The Broad Peak Summit Push

The Rest of Everest returns this week with a new episode that is sure to please long time fans and armchair mountaineers alike. The team of climbers on Broad Peak have launched their summit bid and are on their way up to Camp 3 with good weather conditions, but as always in the big mountains things don't always go as expected. As is typical with the Rest of Everest, this is a fantastic glimpse of what happens on a major expedition to the Himalaya where teamwork, patience and persistence are rewarded.

The Rest Of Everest Episode 194: Buring... Stuff

It is Wednesday, which means its time to get your weekly fix of mountaineering in the form of a new episode of The Rest of Everest. This week the team is starting to look at possible summit bids on Broad Peak and after a final acclimatization round, they're back in Base Camp for a rest while keeping their eyes peeled for possible weather windows. And since this video web series doesn't pull any punches in terms of showing what expedition life is like, we get to see how the team deals with full latrines. Lets just say it involves kerosene. You won't find this kind of insight anywhere else!

The Rest of Everest Episode 193: Turn The Lightbulb, Pet The Dog

It's Wednesday which means we're treated to another episode of The Rest of Everest, the absolute best web show focused on high altitude mountaineering. The current season is focused on an expedition to the Karakoram where a team that includes climber Brian Block is first attempting Broad Peak before taking on K2. In this latest episode the team is acclimatized and waiting for an opportunity to make their summit bid once a weather window opens. In the meantime, they find ways to amuse themselves in Base Camp.

The Rest of Everest Episode 192: Jenga!

Following a brief hiatus, The Rest of Everest video podcast has returned this week taking us back to Broad Peak where the expedition is ongoing. This week we get invited to a party in Base Camp, which turns to a raucous affair, before the teams start heading back up the mountain at last. As always, the video is a great look at life on the mountain, both while climbing and while waiting for an opportunity to press ahead.

The Rest of Everest Episode 191: Landing The MI-17

With the summer climbing season in Pakistan now getting underway, you really should be watching The Rest of Everest. This season the video podcast is focusing on an expedition to climb Broad Peak and K2 in the Karakoram Range and each episode will give you a glimpse into what is happening in that region right now.

In the latest episode we see how the team entertains itself at Base Camp while between acclimatization rotations and we also see what happens when someone needs to be evacuated due to altitude sickness. In this case, it is a trekker who takes ill and must be airlifted to a lower altitude aboard a Russian built MI-17 helicopter. Considering BC is located 8 days from the nearest medical facilities, you get some idea of just how remote the area is.

The Rest of Everest Episode 190: 5 Dudes In A Tent

In need of your weekly mountaineering fix? The latest episode of The Rest of Everest has arrived just in time to help with that addiction. This week we continue to follow climber Brian Block and his team as they start to acclimate to Broad Peak prior to setting out for their eventual target, the always imposing K2. The team has been busy getting ready for the challenges ahead, but bad weather is about to send them back to Base Camp for a time.

One of the things that I have always loved about this video podcast is how it shows all aspects of an expedition, even if that entails the team just hanging out in BC. It is all part of the process of climbing these big peaks, where patience is often rewarded.

The Rest of Everest Episode 189: Practice Makes Perfect

This week on The Rest of Everest we head back to Broad Peak, where the team is now in Base Camp and working on some all important skills before they begin heading up the mountain. While of course everyone is eager to get started, there is always work to be done before the real climb can commence. This episode shows us the team focused on their prep work that will hopefully eventually pay off with a successful summit.

The Rest Of Everest Episode 188: Throwing Rocks

The latest episode of The Rest of Everest is out and it continues a very exciting expedition to the Karakoram with mountaineer Brian Block. After spending the past few episodes simply getting to Base Camp, the first climb is about to begin. Brian and his team will start with an attempt on Broad Peak, an 8051 meter (26,414 ft) mountain that falls on the border of Pakistan and China. This will be the warm-up for an eventual go at K2, but for now the team is focused on BP.

