Everest Video Podcast Reaches New Heights

Fort Collins, CO —The Spring Everest climbing season may be a distant memory for some, but another expedition to the highest peak on earth is still climbing strong.

The groundbreaking video podcast, “The Rest of Everest,” chronicles a Colorado climber’s 2003 journey to the top of the world. Viewers can find the free video podcast at www.therestofeverest.com. In weekly 15-20 minute episodes, filmmaker Jon Miller takes viewers along on the Himalayan adventures of 23-year-old mountaineer Ben Clark. It is the first podcast in the world to document an entire expedition, rather than just the occasional few minutes of highlights.

The project launched in April, 2006 and each weekly episode has been downloaded thousands of times all over the world. “It really is exciting to be able to tell the entire story of our expedition and to have so many viewers eagerly awaiting new episodes, “ said Miller. “Every day I check my email I have new messages from viewers expressing how much they enjoy and look forward to each week’s show.”

To date, “The Rest of Everest” has received rave reviews from critics and viewers alike. Within Apple Computer’s iTunes Store, the video podcast has earned comments ranging from “The best and most complete documentary on Everest” to “The jewel of web content creation for 2006” to the straightforward “Amazing”, “Fantastic”, and “Excellent”.

With an official 21 episodes released so far, viewers have followed Miller and Clark as they traveled to Nepal and Kathmandu, ascended the steep Tibetan Plateau, arrived at the 17,000 foot Everest Base Camp and climbed to the 21,000 foot Advanced Base Camp. Followers of the show have also joined in the agony of watching one of the team’s integral members depart from the mountain due to pulmonary edema due caused by the extreme altitude.

In future episodes viewers will be treated to not only scenery from the upper flanks of Everest, but also a glimpse into the daily lives of climbers waiting out the approach of summit day. This is where “The Rest of Everest” can really educate about the realities of climbing the world’s highest peaks.

“Over the course of the 2 month expedition, Ben and the sherpa team members only spent two weeks actually climbing,” explains Miller. “Climbing these tall mountains involves a very calculated waiting game. Although the climbing footage is amazing, what interests me most is how this international community in the middle of nowhere spends its time passing time. This is the ‘true’ Everest experience. It’s not all about technical mountaineering.”

The Podcast is released every Wednesday and may be viewed directly on a computer with broadband Internet access and Apple’s free QuickTime 7 software. Episodes also can be downloaded from “The Rest of Everest” website and transferred to a video capable MP3 player such as an Apple iPod. The Rest of Everest Video Podcast can also be found in the iTunes Store Podcast directory where it consistently ranks within the top 20 travel-related Podcasts.

Miller owns TreeLine Productions, an award-winning production company based in Fort Collins, Colo. He has produced video work around the globe. Before launching TreeLine Productions, Miller built and operated the Northern Colorado Bureau for CNN Headline News Local Edition.
-30-