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CNN Live At Daybreak
Everest Anniversary
Aired May 28, 2003 - 05:49 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: On Thursday it will be 50 years to the day that Sir Edmund Hillary and his sherpa guide reached the top of the world's tallest peak.
CNN's Satinder Bindra joins us now live from Nepal with more on the Everest anniversary -- good morning.
SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
A lot of rejoicing here in Nepal over this anniversary. And also yesterday, we are seeing some marvelous pictures here in Nepal's capital, Katmandu. Yesterday, Sir Edmund Hillary, who's seen as the hero of these celebrations, went around the city. He was mobbed wherever he went. And the Sir -- then Sir Edmund rode about the city in a beautiful horse drawn carriage. You could see the marketplaces here are full of people. Clearly people rejoicing as this anniversary approaches and it's approaching tomorrow.
Now Sir Edmund also spoke this morning to the media. It was his first interaction with the media, and he spoke of his love for the Nepalese people. But he also spoke, Carol, in this caring firm (ph) about Everest. He said Everest is not the mountain he once climbed because now it's been overcome with tourist cords (ph) over the past few days. Sir Edmund has been calling on the Nepalese authorities to restrict the number of visitors and climbers who are being allowed to go up there.
This is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIR EDMUND HILLARY, FIRST MAN TO REACH SUMMIT OF MOUNT EVEREST: When you're climbing the Lhotse Face, when you're having sets (ph) of difficult areas and when you're going on to the south call (ph) and up the southeast ridge, battling perhaps against wind and weather, those are the things that for me are the great moments on the mountain. But just sitting around in a big base camp and knocking back cans of beer, I don't particularly regard as mountaineering.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BINDRA: Now Sir Edmund also spoke about his love for Nepalese climbers here called sherpas. He said for him what mattered more was not just climbing mountains, but trying to help people, trying to build them schools, trying to build them hospitals. In fact, Carol, he also spoke today about his efforts several years ago at the Buldon Air Field (ph) at the base of the Himalayas so tourists could come in and try to improve the economic conditions of the sherpas.
Today, Carol, there has been one accident. Just at the base camp near Everest, one helicopter carrying supplies and people crashed. Two people were killed and five injured. But here in the capital, Katmandu, celebrations are continuing. And tomorrow, the Nepalese government will be honoring several summiteers and the celebrations will close with a gala dinner.
Back to you now.
COSTELLO: All right, Satinder Bindra reporting live from Nepal. And those pictures we saw were the actual crash. We're going to show those pictures again when we get them reracked. Amazing pictures this morning. Thank you, Satinder Bindra.
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 28, 2003 - 05:49 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: On Thursday it will be 50 years to the day that Sir Edmund Hillary and his sherpa guide reached the top of the world's tallest peak.
CNN's Satinder Bindra joins us now live from Nepal with more on the Everest anniversary -- good morning.
SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
A lot of rejoicing here in Nepal over this anniversary. And also yesterday, we are seeing some marvelous pictures here in Nepal's capital, Katmandu. Yesterday, Sir Edmund Hillary, who's seen as the hero of these celebrations, went around the city. He was mobbed wherever he went. And the Sir -- then Sir Edmund rode about the city in a beautiful horse drawn carriage. You could see the marketplaces here are full of people. Clearly people rejoicing as this anniversary approaches and it's approaching tomorrow.
Now Sir Edmund also spoke this morning to the media. It was his first interaction with the media, and he spoke of his love for the Nepalese people. But he also spoke, Carol, in this caring firm (ph) about Everest. He said Everest is not the mountain he once climbed because now it's been overcome with tourist cords (ph) over the past few days. Sir Edmund has been calling on the Nepalese authorities to restrict the number of visitors and climbers who are being allowed to go up there.
This is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIR EDMUND HILLARY, FIRST MAN TO REACH SUMMIT OF MOUNT EVEREST: When you're climbing the Lhotse Face, when you're having sets (ph) of difficult areas and when you're going on to the south call (ph) and up the southeast ridge, battling perhaps against wind and weather, those are the things that for me are the great moments on the mountain. But just sitting around in a big base camp and knocking back cans of beer, I don't particularly regard as mountaineering.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BINDRA: Now Sir Edmund also spoke about his love for Nepalese climbers here called sherpas. He said for him what mattered more was not just climbing mountains, but trying to help people, trying to build them schools, trying to build them hospitals. In fact, Carol, he also spoke today about his efforts several years ago at the Buldon Air Field (ph) at the base of the Himalayas so tourists could come in and try to improve the economic conditions of the sherpas.
Today, Carol, there has been one accident. Just at the base camp near Everest, one helicopter carrying supplies and people crashed. Two people were killed and five injured. But here in the capital, Katmandu, celebrations are continuing. And tomorrow, the Nepalese government will be honoring several summiteers and the celebrations will close with a gala dinner.
Back to you now.
COSTELLO: All right, Satinder Bindra reporting live from Nepal. And those pictures we saw were the actual crash. We're going to show those pictures again when we get them reracked. Amazing pictures this morning. Thank you, Satinder Bindra.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
