Nando Parrado Interviewed by Geoff Powter
From the 2006 BMFF Program: Stranded on a snow-packed ridge in the Andes in 1972, Nando Parrado was among 28 survivors of a violent plane crash. After a gruelling 61 days at the wreckage, he and a teammate trekked for 10 days out of the mountains to seek help. This story became a worldwide sensation with the publication of Piers Paul Read’s best-selling chronicle "Alive," and the release of the Hollywood film of the same name. A Uruguayan television personality, amateur race-car driver, and successful businessman, Parrado leads a life that reflects the philosophy he developed as a survivor. This year he has told his own tale in the superbly readable memoir "Miracle in the Andes," and he brings this story of courage and survival to the 2006 Banff Mountain Festival.
Follow the Banff Centre:
Website: banffcentre.ca
Facebook: / thebanffcentre
Twitter: / thebanffcentre
iTunes: apple.co/1A2DMmx
SoundCloud: / banff-centre-radio
This is how a real man looks like
Nando Parrado is one of the most amazing men alive
@J Moore He has the right to be one, this man went through the unthinkable!
And Roberto Canessa 💜
Brave men
*Fernando
Let me correct you, he IS the most amazing man to ever be alive..
It's so amazing how he went into a coma, woke up 3 days after the plane crash and was still considered one of strogest to make the 37 mile moutain hike to find help. He had the will power to keep going to save himself and his friends.
trully amazing, without his strong spirit they will all be dead waiting for nothing. what a strong man.
I think that was an "advantage." The first days were some of the worst, as the survivors witnessed passengers agonizing.
@@fastica Waking up and trying to help his sister but seeing her pass away doesn’t seem like an advantage to me. He was very fortunate that his friends looked out for him. Btw, they found out later that his skull had been fractured in three places from the crash.
Add to that the fact that he lost his mom and sister there. Anyone else could have been too depressed just because of that.
His answers are so beautiful, full of wisdom, humbleness and encouragement.
never have i ever had so much respect for a human.
I read his book, Miracle In The Andes and it’s the best book about survival situations I’ve ever read. The epilogue alone is worth the price of the book. Long story short, he wasn’t really interested in writing a book but eventually after giving a speech to a large group, he realized that a lot of people suffering from psychological stress benefited from listening to him. Just an amazing person.
50 miles thru the Andes mountains in winter without never even have touched snow, holly will power , those guys went into superhuman mode.
Computer Simulated Atomic Coded Reality yup
37 miles
City boys who grew up in tropical Montevideo and most of them never stepped foot in the wild. The fact that any of them survived the treacherous Andes shows just how adaptable the human spirit really is.
@@Felamine What are you talking about? Montevideo is NOT tropical. It is mild comparing to other colder parts of the world, but is not tropical either!!!
Montevideo is not tropical.
I would so love to meet this man. What a HERO, in the true sense of the word. To have walked that distance, in sub zero temperatures, over the almost vertical Andes MOUNTAINS ffs, wearing basically layers of summer clothes and rugby shoes….after surviving a plane crash, near death, head injury and coma, starvation and malnutrition….I mean, it’s the stuff of legend. Legend. And to be able to talk about it so descriptively and articulately in a language that is not his first language…amazing. Standing applause.
I've thought the same thing. There are very few people I actually care about meeting. Nando and Roberto are two that I would love to meet
I think and felt the same , what a strength they had, true warriors of life , hats off
Having seen this interview after seeing "Society of the Snow" on Netflix, I can truly say I feel everyone on that plane were heroes. Each doing all they could to the limit of their powers. That said to do what Nando and Roberto did during those ten days from the crash site to civilization that takes a special superpower. I feel it takes drive and purpose, and both of them had it. You can see it in Nando's eyes there is something else there. I don't know why this story keeps coming back into my life at various crossroads, but it does. I feel I have lessons to learn from what these boys endured. I feel I have to learn from them what my life will be. Where I'm going. What I'm doing. I only know they are all prophets of a sort. They've gone to the mountain and come back to teach us.
