Author of "The Lost Explorer: Finding Mallory on Mt. Everest"

iExplore presents

September 21, 2000

Mountaineer Conrad Anker answers questions about his mountain climbing expeditions and his book, "The Lost Explorer: Finding Mallory on Mt. Everest."

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IExplore: Welcome to iExplore! Tonight we are honored to present Conrad Anker, one of the world's most talented mountaineers, and the man responsible for shedding new light on a 76-year-old mystery - did George Mallory reach the summit of Mt. Everest? In 1999, Conrad found Mallory's body on Everest and documented the expedition in his book "The Lost Explorer: Finding Mallory on Mt. Everest". Tonight he will answer questions about his famous discovery and about mountaineering in general. Good evening, Conrad; it's great to have you here.

Conrad Anker: Thank you very much for inviting me to your website!

Birdie: How did you get involved in the Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition?

Conrad Anker: I was invited along by Eric Simonson, the trip leader, and Dave Hahn. And they asked me to participate for the challenge of the second step.

Bob: I have read "Ghosts of Everest" and was thrilled. Will there be a further search for Irvine?

Conrad Anker: I believe there is an expedition leaving this coming March to look for Irvine and the Kodak vest pocket camera.

Big Buddah: Were they ever able to develop the film in the camera they found with the body to determine if he had in fact reached the top and was on his way back down?

Conrad Anker: We did not find the camera in 1999 when the body of George Mallory was found, and the camera is still missing on the mountain.

Boots: How and when did you get started in mountaineering?

Conrad Anker: Fortunately, my parents got me started at a very young age in the Sierra Nevada mountains. My first big climb would be Mt. Rainier when I was 16.

Harold: Do you have a dream climb or expedition you haven't yet done?

Conrad Anker: That's a great question! Thank you, Harold. There is probably several climbs that I would love to go do, but I don't think that there are ones that I will do at this stage of my life. There are challenges that will remain for the future generations. One of these climbs would be the southeast ridge, Annapurna III, and the Nepal Himalayas.

Brig: Are north face expeditions rarer than other attempts?

Conrad Anker: The south ridge of Mt. Everest receives more traffic than the north ridge.

Climbing: What were some of the physical strains suffered from the climb, if any?

Conrad Anker: The greatest challenge for climbing at altitudes is the lack of oxygen. Without oxygen, the body becomes very inefficient. One loses heat very rapidly and the extremities are far more prone to frostbite.

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