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CNN Live Today

Interview With Mountaineer Alan Hinkes

Aired May 28, 2003 - 10:29   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: Meanwhile, an air disaster at the site of another epic battleground pitting man against nature. A helicopter crash this morning near the base camp of Mount Everest on the eve of the 50th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary's historic conquest. Our Satinder Bindra in in Katmandu, and he has the latest -- Satinder, hello.
SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. That crash has certainly dampened the mood here, but festivities continue right now. Daryn, I'm at the British embassy where several summiteers, including Sir Edmund Hillary are being spatted (ph), honored, and toasted. Of course, Sir Hillary is more than just a hero here, he's a legend, and everywhere he has gone, thousands of people have turned up to greet him. Here in Katmandu, actually, Sir Edmund has even been taken around town in a horse-drawn buggy.

Today, Sir Edmund reciprocated the feelings of warmth that he has been given, and he said he was very fond of the Nepalese people, and he even said he had a great time when he was climbing with Nepalese climbers called the Sherpas. This is what Sir Edmund had to say about them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIR EDMUND HILLARY, MOUNTAIN CLIMBER: It has been a great experience, too, for us. For out of the hills have streamed hundreds of our Sherpa friends. Sherpas who we have worked with, Sherpas who have climbed on mountains and many of whom have had families who have died on the mountains. These are all people we admire and respect, Nepalese citizens who are a special breed of people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BINDRA: Now, Daryn, back to that crash this morning. This crash happened when a helicopter carrying supplies and several men just went down in the Himalayan foothills. The crash happened very close to base camp.

This is where several climbers begin their ascent to Everest. Two people were killed and five were injured -- Daryn, back to you now.

KAGAN: Satinder Bindra in Katmandu, thank you for that.

We're going to talk more now about Mount Everest and bring in a guest who is among the climbers who have conquered Mount Everest. He has an incredible goal. Alan Hinkes is a full-time mountaineer. His goal now to become the first Britain to climb the world's highest peaks. I think he has done 12 of 14, and he joins us via videophone from Katmandu.

Hello, thanks for being with us.

ALAN HINKES, MOUNTAINEER: It's a pleasure.

KAGAN: What does the 50th anniversary...

HINKES: You don't often see me dressed.

KAGAN: I know. In a tie? This is definitely a special occasion.

HINKES: It certainly is. I'm not in mountaineering clothes this evening at the British embassy here in Katmandu.

KAGAN: Well, must be a special moment, indeed. Tell us -- to you, personally, as someone who has made mountaineering his life, as someone who made it to the top of Everest back in 1996, what does this anniversary mean to you?

HINKES: Personally, it means quite a lot. It's fantastic to be here with this atmosphere, Sir Edmund Hillary here is a hero. But it's great to see a lot of my friends from all over the world. I'm meeting Pakistani climbing friends, British climbing friends, Russian climbing friends, some of them I haven't met for years. And, of course, all of my Sherpa climbing friends, all my Nepalese friends as well. It's fantastic to be here.

KAGAN: What was it like back in '96 when you reached the summit of Everest?

HINKES: Well, I was actually working as a cameraman for a British television company, believe it or not, so it was a job. I was actually filming. But I did feel humbled and privileged to get to the top of the highest point on the planet. I was very proud.

I don't carry a British flag, like a lot of people do to the top of the summit; I carry a picture of my daughter, Fiona (ph), to the top. Mount Everest, I carried a picture of my daughter Fiona (ph) and her -- and my gran, who was 96 at the time, who was born in 1900, her grant-gran. And I took a picture of me with those photos.

KAGAN: And so it was like taking your daughter and your grandmother to the summit of Everest?

HINKES: Yes, and I thought about them, and then my mind was on the descent. At the moment, Everest is getting sort of denigrated, that it's an easy thing to do, and it isn't easy. Yes, there are people that can help you now to get there if you pay enough money. The Sherpas in particular do a lot of help, and they get paid for it, and that helps the economy in Nepal, but you still have to put one foot in front of the other, and you are still in one of the most dangerous places on the planet. You can't be rescued from the summit of Everest. It's a very, very dangerous place. You could be rescued from the moon, you know, by another spaceship.