Same here I have been fascinated with this story and I too believe I came across this movie to learn and to grow in this life. We can either ask why me why this or that, wollow in pity or keep going and fighting with all we have
So much respect for this guy and everyone involved in this incident. Mr. Parrado is a hero and an amazing human being. Wishing him all the happiness and love in the world.
I think this man, Roberto Canessa, & the rest of the survivors that speak on the topic still are so fascinating and incredible human beings. I'd love to sit down and pick there brains. There story's are absolutely incredible and insane and inspiring
What an amazing man. Nando Parrado, speaks with so much power. Life is so simple but we ask so much out of life when you don't need much to live.
CoolPixx23 totally spoiled.
I've met him about twenty years ago and it's the most simple and kind person you could ever know, a truly real hero. I had the privilege to go shotgun with him in a sport track day. Awesome guy
Lucky guy ! I'm french and unfortunetly, I will never meet him. I would have love to.
he and canesa are really superheroes that thanks to them there's more than 100 more people alive and still more to come!!
I would love to have the opportunity to meet Nando
What Canessa and Parrado did was the final link in the chain of heroic actions each one of the survivors and many of the deceased performed in the mountains. They are all heroes. It's just Parrado's been in the public eye for 50 years, and the others came out of their silence only 30 years after the tragedy. Btw, as the survivors say, 'Alive' is not the real story. Nando was not the leader of the group. The main leaders were the Strauch cousins, who are barely featured in the film.
@@Adifgreatwhat about in society of the snow, I think that depicted the event properly. Nando and roberto were motivated by others that climbed the mountains before them and numa was also a big motivator.
That 16 of these guys survived is one of the most amazing stories of the 20th century.
It is impossible NOT to like this man. Same goes for Roberto.
Just finished watching Society of the Snow. Everyone on the plane who died helped the other ones to survive by providing nourishment. They are all heroes.
If Fernando Parrado and Roberto Canesa did not walk 10 DAYS in the worst conditions none of them would survive
@@nidiaalarcon4852 There was still a possibility that someone in a plane might spot them but yes, they probably would have all eventually died.
They will be talking about this man 1000 years from now when most people will be forgotten and the reason is contained in this soft spoken interview.
Yes, but not just him. They all contributed to their survival
So much respect for this man. Just amazing God bless all the survivors
“It was tough maybe the understatement of the century”…..😂😂😂😂😂
Nando querido, tu emoción en el final, recordando lo que te dijo Canessa en el hospital, me emociona completamente.
Wow excellent interview. I'm overwhelmed and speechless.
That's the spirit of a true MAN!
Wow, Wow, wow. What an incredibly moving and inspiring interview. His humility, his love, and his wisdom are so apparent.
Wow this interview gives me strength 💪 ❤but very sad 😔
Good interviewer. He asked the right questions and then let the interviewee talk.
Unimaginable courage. And a sensitive, compassionate interviewer.
I am Venezuelan. i had travelled so many miles. Now i am in Chile. So tired.. so down...so helpless. i wanted to give so many times. i imagine that Nando, Canessa, Paez,... and the team are here at my side. They say : What happens to you Julio? DON'T GIVE UP! and i begin to walk again, step by step.. till Venezuela be free!
Hope you are ok 🙏🏾❤
Julio estas bien? Tu commentario se ha quedado conmigo......and I'm just checking on you. ❤🙏 Espero que te encuentres bien.
Amen. Así sea
There are no words to convey the amount of reverence I have for Nando Parrado.
This is the most incredible story ever
By far this is one of the greatest survival stories in history hands down this is definitely a very good strong test of the human spirit as long as your still breathing you still have a chance no matter the situation. I have a ton of admiration for Nando Parrado he is a one of a kind man he proved that nothing is ever impossible as long as you have the will to make it possible
The only other story of survival i can compare to it, is the miners trapped miles underground a few years ago...
