FCE Interview 24

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Interviewer: This is Bob Green with another edition of ‘Wild Ones’, the programme about extreme sports. My guest on today’s programme is Ann Hall, a mountain climber. Ann, thanks for being with us today. Now, I’d like to start by asking you how you became interested in such a dangerous sport.

Ann Hall: Well, first I ‘d like to point out that climbing isn’t a dangerous sport, as long as you take it seriously and don’t get too excited. Almost all the people who have accidents are badly prepared, you see, and this gives the sport a bad name, which isn’t really fair.

Interviewer: Is the excitement part of the reason why you are so keen on climbing?

Ann Hall: Only a small part of the reason, if I try to analyse it. The sense of achievement is more important, I suppose. But the main thing is the sensation of being so close to nature, though perhaps that’s not the right way to put it…

Interviewer: I suppose you get a view of mountains that nobody else really sees?

Ann Hall: Yes, that’s very true. But at the same time, if someone dropped me on the top of a mountain with a helicopter, it wouldn’t be the same. Less tiring, maybe, but not the same! It’s knowing that you’ve covered the distance to the top yourself, fighting every inch of the way, what makes you feel so pleased with yourself when you get to the summit.

Interviewer: Have you always been keen on climbing?

Ann Hall: Ever since I was about twelve, when my parents took me on a holiday to the Lake District, and we went walking almost every day. Suddenly, it hit me that I was completely myself when I was in the hills and mountains, and I knew for certain that’s what I wanted to do. I think perhaps everyone has a moment like that in childhood, though whether you can do anything about it later in life is a different matter.

Interviewer: How did your parents feel when it became clear that you were hooked on the sport?

Ann Hall: Very anxious that I should get the proper training and experience, but they’ve never tried to put me off. They were able to support me financially, which was useful. I’m not sure that is exactly what they would have chosen for my occupation in life, but they’ve never said anything.

Interviewer: I’d like to ask you about your last climb, in Peru. It was quite an adventure, wasn’t it?

Ann Hall: Definitely. You see, there’s a mountain there called Siula Grande, and nobody had ever climbed the west face. So there I was, with an old friend called Karen Gold. We’d done lots of climbs before, so I suppose we felt fairly sure of ourselves. Which as any experienced climber will tell you, is naturally when it can get dangerous: you make mistakes when you feel confident that you can do it.

Interviewer: And what exactly happened to you?

Ann Hall: We got lost in a storm and had to spend fourteen hours longer than we had planned on the mountain. Actually, we were fortunate: it could have been a great deal worse. We were told later that storms in that region can last for as much as a week at this time of the year.! While we were huddled together in sub-zero temperatures, wondering if anyone would ever find us, that’s not how it felt Interviewer: Well, I‘m sure we’re all delighted that your adventure turned out happily in the end. Thanks for joining us, and carry on climbing!

Ann Hall: Thank you – I will

Interviewer: This is Bob Green with another edition of ‘Wild Ones’, the programme about extreme sports. My guest on today’s programme is Ann Hall, a mountain climber. Ann, thanks for being with us today. Now, I’d like to start by asking you how you became interested in such a dangerous sport.

Ann Hall: Well, first I ‘d like to point out that climbing isn’t a dangerous sport, as long as you take it seriously and don’t get too excited. Almost all the people who have accidents are badly prepared, you see, and this gives the sport a bad name, which isn’t really fair.

Interviewer: Is the excitement part of the reason why you are so keen on climbing?

Ann Hall: Only a small part of the reason, if I try to analyse it. The sense of achievement is more important, I suppose. But the main thing is the sensation of being so close to nature, though perhaps that’s not the right way to put it…

Interviewer: I suppose you get a view of mountains that nobody else really sees?

Ann Hall: Yes, that’s very true. But at the same time, if someone dropped me on the top of a mountain with a helicopter, it wouldn’t be the same. Less tiring, maybe, but not the same! It’s knowing that you’ve covered the distance to the top yourself, fighting every inch of the way, what makes you feel so pleased with yourself when you get to the summit.

Interviewer: Have you always been keen on climbing?

Ann Hall: Ever since I was about twelve, when my parents took me on a holiday to the Lake District, and we went walking almost every day. Suddenly, it hit me that I was completely myself when I was in the hills and mountains, and I knew for certain that’s what I wanted to do. I think perhaps everyone has a moment like that in childhood, though whether you can do anything about it later in life is a different matter.

Interviewer: How did your parents feel when it became clear that you were hooked on the sport?

Ann Hall: Very anxious that I should get the proper training and experience, but they’ve never tried to put me off. They were able to support me financially, which was useful. I’m not sure that is exactly what they would have chosen for my occupation in life, but they’ve never said anything.

Interviewer: I’d like to ask you about your last climb, in Peru. It was quite an adventure, wasn’t it?

Ann Hall: Definitely. You see, there’s a mountain there called Siula Grande, and nobody had ever climbed the west face. So there I was, with an old friend called Karen Gold. We’d done lots of climbs before, so I suppose we felt fairly sure of ourselves. Which as any experienced climber will tell you, is naturally when it can get dangerous: you make mistakes when you feel confident that you can do it.

Interviewer: And what exactly happened to you?

Ann Hall: We got lost in a storm and had to spend fourteen hours longer than we had planned on the mountain. Actually, we were fortunate: it could have been a great deal worse. We were told later that storms in that region can last for as much as a week at this time of the year.! While we were huddled together in sub-zero temperatures, wondering if anyone would ever find us, that’s not how it felt Interviewer: Well, I‘m sure we’re all delighted that your adventure turned out happily in the end. Thanks for joining us, and carry on climbing!