There's nothing anyone can do for you on the summit of Everest, or any of these other 8,000 meter peaks. Too high for helicopters, and clearly, you are not going to get a spaceship there. So I think it is a fantastic achievement for anyone to get there, even if they use guides and pay $50,000 to get there.

KAGAN: Let's look at what has happened over the last 50 years on Mount Everest. As you said, by people now, Westerners, especially wanting to climb this mountain. It has done incredible things for the economy of Nepal. But what about what has happened to this mountain? We hear reports of how it's littered with trash, and so many people trying to go up in a single year. Does make you a little bit sad that this mountain has been sacrificed in terms of the ecology?

HINKES: Well, I don't think the ecology has been sacrificed. I think it is aesthetics. It is a symbol, Everest, and we should keep it as clean as possible, and we do. It's a little bit overblown in the media, to be honest, and it is cleaned up now.

But unfortunately -- well, not unfortunately, realistically, wherever man goes, he will change the planet. The Matterhorn in Switzerland is one of the most spectacular mountains, and of course, there is a hotel (ph) at the bottom of it, and Zermatt has expanded, and the Swiss make a lot of money out of the Matterhorn, and it is up to the Nepalese to make a lot of money out of Everest, it is their little gold mine, really.

And climbing Everest isn't affect the ozone layer (ph) at all, and sometimes you have to abandon equipment. It's not worth a human life to go up in a storm to rescue a tent which might be worth $1,000, so you abandon it and then it becomes rubbish. Abandoning equipment is semantics for rubbish. Of course, man went to the moon and abandoned equipment, which is semantics for rubbish.

KAGAN: And just quickly as we wrap this up Alan, as we said, you're trying to become the first British man to summit the 14 tallest peaks in the world. You've done 12. Any desire to do Everest again?

HINKES: Not really. I mean, I only need to do it once. I'm a proper mountaineer, and there are thousands of other mountains in the world. So why repeat Everest? I mean, my life is short. I might as well go and climb a lot of other mountains in the world. There is a lot in the States I would like to do I haven't done yet as well.

KAGAN: Very good. Well, come on over and climb some of our mountains here. A pleasure to have you with us from Katmandu. Alan Hinkes, a proper mountaineer, as he explained so well.

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 - 10:29   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile, an air disaster at the site of another epic battleground pitting man against nature. A helicopter crash this morning near the base camp of Mount Everest on the eve of the 50th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary's historic conquest. Our Satinder Bindra in in Katmandu, and he has the latest -- Satinder, hello.
SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. That crash has certainly dampened the mood here, but festivities continue right now. Daryn, I'm at the British embassy where several summiteers, including Sir Edmund Hillary are being spatted (ph), honored, and toasted. Of course, Sir Hillary is more than just a hero here, he's a legend, and everywhere he has gone, thousands of people have turned up to greet him. Here in Katmandu, actually, Sir Edmund has even been taken around town in a horse-drawn buggy.

Today, Sir Edmund reciprocated the feelings of warmth that he has been given, and he said he was very fond of the Nepalese people, and he even said he had a great time when he was climbing with Nepalese climbers called the Sherpas. This is what Sir Edmund had to say about them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIR EDMUND HILLARY, MOUNTAIN CLIMBER: It has been a great experience, too, for us. For out of the hills have streamed hundreds of our Sherpa friends. Sherpas who we have worked with, Sherpas who have climbed on mountains and many of whom have had families who have died on the mountains. These are all people we admire and respect, Nepalese citizens who are a special breed of people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BINDRA: Now, Daryn, back to that crash this morning. This crash happened when a helicopter carrying supplies and several men just went down in the Himalayan foothills. The crash happened very close to base camp.

This is where several climbers begin their ascent to Everest. Two people were killed and five were injured -- Daryn, back to you now.

KAGAN: Satinder Bindra in Katmandu, thank you for that.

We're going to talk more now about Mount Everest and bring in a guest who is among the climbers who have conquered Mount Everest. He has an incredible goal. Alan Hinkes is a full-time mountaineer. His goal now to become the first Britain to climb the world's highest peaks. I think he has done 12 of 14, and he joins us via videophone from Katmandu.

Hello, thanks for being with us.

ALAN HINKES, MOUNTAINEER: It's a pleasure.

KAGAN: What does the 50th anniversary...