That is another good one too it proves the human spirit is quite amazing no matter the circumstances
Yes, one of for sure, Shackleton and his crew's survival after Endurance sank in Antarctica is also one.
imagine after surviving that surreal experience, there is no Challenge too hard enough for them to conquer.
👍💞I love this guy. He is a teacher of life for all who are ready to learn! I thought I had problems before watching this video. Now I realize I am blessed, there is no problem(s). My perspective of things is totally changed. Thank you. I'm grateful!
Reading about what he went through and how he inspired courage amongst the crew to never give up, ever. This man is a legend.
That last bit made me cry. I can just imagine that last interaction, triumph mixed with sorrow, after being through so much. May they continue to live their beautiful lives to the fullest because if there was ever 2 people more deserving of it its those 2,
This is how I imagine a real leader sounds. Nothing comes close to this.
But he wasn't the leader of the group. The leaders and strategists were the Strauch cousins, who, like most of the passengers on that plane, weren't part of the rugby team.
The documentary “Alive” was absolutely riveting. Very well done. It Will hold your attention from beginning to end.
This guy is a Miracle X 100 !.........by the Grace of God.
Extraordinary Man, Nando Parrado, The will to live, incredible story in modern history.
Love you, Nando. Forever.
Beautiful soul Nando ❤️
"everything happens if you wait long enough".....wise words
Mr Nando Parrado has been an inspiration and a hero to me since I found out his story and the other survivors and victim's story when I first watched the movie Alive as a teen in the 90s. I've since educated myself much better on this tragedy by reading the books and watching the interviews with survivors and the rescuers. Nando was a hero, despite what he says about it being fear that drove him aswell as the need to get home to his father. He and Roberto and all of the other 14 who lived along with those who died were amazing courageous people, their strength in the face of such terror and suffering was incredible. It makes me feel embarrassed about how soft and babied so many people are in our society today.
He lost his sister and mother and had to live metres away from their dead bodies lying in the snow for months....
He saved them all
Was obsessed by the 1993 film (which got great reviews where I live) and also the book back in the day. Nando is so selfless. Amazing to watch. Thank you for sharing!
Have you read Nando’s book? It’s amazing.
@@carlosue5472 Actually no, but thanks for the tip.
In 'Alive', the facts and characters were changed in order to give Ethan Hawke's character the role of the 'superhero' who saves the whole group on his own. Parrado wasn't the leader of the group, the actual leaders were the Strauch cousins, who are barely featured in the movie. And like this one, there are a lot of major omissions. What took this men out of the Andes was teamwork, and this is not portrayed in the film at all. That's why the survivors say 'Alive' is not the real story, and call it 'the Disney version'.
I have either forgotten this, or had no idea. Thanks for letting me know. @@Adifgreat
@@club1fan552 My pleasure. Allow me to recommend... - the book 'Society of the Snow' (or 'The Snow Society') - the documentary 'Documental La Sociedad de la Nieve' (with English subtitles). Btw, there's also a new film called 'Society of the Snow' that will be released soon. The survivors and the families of the deceased say this one is the real story. The teaser is already on KZhead.
the Legend.
Amazing such a hero ❤❤seems inconceivable...what strength. This story will always be remembered.
Probably the most extraordinary man alive. E very true and real hero. We live in a time and a world where "achievement" is to find a place to your car at the mall's parking lot, a "feat" is to be able to inclose yourself while "someone else" fights climate or biologic tragedies. This man survived extreme weather with no real food and nothing close to apropriate clothing, bare feet, no map. He managed to find the way out AND led the rescue team to save his friends. I'm grateful he wrote his book telling the whole story by his own words and, most of all, eventually revealed the "secret" of how could he accomplish it all.
You're a hero for sure! This story has stuck with me ever since the movie first came out. I watch it over and over again, and lots of your interviews. Read the book a couple times too. The courage to keep fighting no matter how cold and hungry you are.
