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Presents Ski Everest Autumn 2000 !
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Interview
with Elizabeth Hawley, American Reuters correspondent
in Nepal
A
big thing - if he makes it!
For
9 a.m., a visit by the famous Himalayan chronologist,
a 77-year-old American lady, Elizabeth Hawley, was
announced. All mountaineers attempting the Nepalese or
Tibetan section of the Himalaya need to see her before
and after the expedition, and answer a number of
questions. There she came, in an age-old light blue VW
Beetle, and first shook hands with Davo Karnicar. He
then started to fill in the forms, sitting at a hotel
table, and answer the lady's numerous questions, which
were at times almost annoyingly detailed. She wanted
to know all about the team, the load, the time
schedule, as well as how many expedition members aim
at reaching the summit. 'Hopefully all six,' was
Karnicar's reply.
What
do you think of Karnicar's plan of a first
top-to-bottom ski descent of Everest?
[Elizabeth
Hawley] It
will be very interesting to watch how he's
progressing. I believe that there is chance for
success, yet not 100%, which, I am sure, he is aware
of. But it will be a very very big thing if he makes
it.
Which
are the main reasons that nobody succeeded so far?
[Elizabeth
Hawley] First
of all it's the snow conditions. I remember the shots
made by the Japanese, who, though, didn't ski from the
top. It was terrible - he lost control of the skis,
halted very near to a precipice, and that only with
the help of a parachute. I wonder how Karnicar is
going to control the skis.
How
many mountaineers attempt skiing extremely high
mountains?
[Elizabeth
Hawley] Very
very few. There have been a few ski descents from Cho
Oyu, from Manaslu... yet those were most often not
complete ski descents, since most of the mountaineers
at times took skis off.
What's
your opinion about Slovenian mountaineers?
[Elizabeth
Hawley] I
have a deep respect for them, they are very well
prepared. Tomaz Humar definitely ranks among the top
mountaineers in the world.
Dispatches
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