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CNN Live Today

Miller First North American to Climb Both Everest Faces

Aired May 17, 2002 - 11:33   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are going to go from climbing a water tower to a whole different kind of climbing, the climbing of Mount Everest, and the story of one incredible woman we have with us, Ellen Miller. She is first North American woman not just to climb Everest, been there and done that. I haven't, but many people have. Ellen Miller, last year, climbed up one side of Everest, the north side, and I guess that wasn't good enough, so this year, she made it up on the south side, and did that successfully. She is now making her way down Mount Everest.

I think if everything is all connected, we have Ellen Miller on the phone right now with satellite phone, joining us from Mount Everest.

Hello.

ELLEN MILLER, MT. EVEREST CLIMBER: Hello, how are you?

KAGAN: I'm doing great. The better question, how are you, and exactly where are you?

MILLER: Right now, I'm at Mt. Everest base camp on the Nepal side, which is the south side, and I just got down off of the mountain a little while ago.

KAGAN: Last year, you went up the north side, this year, you went up the south side?

MILLER: Yes. I say that I'm doing this mostly for research, because I'm working on a book of women that have climbed mount Everest, so I wanted to have a complete understanding of the mountain itself.

KAGAN: And how was it different on the south side than last year on the north side?

MILLER: Well, this time, obviously, I'm climbing from Nepal, and the Nepalese people are lovely. This side of the mountains, the approach is absolutely beautiful, up through the Koohoo (ph) Valley.

Last year, I traveled through Tibet, which, as you probably know, is quite remote and quite desolate, the Tibetan plateau.

KAGAN: Are you travelling with that group of women. It's a group entirely made up of women who made it up Everest?

MILLER: I am a part of a regular commercial expedition. There is a group of American women here on Everest now. I think they're up at the high camp tonight, hoping to summit in the next day or so, but I was not part of that group.

KAGAN: But you say you do want it write this book on women and Mount Everest. What does a women bring to this unique perspective?

MILLER: Well, the interesting thing is that only 72 or 73 women have climbed Mount Everest, compared to, you know, over a thousand men. And I'm interested in those women. Obviously, they're from all over the world. Some of the women are extraordinary, and they have fascinating stories to tell.

KAGAN: As do you. What's the next chapter for your story? The west side, the east side of the mountain? Or will you move ton another mountain?

MILLER: Well, I'm going to work on the book for a while. I'm in the process of interviewing some of these great women that have climbed Everest. I think I'm going to probably retire from Climbing Everest now that I have seen both sides, but I certainly will always have mountain climbing in my life. I'm very passionate about that.

KAGAN: You sound like a passionate woman indeed.

Before we let you go, let me know what it was like to get up there the second time. Was it as fascinating and exhilarating to reach the top the second time?

MILLER: I must say, our summit day was absolutely perfect. It was crystal clear. I saw the most beautiful sunrise I have probably ever seen in my life. There was hardly any wind. I stayed on the summit for an hour this time. It was so warm and relaxing. And this side of the mountain, I found that summit day was a little bit easier climbing, so I wasn't quite as ripped, you know, to get back down the mountain in such a hurry.

KAGAN: Absolutely.

Just to give us perspective, you say it was warm up there. What's warm Everest style?

MILLER: Well, granted, I have on a full down suit. I was up on the summit without gloves for a while. So it's pretty warm.

KAGAN: That sounds toasty enough to us down here down in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ellen Miller, congratulations, first North American woman go up the north and the south side of Mount Everest, currently making her way down. Safe, safe travels back here to the U.S. Thank you so much.

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