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CNN Live Today

Everest Anniversary

Aired May 27, 2003 - 10:33   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The growing popularity of climbing Mt. Everest sometimes obscures the very real danger. Case in point, Sean Burch, a climber we followed on trek to the summit last week and the emergency evacuation that has returned him to Katmandu.
Sean joins us on videophone with details of his ordeal.

And, Sean, how are you feeling?

SEAN BURCH, MT. EVEREST CLIMBER: Pretty good now.

WHITFIELD: Well, this has to feel quite incredible that, a, you would have accomplished getting to Mt. Everest, and then, falling on the very anniversary week, or very close to the anniversary week, 50 years. How significant of an accomplishment is this for you personally?

BURCH: Very significant. I've been dreaming about it for eight years. I've been training for it for four years. I came here by myself. I'm an independent, and it's absolutely fabulous. I've gotten so frostbite, but it's well worth it.

WHITFIELD: Independent, meaning you had no sponsors, and let's talk about how you got that frostbite, because this was a harrowing journey, wasn't it? Going up was far different from coming down for you. explain the differences and what you experienced.

BURCH: Sure. When I went up, I actually went up twice, I came up to the -- to what's called the balcony on Mt. Everest and had to turn around, so next day I came back up and had to use oxygen all of the way to the summit, and then on the way down, I decided not to use oxygen and in that case, took me about 11 to 12 hours to return to the south cull, and that's what I received frostbite on my feet and my hands.

WHITFIELD: So knowing that was a risk, not using oxygen, why did you make that decision?

BURCH: Because I originally -- my original plan was I thought I could do Everest with oxygen. I thought the ultimate endurance fitness challenge was to do Mt. Everest without supplementary oxygen, the way Reinhaul Messner (ph) did in 1978, and 1980, so that was my original plan, but the winds were way too high and way too dangerous. But I knew if I used -- if didn't use oxygen the entire way, I probably wouldn't come back alive.

WHITFIELD: So in the midst of the climb and descent, you know, you realize the frailties of the human body. Do you feel any less satisfied given that you did have to end up using oxygen? I mean, you are only human. What's the matter with using oxygen? It's an incredibly harrowing attempt anyway.

BURCH: Yes, I think it is. You have to give people credit, the mountain is a tough mountain to climb. But for me, I feel that I still can actually do the whole climb without oxygen, and I actually probably will come back and try to do it without oxygen, hopefully in the near future, just to prove myself that I can do the whole thing without oxygen.

WHITFIELD: So, by descending slower, as you're explaining, because you did not use the oxygen, you got frostbite in your fingers and toes. Explain why it is that that happened. Is it simply because of the pace in which you had to travel going down?

BURCH: Well, yes. The pace was very slow, but the fact that your blood becomes like -- it just becomes really thick like glue. So what it does, is your heart needs the blood to pump to keep you alive, so it keeps it from the extremities, so that's exactly what it did to me. It kind of kept me from my toes, it kept me from my fingers. So when I got back done, I couldn't feel a thing on all my toes or all my fingers.

WHITFIELD: So, Sean, you said you are likely to try this again because you want to try it without oxygen all of the way around. Is that likely to be your next adventure? Because I know you are not done.

BURCH: Yeah, yes. My next adventure is I'm going to the North Pole, and I want to go to the South Pole, and then I'll probably come back to Everest in between that.

WHITFIELD: Wow. What an appetite for challenges. Thank you very much, Sean. And good to see you. And best wishes on your recovery.

BURCH: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired May 27, 2003 - 10:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The growing popularity of climbing Mt. Everest sometimes obscures the very real danger. Case in point, Sean Burch, a climber we followed on trek to the summit last week and the emergency evacuation that has returned him to Katmandu.
Sean joins us on videophone with details of his ordeal.

And, Sean, how are you feeling?

SEAN BURCH, MT. EVEREST CLIMBER: Pretty good now.

WHITFIELD: Well, this has to feel quite incredible that, a, you would have accomplished getting to Mt. Everest, and then, falling on the very anniversary week, or very close to the anniversary week, 50 years. How significant of an accomplishment is this for you personally?

BURCH: Very significant. I've been dreaming about it for eight years. I've been training for it for four years. I came here by myself. I'm an independent, and it's absolutely fabulous. I've gotten so frostbite, but it's well worth it.

WHITFIELD: Independent, meaning you had no sponsors, and let's talk about how you got that frostbite, because this was a harrowing journey, wasn't it? Going up was far different from coming down for you. explain the differences and what you experienced.

BURCH: Sure. When I went up, I actually went up twice, I came up to the -- to what's called the balcony on Mt. Everest and had to turn around, so next day I came back up and had to use oxygen all of the way to the summit, and then on the way down, I decided not to use oxygen and in that case, took me about 11 to 12 hours to return to the south cull, and that's what I received frostbite on my feet and my hands.

WHITFIELD: So knowing that was a risk, not using oxygen, why did you make that decision?

BURCH: Because I originally -- my original plan was I thought I could do Everest with oxygen. I thought the ultimate endurance fitness challenge was to do Mt. Everest without supplementary oxygen, the way Reinhaul Messner (ph) did in 1978, and 1980, so that was my original plan, but the winds were way too high and way too dangerous. But I knew if I used -- if didn't use oxygen the entire way, I probably wouldn't come back alive.

WHITFIELD: So in the midst of the climb and descent, you know, you realize the frailties of the human body. Do you feel any less satisfied given that you did have to end up using oxygen? I mean, you are only human. What's the matter with using oxygen? It's an incredibly harrowing attempt anyway.

BURCH: Yes, I think it is. You have to give people credit, the mountain is a tough mountain to climb. But for me, I feel that I still can actually do the whole climb without oxygen, and I actually probably will come back and try to do it without oxygen, hopefully in the near future, just to prove myself that I can do the whole thing without oxygen.

WHITFIELD: So, by descending slower, as you're explaining, because you did not use the oxygen, you got frostbite in your fingers and toes. Explain why it is that that happened. Is it simply because of the pace in which you had to travel going down?

BURCH: Well, yes. The pace was very slow, but the fact that your blood becomes like -- it just becomes really thick like glue. So what it does, is your heart needs the blood to pump to keep you alive, so it keeps it from the extremities, so that's exactly what it did to me. It kind of kept me from my toes, it kept me from my fingers. So when I got back done, I couldn't feel a thing on all my toes or all my fingers.

WHITFIELD: So, Sean, you said you are likely to try this again because you want to try it without oxygen all of the way around. Is that likely to be your next adventure? Because I know you are not done.

BURCH: Yeah, yes. My next adventure is I'm going to the North Pole, and I want to go to the South Pole, and then I'll probably come back to Everest in between that.

WHITFIELD: Wow. What an appetite for challenges. Thank you very much, Sean. And good to see you. And best wishes on your recovery.

BURCH: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com