MM: "You've just come back from an attempt on Makalu. You saw my mom there for a short time. What were your impressions?" Ed: "It's amazing to share space with somebody like her--it's almost like I'm back at home with my own mom!" MM: "Easy there Ed. She can only be mom for one family." Ed: (laughs) "Right, sorry." MM: "You've made ascents of 12 of the world's 14 peaks that are over 8000 metres. That's quite an accomplishment. After this trip, my mom will have successfully summitted 9 of these peaks without the assistance of oxygen. Do you feel threatened at all?" Ed: "No, not at all." MM: "Even though she's almost a senior citizen?" Ed: "I am baffled. I never would have believed that somebody could do [that] with so little effort. Not that she doesn't seem to try, but it seems to come naturally to her, the way she ambles up each peak." MM: "Some people have recently characterized your ascents as being slow and seige style." Ed: "Everyone has their own way of doing things. I don't really feel as though I am in competition with anyone." MM: "On your most recent attempt of Nuptse, you were turned back after 11 weeks of effort. That must have been hard."

Ed: "What can I say. Sometimes the mountain isn't ready to let you summit." MM: "My mom made her first ascent of that peak while you were there." Ed: "Yes, that was the first time I met her. At first I thought she was one of our sherpas that hadn't shown up at base camp." MM: "What's that supposed to mean?" Ed: (laughs) "Oh, I don't mean anything by it. You would have to have been there to understand--she is very short compared to most of the people who venture into that sort of country. It's unheard of for a lady that age to be hanging around a high camp. Most people mistake her for a porter at first."

MM: "Until she bakes something, right?" Ed: (laughs) "She's a phenomenal baker. Her cinnamon rolls are the best I've ever had." MM: "What's that supposed to mean?" Ed: "Sorry, what?" MM: "Nevermind. Were you suprised that she made her ascent while you were waiting around for good weather?" Ed: "[The whole camp] was completely surprised. There was a clearing that day, but we figured that the window was too small to make a summit bid. I guess we were wrong." MM: "My mom has a "fast and light" approach to the big peaks. Do you think that this style is what gives her success where you have consistently met with failure in the past?" Ed: "Like I said. Everyone has their own way of doing things. It's not a competition." MM: "One of your biggest sponsors, The North Face, has approached my mom, asking her to be a product representative. Do you think that you might be replaced as the "I'm Just A Regular Joe Who Climbs Mountains"? Ed: "I hadn't heard that. I suppose it would cross my mind." MM: "Do you feel threatened by that?" Ed: "No." MM: "You recently had a bit part in a movie The Vertical Limit. Do you think that my mom's coming to the attention of the climbing media will reduce your chances of getting those kind of roles in the future?" Ed: "I don't know." MM: "Well, people are now naturally more interested in what she does rather than what you do. It's partly because she is a grandmother, but also because she is such a natural in the mountains, as you yourself said. Do you feel threatened by that?" Ed: "By a senior citizen? No, not really." Whoa Ed, keep the claws in your mittens! The rest of the interview was less than topical, so I figured I would stop the transcription here. Ed later apologized for his comments and wished my mom the best of luck on her bid to follow Reinhold Messener's lead--summitting the world's highest peaks without oxygen.

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