Tico Mountaineer to Broadcast Live from Mount
Everest
March 20, 2012
Warner Rojas, a mountain climber and adventurer,
wants people in Costa Rica to follow him to the
Himalayas as he becomes the first Tico to plant the
flag at the summit of the Everest.
Starting on March 27, Warner will begin broadcasting
his voyage and arduous climb online and on
television thanks to an array of digital
broadcasting tools he will be carrying along.
The special broadcast will begin even before Rojas
sets foot in the Nepal mountain range. When he
arrives in Kathmandu on Monday, March 26th, Teletica
expects to broadcast updates on its Telenoticias
news show at 7 pm and 11 pm each day.
A High-Tech Climb
According to La Nacion, Warner Rojas will travel to
Nepal soon, taking with him the following gadgets:
- Portable computer
- Two iPhones
- Two high-definition Flip cameras
- A solar battery charger
- A few USB wireless broadband modems (known by
Ticos as
Luis Ortiz, one of the journalists assigned to this
unique project, explained to La Nacion that there
are eight 3G wireless towers near the Everest that
Warner will be able to connect to. Whenever Warner
is within range of these towers, he will launch a
Skype session to broadcast live. At other times, the
portable computer Warner will allow him to take
photos via its integrated web cam. Should Warner not
be able to find a 3G signal, he will continue
recording his climb and transmitting the output as
time and conditions allow.
Warner has explained that the electronic gear he
will be carrying weighs about a kilogram and a half,
and that at times he will have to use his own body
heat to ensure that the extreme cold weather does
not damage the equipment. The expeditionary firm
that is coordinating the climb, Jagged Globe, will
be taking along an expensive camera that can serve
as back up for Warner.
Eton boys aim high with mission to fly Olympic
flag from Everest
March 20, 2012
Eight Eton schoolboys are preparing to travel more
than 4,600 miles to Everest in a bid to fly an
Olympic flag from the mountain for the first time.
The group — the youngest member is 13 — will leave
for Kathmandu on Thursday. They will be greeted by
the British ambassador in the Nepalese capital
before beginning an 18-day trek to Everest base
camp.
There the flag will be handed to sherpa Phurba Tashi,
who has completed the challenge 19 times. He will
then attempt to carry it to the summit, 8,850 metres
up, by early May. Expedition leader Serena
Brocklebank, an Eton “dame” or house mistress, said
the idea came about after the boys said they wanted
to go an expedition to Everest.
When they heard that the British embassy in Nepal
wanted to take a flag to the top of the mountain
they decided to combine the two ideas.
Miss Brocklebank, who used to live in Nepal where
she worked as vice consul for three years and as an
expedition leader for two, said: “The boys very much
wanted to do an Everest base camp trip anyway but we
thought ‘what better way to celebrate London 2012
than by taking a flag from a low altitude venue to
the highest altitude in the world.”
Eton’s rowing centre at Dorney Lake near Windsor is
the venue for the rowing and kayak events in the
Olympic and Paralympics.
Tommaso Cuniberti, 15, Ned Kenwright, 14, Alastair
Revell, 15, Benedict Burgess-Smith, 15, Olav Dyvik
Henke, 15, Magnus Burgess-Smith, 13, Timothy
Rawlinson, 14, and Fred Parry, 15, are due to set
off on the expedition.
Accompanying them will be teachers Dr Ed Russell and
Nick Leathers.
Magnus said: “It’s not really that daunting being
the youngest, but I’ve not done something like this
before. I’ve been training hard running and doing
sport at school.
“It will be quite an experience. I can’t wait to get
back and when people ask me what I did over Easter
I’ll be able to say, ‘I went to Everest’. ”
Alastair, who has climbed Kilimanjaro in Tanzania,
said: “Going to base camp will be pretty good. I’ve
heard there are some pretty good monasteries as
well.
“We’ll get the flag to base camp and I’m pretty sure
it’ll get to the top.”
Missing US trekker's mom pleads for proper
investigation
March 16, 2012
Missing US trekker Aubrey Caroline Sacco's mother
Connie Sacco has urged the Nepal government and its
concerned authorities for the proper investigation
of her daughter's disappearance.
Organising a press conference in Kathmandu
Wednesday, Connie Sacco complained that police were
not doing proper investigation to find her daughter,
who had gone missing from Lama hotel of the Langtang
trekking route in Rasuwa district since 22 April,
2010.
"Unless we get the facts, we family members believe
she is alive," she said at press conference.
The family members visited Nepal four times, after
her disappearance, to pressure the Nepali
authorities to find the whereabouts of Aubrey, 25.
She also informed that the high ranking police
officers have expressed commitment to do everything
possible to find out her whereabaouts, but no
progress has been made in the last two years.
"We were asked by them if my government would supply
techonology to help police in the investigation,"
she said, adding, "The US government has authorised
the assistance, but the authorities are not
accepting the help."
She also warned that if Aubrey is not found soon we
will summon the international press and social media
and organise an international "awareness campaign"
on the "true danger of traveling to Nepal".
FIFA chief wraps up two-day Nepal trip
March 11, 2012
President of the football's governing body, FIFA,
Joseph Sepp Blatter, left for India, completing a
two-day visit to Nepal on Friday.
Blatter, who arrived in Kathmandu Thursday afternoon
on a private jet, attended the opening ceremony of
the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup
at the Dashrath Stadium in the evening.
Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, who inaugurated
the tournament, and leaders of the political parties
and ministers also went to the stadium to watch
Nepal vs. Palestine match. Nepal lost the match to
Palestine 2-0.
The FIFA chief today announced US$ 400,000 grant
assistance, which also included his personal
contribution, for the development of football in
Nepal. A portion of the assistance will go into
promotion of women's football. Speaking at a
programme organised by the All Nepal Football
Association (ANFA), Blatter said he was encouraged
by the football scene in Nepal. |