Great Interview. Nando Parrado narrated life as puzzle with various kinds of pieces and human potential will be explored based on to situation. He has pointed about the reality of life and pointed to Live Today with love. Choice of accepting the risk of the game is in your hand. His words are simple and practical, coming out of his hard experience.
unfortunately, this was not a great interview.
Thanks to this man he would not lie down and die he did not give up. We can never say what we wont do until we've been in a situation like theirs. God has given us the supernatural will power survive and thank goodness they persevered to save their friends. ❤
Word without this brave man all of them would die he was the one with the strength
Nando my favourite of that whole serie of all these real life heroes stories
Keep moving forward
Wonderful interview. Thank you.
Amazing story of survival.
Man, that was actually superhuman attitude and you people actually are and still the most humble people. Lots of love and huge respect ! 🙏 Namaste from india
What an inspiration this man is.🙏
Cuanto te admiro Nando, sos un Héroe aunque no te guste eso, hacia un día había cumplido 13 años, cuando sucedió la tragedia, después la magnífica Odisea de caminar junto a otro Héroe Canessa, son 16 Héroes para mi, atesoro el libro Viven como el más importante de mi vida, escucho a todos xque son todos importantes y cada uno vivió y sintió cosas distintas aunque lucharan x lo mismo y se mantuvieran unidos para la misma esperanza de salir, espero algún día lograr darte una abrazo ó quizás cruzarme con alguno de los chicos, sigo diciendo chicos xque en mi corazón, son chicos!!!
Muy buena entrevista. Nando un maestro!
I don't know English I posted this incident on tamil youtube I saw on the channel my heart is broken Your mental courage is the reason you are coming back and I express my deepest condolences to your friends section
I'm a big fan of Nando Parrado
Love this man
Very interesting and precious interview. Thank You Senior Parrado and other amazing survivors for Yours beautiful courage, strength and everything what You've done...🙏💓
fantastic survivor
Unfortunately, for many years this event was mostly known in the world because of the film 'Alive', a completely distorted version of the facts. And even worse, many of the videos on this incident are based on that movie. The survivors dislike it because it's a very superficial and unrealistic depiction. While in 'Alive', Ethan Hawke's character is the 'superhero' and the other surviving passengers are practically passive spectators; in reality, all of them had a crucial role in their struggle for survival. The main leaders and strategists were the Strauch cousins, but as the survivors say, each of them was a leader depending on the moment and the skills needed during the 72 days they were trapped in the Andes.
How are they the main leaders wasn't this guy the 1 that made it to the safety to find help
@joydarling314 They functioned as a well-organised society. The group was divided into planning, logistics and expeditionaries. The three cousins were in charge of the planning, the ones who organised all the actions necessary for the group's survival. Their leadership is recognised by all of the survivors. Parrado was one of the several expeditionaries, who were the legs of the group, and enjoyed some 'privileges': eating as much as they wanted, choosing the best and warmest clothing, sleeping in the warmest and most comfortable places, not having to do any chores in or around the fuselage ... Their minds were always on the expeditions. The other members of the group, including the injured, were in charge of the logistics.
@@joydarling314 It was a collective, team effort. A relay race. Nando Parrado was important to the story, yes, but he was one of many who were all critical. It's a lot of what makes the story so fascinating, frankly - a surprisingly large number of them responded very, very well to the situation, and they were all quite skilled at playing off of each other. I can easily pull out six names of people who were leaders of the group - and if I were going to try to rank them heirarchically (which a silly idea but is theoretically possible) Nando Parrado, while critical to their making it out and a mind-blowingly impressive and interesting man, would land somewhere in the bottom half of that group of six leaders. I could also make a list of leaders that was at least 15 people long, and quite likely 17 people long. Or just abandon that exercise and call it a very impressive collective effort, which is likely the response the survivors would tell you is closest to accurate. Simplifying the story into Nando (and Roberto) climbed the mountain and saved their friends is a real pity, for all that it makes a good story - The actual full story is so much more interesting and complex.