This is a chance to see some fantastic footage from a mountain that seldom gets much coverage. I'm very much enjoying the fact that this season is not focused on Everest but is giving us a glimpse at another remote, yet equally beautiful, area of the world. If you haven't watched The Rest of Everest in the past, nows your time to jump on. I think you'll definitely enjoy it.

The Rest Of Everest Episode 187: Concordia

It's Wednesday, which means we are all treated to a new episode of The Rest of Everest. This week we continue our trek towards Broad Peak and K2 with climber Brian Block and his team arriving in Concordia, an amazing place that straddles two massive glaciers while providing views of four 8000 meter peaks. As you can imagine, the scenery is spectacular and worth the price of admission by itself.

Remember, this season of the Rest of Everest is focused on climbing BP and K2 and so far it has been a fantastic look at an expedition to those two peaks.

The Rest of Everest Episode 184: Off Road Adventure

If you've ever wanted to know more about an expedition to the Karakoram, and how it differs from one to the Himalaya, then you definitely need to be watching the latest season of the Rest of Everest. It is a fantastic weekly video podcast that has been amongst my favorite for years now. In the past, the show has centered around all things Everest, but this season we're headed for K2 and Broad Peak, a very different experience altogether.

In the latest episode, climber Brian Block takes us further along the journey just to get to Base Camp. That started last week with a ride down the Karakoram Highway that took us into Skardu, which is the last big town in the region before heading into the more remote regions. In this episode, the journey continues to Askole, where the trek to BC will actually begin.

Video: The Rest Of Everest Launches Season Six!

If you're an Everest junkie, or simply can't get enough mountaineering in general, then the Rest of Everest video podcast has to be on your "must watch" list. For years it has been the standard by which I have judged all other podcasts and ROE creator Jon Miller has managed to maintain an incredibly high level of quality across a staggering number of episodes. Over the course of the first five seasons, Jon has taken us to Everest multiple times and beyond. Now, as the sixth season of the show begins, he's looking to take us even further. The new season will focus on K2 and Broad Peak, two of the world's most formidable mountains that are located beyond the Himalaya in Pakistan's Karakoram range.

In the preview video below, John shares some glimpses of where we'll be headed in the new episodes, which will commence shortly. If you're not already following the Rest of Everest, you'll definitely want to add it to your list of weekly viewing. You won't be disappointed and you'll get some unique looks at some amazing  mountains along the way.

Himalayan Photo Workshops Return With 2013 Expedition To Mt. Kailash

If you've been a regular reader of my blog for any length of time, you probably know that one of my favorite podcasts is the excellent Rest of Everest. Oh, who am I kidding, it's about the only podcast I watch at all! If you've never seen RoE before and you're a fan of Everest, you owe it to yourself to watch from the beginning. Considering we're currently up to Episode 180, that ought to keep you busy for some time.

In the past, show creator Jon Miller and photographer Chris Marquardt, who does the excellent Tips From The Top Floor podcast, have conducted some fantastic photography and videography workshops together, most notably on treks throughout the Himalaya. Over the course of their various adventures, they've gone to Everest Base Camp on both the North and South Sides of the mountain, while conducting workshops on how to shoot better photos and video all the way.

Over the weekend they announced their next trek/workshop, this time heading to Mt. Kailash in Western Tibet. The mountain is a sacred site for both Hindus and Buddhists, giving a reverence that few other peaks can compare. The excursion will take place from May 16 - June 2, 2013 and will cost $6499 per person. Registration opens at 9:00 AM MST this Thursday, November 16 and anyone who registers before December 16 will receive a $500 "early-bird" discount.

I can tell you that in the past these photo workshops have sold out fairly quickly and this could well be the case this time as well. There is a limited number of people that can join the expedition and demand for previous trips has been extremely strong.

For more information visit HimalayanWorkshops.com.