Fiona Adler interviewed by Craig Harper of SEN1116 Sports Radio Melbourne and broadcast live between 10:30 and 11pm on Friday 26 May 2006. Reproduced by permission of SEN1116 Sports Entertainment Network.
This interview was conducted about 6:30pm local time in Nepal, just after Paul, Fiona and Mary reached Pheriche, at the end of their first day’s walk out from Everest Base Camp towards Lukla and home.
Many thanks to the SEN1116 for allowing us to publish this recording here.
Nick Grainger on behalf of Paul and Fi and the site admin team.
Glad you’re all o.k.Hope the walk out is not too tiring.Had drinks with Marg Friday, we toasted your success and safe return to BC.Do those wonderful Sherpa’s speak good English, and what do they do when the climbing season is finished? Safe travelling back to Melbourne, where it is cold and raining.
Donna
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Dear Paul & Fi,
Congratulations on your successful climb. We have enjoyed reading your reports & your messages blog. This is the closest we will ever come to an adventure like this outside of an IMAX theater. We are hoping that some publisher in Oz will choose to put your whole adventure to print, and we will be the first ones in line to get it autographed. In reading these last few emails from you, we are surprised at the distances invloved and personal preparation to climb from the South. We saw that you can actually drive up to BC from the North. Why then would anyone try from the South? Possibly it’s political? Also, when you get a chance, we are hoping you will publish a “lessons learned” tract for all. We are sure that it will be extremely useful. One thing comes to mind: could it be possible to store extra O2 bottles at the top from Camp 4 upward just to take care of situations like what happened to Paul? Also, maybe there could be extra sherpas up there during the season to assist climbers with supplies. We’re thinking of South Pole expeditions that have storage sites along the way. Maybe there could be caches like that at Everest? Or maybe it’s too hard to do all that at altitude. We’ve come up with a novel idea of specially-equipped fixed wing aircraft that could drop supplies from above the summit. Too crazy, huh? Anyway, thanks for the emails & please keep them coming. Finally, could you give us a feeling of how far you have walked from BC before you flew out. It’s seems quite an adventure in itself.
much love & good wishes,
Paula & Steve Dansker
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Hey Fiona and Paul, great to here that you are close to a flushing toilet and hot water! I’m off on Friday to trek Kokoda, so look forward to seeing you out on beach road when you feel like it(could be a little light relief from all your fans!!!) Your adventure has been a fantastic success and I thank for taking all the time and effort to share it with all us arm chair everest summiters!!
Safe travels home. Nat
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Good job well done…I still Haven’t figured out what actually happen with the oxygen…was it equipment failure… Did you get left with half of tank or what??????? VIC!!!
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Nice to hear the interview! You did a great job, Fiona. Thank you Nick, Tim and site admin. team.
MC
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Dear Mary,
Please pass on my congratulations to Fiona and Paul. I am so sorry that Paul didn’t fulfill his dream and will probably be so down hearted but I am so proud of his common sense and ability to say ‘enough’ All the other stupid bastards die or cause major havic.
Well Mary what tales you will have to tell, it should keep us going for years.
I have never heard so many reports on Everest as I have in the last 2 weeks. We have heard Fiona on abc radio, read newspaper article in Sun, and when doing CRT at Brighton Grammar, heard another teacher talking about Paul as a kid and when he visited her house …..so you never know who is around and listening, eh? Didn’t get her name but will check out with a mate of mine, should I get another days work.
Well my life is good, and report time is nearly over. Steven enjoying his new job and Andrew just so ‘on fire’ / motivated with his Police Academy life. We have seen John at Glenda’s …. lovely sunday lunch….
Stay well Mary, and I thought the web site just The Best. Aren’t they fantastic. All the best, Helen Lee
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