5 of the 16 survivors read the script to Alive and were present throughout the filming of the movie in 1992
@@Evenflow-us1py All the survivors read the script when it was sent to them for review, the only right they had by contract since none of them were consulted by the scripwriter. After several days gathered at Gustavo Zerbino's house pointing out all the things they disagreed with, they sent the script back to the studios in the stipulated frame time, but got as a response that the filming had already started three days before. The survivors have always stated that 'Alive' is a fictionalised story that does not convey the feelings nor the values experienced in the Andes Cordillera. And the victims' families don't like that film either.
Trekking through the snow om gosh .. amazing person
I wish and pray that I meet him and Mr. Canezza in my life. One day at least one time.
God willing, I will get to pay my respect and visit the crash site this January 2021. I read his book, twice. I admire him, and the rest of the survivors since 1976 when I saw the first movie. It would be an honor to meet them all.
Just curious if you managed to make your trip? I watched a few videos of trips to the crash site and hope to do it as well someday.
did you go, finally ? in january 2021 ?
@@mako88sb unfortunately the border as of today is still close, so I'm hopeful 2022 ( 50th anniversary) I can go .
@@nathalietravers hi no the border is still close, hopefully 2022 (50th anniversary). I have to say my book collection on this event is growing. But I would like to read more about the flight crew also.
Hi did you go?
VENGA A VISITARNOS A HOUSTON TEXAS !! 🇺🇸😭🙏
Nando and Canessa saved us.
The incident of Nando in crash was drastically so motivating
Tragic story....but great ASMR
How did they escape losing fingers, toes etc to frostbite, without any gloves and boots? Even Everest climbers suffer this fate with the best equipment.
will spirit, a strong one.
They made gloves and clothes. Evwn a sleeping bag out of the material of the plane seats.
Awareness that it was a death sentence if it happened helped. As did rubbing each other's hands and feet for multiple hours at a time, peeing on their hands, peeing into the rubber liner of a rugby ball as a urinal and then holding it for the warmth, jumping up and down on top of each other and/or literally beating each other all night to keep blood circulating, putting their own hands and the person next to them's feet on their bellies under their clothes at night, luck, hugging each other, being careful, improvised gloves, multiple pairs of socks. The expeditionaries took the best boots available, for obvious reasons. Also, at least three people did get frostbite from the first night on the glacier, though only one of those three survived the first night and she died on day 8.
They hit each other to mske the Blood run. Besides the Everest us higher
Héroe real!!!!
❄ Society of The Snow ❄ brought me here. Who's same with me?
I like it way better than the 1993 movie Alive. It was more detailed.
I love how Society of the Snow has opened up this story for a whole new generation
It's not being cold. There wasn't great understanding back then. You can't cry bc your nervous system is stuck in sympathetic mode. You are in survival mode indefinitely as you are constantly in a hostile environment that's threatening your survival. All other functions that are not essential to your survival are shut down. Crying, relaxing are not essential at that point. It's not a choice, it's physiology of trauma They were privileged children which was both good and bad for them. On the good side they were in excellent physical conditions as a result of good quality of life their whole lives. Other members of the same society didn't have that. Having had a privileged upbringing also meant they were naive on some things. I remember the rescue pilot told them they survived bc they didn't know it was not possible to do what they did. When you have lived a life having good possibilities you have the experience that everything is possible. Again other less privileged members of society had the opposite experiences like working several jobs and not being able to sustain your family or any other form of constant adversity. On the bad side of the same privilege when you are used to things going your way and bad things being only momentarily but with a happy ending, it's your first time and at a huge one. Not good. There's a saying in Uruguay about life not looking the same from the palace and from the poorest parts of the realm. I think it was a huge factor here. Their previous experiences of everything working out eventually and lack of experiences of prolonged adversity was key for them to survive
Maybe the reason why numa cried at his last moment 😢
There is no answer to lifes mysteries. Thats what he is saying. Even after such am extreme experience he never got an answer to that why? I have accepted that. Just do your best every day. Thats a you can do.