Ann Hall: Thank you – I will

Interviewer: This is Bob Green with another edition of ‘Wild Ones’, the programme about extreme sports. My guest on today’s programme is Ann Hall, a mountain climber. Ann, thanks for being with us today. Now, I’d like to start by asking you how you became interested in such a dangerous sport.

Ann Hall: Well, first I ‘d like to point out that climbing isn’t a dangerous sport, as long as you take it seriously and don’t get too excited. Almost all the people who have accidents are badly prepared, you see, and this gives the sport a bad name, which isn’t really fair.

Interviewer: Is the excitement part of the reason why you are so keen on climbing?

Ann Hall: Only a small part of the reason, if I try to analyse it. The sense of achievement is more important, I suppose. But the main thing is the sensation of being so close to nature, though perhaps that’s not the right way to put it…

Interviewer: I suppose you get a view of mountains that nobody else really sees?

Ann Hall: Yes, that’s very true. But at the same time, if someone dropped me on the top of a mountain with a helicopter, it wouldn’t be the same. Less tiring, maybe, but not the same! It’s knowing that you’ve covered the distance to the top yourself, fighting every inch of the way, what makes you feel so pleased with yourself when you get to the summit.

Interviewer: Have you always been keen on climbing?

Ann Hall: Ever since I was about twelve, when my parents took me on a holiday to the Lake District, and we went walking almost every day. Suddenly, it hit me that I was completely myself when I was in the hills and mountains, and I knew for certain that’s what I wanted to do. I think perhaps everyone has a moment like that in childhood, though whether you can do anything about it later in life is a different matter.

Interviewer: How did your parents feel when it became clear that you were hooked on the sport?

Ann Hall: Very anxious that I should get the proper training and experience, but they’ve never tried to put me off. They were able to support me financially, which was useful. I’m not sure that is exactly what they would have chosen for my occupation in life, but they’ve never said anything.

Interviewer: I’d like to ask you about your last climb, in Peru. It was quite an adventure, wasn’t it?

Ann Hall: Definitely. You see, there’s a mountain there called Siula Grande, and nobody had ever climbed the west face. So there I was, with an old friend called Karen Gold. We’d done lots of climbs before, so I suppose we felt fairly sure of ourselves. Which as any experienced climber will tell you, is naturally when it can get dangerous: you make mistakes when you feel confident that you can do it.

Interviewer: And what exactly happened to you?

Ann Hall: We got lost in a storm and had to spend fourteen hours longer than we had planned on the mountain. Actually, we were fortunate: it could have been a great deal worse. We were told later that storms in that region can last for as much as a week at this time of the year.! While we were huddled together in sub-zero temperatures, wondering if anyone would ever find us, that’s not how it felt Interviewer: Well, I‘m sure we’re all delighted that your adventure turned out happily in the end. Thanks for joining us, and carry on climbing!

Ann Hall: Thank you – I will

Interviewer: This is Bob Green with another edition of ‘Wild Ones’, the programme about extreme sports. My guest on today’s programme is Ann Hall, a mountain climber. Ann, thanks for being with us today. Now, I’d like to start by asking you how you became interested in such a dangerous sport.

Ann Hall: Well, first I ‘d like to point out that climbing isn’t a dangerous sport, as long as you take it seriously and don’t get too excited. Almost all the people who have accidents are badly prepared, you see, and this gives the sport a bad name, which isn’t really fair.

Interviewer: Is the excitement part of the reason why you are so keen on climbing?

Ann Hall: Only a small part of the reason, if I try to analyse it. The sense of achievement is more important, I suppose. But the main thing is the sensation of being so close to nature, though perhaps that’s not the right way to put it…

Interviewer: I suppose you get a view of mountains that nobody else really sees?

Ann Hall: Yes, that’s very true. But at the same time, if someone dropped me on the top of a mountain with a helicopter, it wouldn’t be the same. Less tiring, maybe, but not the same! It’s knowing that you’ve covered the distance to the top yourself, fighting every inch of the way, what makes you feel so pleased with yourself when you get to the summit.

Interviewer: Have you always been keen on climbing?

Ann Hall: Ever since I was about twelve, when my parents took me on a holiday to the Lake District, and we went walking almost every day. Suddenly, it hit me that I was completely myself when I was in the hills and mountains, and I knew for certain that’s what I wanted to do. I think perhaps everyone has a moment like that in childhood, though whether you can do anything about it later in life is a different matter.

Interviewer: How did your parents feel when it became clear that you were hooked on the sport?

Ann Hall: Very anxious that I should get the proper training and experience, but they’ve never tried to put me off. They were able to support me financially, which was useful. I’m not sure that is exactly what they would have chosen for my occupation in life, but they’ve never said anything.

Interviewer: I’d like to ask you about your last climb, in Peru. It was quite an adventure, wasn’t it?

Ann Hall: Definitely. You see, there’s a mountain there called Siula Grande, and nobody had ever climbed the west face. So there I was, with an old friend called Karen Gold. We’d done lots of climbs before, so I suppose we felt fairly sure of ourselves. Which as any experienced climber will tell you, is naturally when it can get dangerous: you make mistakes when you feel confident that you can do it.

Interviewer: And what exactly happened to you?

Ann Hall: We got lost in a storm and had to spend fourteen hours longer than we had planned on the mountain. Actually, we were fortunate: it could have been a great deal worse. We were told later that storms in that region can last for as much as a week at this time of the year.! While we were huddled together in sub-zero temperatures, wondering if anyone would ever find us, that’s not how it felt Interviewer: Well, I‘m sure we’re all delighted that your adventure turned out happily in the end. Thanks for joining us, and carry on climbing!

Ann Hall: Thank you – I will