HINKES: You don't often see me dressed.

KAGAN: I know. In a tie? This is definitely a special occasion.

HINKES: It certainly is. I'm not in mountaineering clothes this evening at the British embassy here in Katmandu.

KAGAN: Well, must be a special moment, indeed. Tell us -- to you, personally, as someone who has made mountaineering his life, as someone who made it to the top of Everest back in 1996, what does this anniversary mean to you?

HINKES: Personally, it means quite a lot. It's fantastic to be here with this atmosphere, Sir Edmund Hillary here is a hero. But it's great to see a lot of my friends from all over the world. I'm meeting Pakistani climbing friends, British climbing friends, Russian climbing friends, some of them I haven't met for years. And, of course, all of my Sherpa climbing friends, all my Nepalese friends as well. It's fantastic to be here.

KAGAN: What was it like back in '96 when you reached the summit of Everest?

HINKES: Well, I was actually working as a cameraman for a British television company, believe it or not, so it was a job. I was actually filming. But I did feel humbled and privileged to get to the top of the highest point on the planet. I was very proud.

I don't carry a British flag, like a lot of people do to the top of the summit; I carry a picture of my daughter, Fiona (ph), to the top. Mount Everest, I carried a picture of my daughter Fiona (ph) and her -- and my gran, who was 96 at the time, who was born in 1900, her grant-gran. And I took a picture of me with those photos.

KAGAN: And so it was like taking your daughter and your grandmother to the summit of Everest?

HINKES: Yes, and I thought about them, and then my mind was on the descent. At the moment, Everest is getting sort of denigrated, that it's an easy thing to do, and it isn't easy. Yes, there are people that can help you now to get there if you pay enough money. The Sherpas in particular do a lot of help, and they get paid for it, and that helps the economy in Nepal, but you still have to put one foot in front of the other, and you are still in one of the most dangerous places on the planet. You can't be rescued from the summit of Everest. It's a very, very dangerous place. You could be rescued from the moon, you know, by another spaceship.

There's nothing anyone can do for you on the summit of Everest, or any of these other 8,000 meter peaks. Too high for helicopters, and clearly, you are not going to get a spaceship there. So I think it is a fantastic achievement for anyone to get there, even if they use guides and pay $50,000 to get there.

KAGAN: Let's look at what has happened over the last 50 years on Mount Everest. As you said, by people now, Westerners, especially wanting to climb this mountain. It has done incredible things for the economy of Nepal. But what about what has happened to this mountain? We hear reports of how it's littered with trash, and so many people trying to go up in a single year. Does make you a little bit sad that this mountain has been sacrificed in terms of the ecology?

HINKES: Well, I don't think the ecology has been sacrificed. I think it is aesthetics. It is a symbol, Everest, and we should keep it as clean as possible, and we do. It's a little bit overblown in the media, to be honest, and it is cleaned up now.

But unfortunately -- well, not unfortunately, realistically, wherever man goes, he will change the planet. The Matterhorn in Switzerland is one of the most spectacular mountains, and of course, there is a hotel (ph) at the bottom of it, and Zermatt has expanded, and the Swiss make a lot of money out of the Matterhorn, and it is up to the Nepalese to make a lot of money out of Everest, it is their little gold mine, really.

And climbing Everest isn't affect the ozone layer (ph) at all, and sometimes you have to abandon equipment. It's not worth a human life to go up in a storm to rescue a tent which might be worth $1,000, so you abandon it and then it becomes rubbish. Abandoning equipment is semantics for rubbish. Of course, man went to the moon and abandoned equipment, which is semantics for rubbish.

KAGAN: And just quickly as we wrap this up Alan, as we said, you're trying to become the first British man to summit the 14 tallest peaks in the world. You've done 12. Any desire to do Everest again?

HINKES: Not really. I mean, I only need to do it once. I'm a proper mountaineer, and there are thousands of other mountains in the world. So why repeat Everest? I mean, my life is short. I might as well go and climb a lot of other mountains in the world. There is a lot in the States I would like to do I haven't done yet as well.

KAGAN: Very good. Well, come on over and climb some of our mountains here. A pleasure to have you with us from Katmandu. Alan Hinkes, a proper mountaineer, as he explained so well.

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