VIRTUAL 360 Everest Trek Part 03 First Views of Everest
Join our virtual trek to the south side of Mount Everest to the top of Kala Patthar, in immersive 360 VR video, with this limited series from Jon Miller and The Rest of Everest! Part 03 - First Views of Everest!
Don't miss Part 01 - Kathmandu to Lukla here • VIRTUAL 360 Everest Trek Part 01 - Helicop...
In Part 03 We have a rest day in Namche Bazaar where we hike up to the Everest viewpoint up above town. It was much clearer than we thought it would be and Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam were absolutely stunning. We admired the memorial statue of Tenzing Norgay that had been installed since I had last set foot at the viewpoint.
We quickly noticed that the winds up high were looking quite fierce and Dawa mentioned that our friend Dawa Yangzum Sherpa was supposed to be making a summit attempt on Ama Dablam any day now. Dawa Yangzum was a member of the only all-women team from Nepal to summit K2 back in 2014. She's summitted Everest many times and is also the first Nepali woman to summit Makalu earlier in 2019. On top of all that, she's the first woman from Nepal to achieve IFMGA certification. The list of achievements goes on...
Dawa Yangzum is also a close friend of Dawa and his family and I've known her for years since she lived in Fort Collins in 2015. In other words, it was no surprise that she was in our thoughts as the wind up high raged.
The next morning before we set back out on the trail to head over to Khumjung, Dawa received word that Dawa Yangzum had ended the climb on Ama Dablam and was already back in Namche Bazaar. We found her, had a nice visit, and listened to stories about her climb on AD, her summit of Makalu, and ice core sampling high up on Everest. It was fascinating. She's been busy! Dawa Yangzum also gave us some great information about the Khumbu Climbing Center (KCC) that we plan on visiting in a few days. More on that soon!
After our visit, we hiked up the steep hill to the famous Hotel Everest View for lunch and more gazing at the lofty view of Everest and Ama Dablam. Once we began the descent to Khumjung I was fascinated by the change of seasons as all of my experience in the region has been in the Spring. Now that it was Fall, I was enjoying the colorful foliage beginning to appear. The clouds rolled in and enrobed Ama Dablam and Thamserku in a magical covering making the final kilometers to Khumjung almost otherworldly. It was a fantastic day.
Jon Miller
July 1, 2020
While you can absolutely enjoy this series on a mobile phone or computer, for the most “you are there” immersive experience I HIGHLY recommend viewing the videos using a VR headset. Here are some suggestions that I own and have personally tested. They range in price from just a few bucks to a few hundred dollars. Buying them from these links will support this endeavor!
I Am Cardboard VR Box https://amzn.to/3d3CSu6
This is a fantastic entry-level VR viewer that can be used with the YouTube app on your mobile phone. I found this one to be superior to the less expensive versions that need to be assembled. This one comes ready to use and has a more thoughtful design and better user experience. Worth buying even if you only have a passing interest in VR content.
Pansonite 3D VR Glasses Virtual Reality Headset https://amzn.to/37s06ZJ
A real upgrade from Google Cardboard devices. This is a true headset and is very comfortable to use. Since you actually wear it, the experience is much more immersive yet still uses the YouTube app on your mobile phone for viewing which keeps it inexpensive. It is also far more adjustable than the Cardboard options. I’ve given a Pansonite unit to Dawa’s family for viewing these episodes!
Oculus Go Standalone Virtual Reality Headset - 32GB https://amzn.to/2MVhz3a
Oculus Go Standalone Virtual Reality Headset - 64GB https://amzn.to/2Ba0z6u
This entry-level Oculus is a true VR headset and is completely standalone with no phone needed. It has everything you need to view all kinds of VR content and even play VR games. It is a lot of fun!
Oculus Quest All-in-one VR Gaming Headset – 64GB https://amzn.to/2YE3oF2
Oculus Quest All-in-one VR Gaming Headset – 128GB https://amzn.to/3fnOKbN
The Oculus Quest is the best all-in-one VR headset on the market right now. Using it is like peering into the future. For viewing 360 videos it only beats the Oculus Go in terms of screen quality but if you’re interested in gaming THIS is the headset to purchase. There is NO comparison. I use an Oculus Quest connected to Adobe Premiere while I edit these episodes. Amazing device with a lot of “wow” factor.
Thanks for watching. If you’re new to The Rest of Everest, please consider checking out Episode 000 to see what this series is about and how it all started almost 20 years ago. • Episode 000 Introduction
If you’re based in Colorado, consider checking out Dawa’s Fort Collins restaurant, The Himalayan Bistro https://himalayanbistro.com