there is no answer Nando because it was gods will...i,d like to see Carlitos interviewed
I would love to go to the crash site to pay my respects to the 29 who died on the mountain and Javier whose ashes are there now. There was only 1 victim who was taken from the mountain and that was Rapheal Echavvean (excuse spelling) about a year after the tragedy I believe.
José Luis 'Coche' Iniciarte died from cancer on 27 July 2023. The young man you mention is Rafael Echavarren.
What is the Name of book which Nando Parrado write can someone tell me??
Muda Sir it’s on Amazon. Just type his name. It will pop up.
Miracle in the Andes: by Nando Parrado. Canessa wrote I had to Survive.
Pancho Hernandez thank you man
Julio Rodriguez thank you
Muda Sir you’re very welcome
I would like to know how they overcame PTSD..
From Nando’s book, he mentioned that many doctors thought they would need lifelong counselling. However, they mostly relied on each other through rough spells. One of them developed a drug addiction and some of the survivors did an interdiction to help him overcome it. They get together, as much as possible, every anniversary of their rescue.
Every one of them took it differently. Bobby François hasn’t stepped foot on a plane since the flight from Chile to Uruguay in 1972.
Sin palabras Nando Parrado pura sabiduria
The interviewer is not connected and Nando realized it and he was very uncomfortable through the interview. The wrong questions were asked and whenever Nando went into a level beyond our 'normal' conception the interviewer did not click in, because he did not understand
What's the name of the book?
Nando's own book is called Miracle in the Andes.
Mr.Nando Parrado I do not have a father like you
;)
My engles Is not good, I woul hear that in spanish please!
Tony Hawk interviewing now 🤣
I hate that the interview man is not understanding what he is saying. When you are out there in negative degree weather no matter what you believe you will start to think differently ask different questions come up with different answers just to keep your mind from going crazy no one knows why that plan crashed why it happened to them why they survived but they are greatful for life more because they been threw it they wouldn't take it back because they probably wouldn't be the same person they are today. This man is very wise he says it's "simple" when you put into that type of situation you have to think about survival and asking your self over and over again why is it happening to you will not save you but drive you crazy he said " there just some questions that have no answers, / the table is black you wearing green," prime examples to just the fact that anything is anything and anything can be or happen just because we dont have answers to everything and you shouldn't go looking for answers you know you can't have. It's "simple" those 18 year old boys don't know why it happened they just understand it was now between life and death and that rt there is all that matter that rt there is something you can't understand unless it's you. I just don't like how the interview man is tryna make him seem dumb or something els I just don't like it....
The answer is obvious, No need to over analyze it. If you believe in God, that God exists, then there is a reason for everything. It was simply your mother's time to go, same with your sister and best friend. It was their time....but Not your time. It's Not complicated. God determines our expiration on 🌎 God says yes and no too. Have faith in God. He has the answer to all the mysteries of life. Read the Bible, seek God, you will have peace.
Amen
Well if they didn’t eat the bodies the condors would have eaten the bodies and the Condors would have been grateful for a bit of food. So human a rationale the Animals just use their instincts
They were too high up even for condors. In all their time up there, they only saw one, and it was at the distance
Last 2 body's ate..... what would happen then .... I said I had to leave I could not stay for that...... yeah because people would turn on eachother and eat someone alive....
We always ask "how could God do this to me?" when life gets bad. But we never ask "how could God do this to me?" when life is good. Why?? His Grace abounds. God bless you all. I hope this man doesn't have any resentment towards God for this and Believes in the LORD Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin.
They were all Cannibals To survive!!!
No, cannibals kill people to eat - as a pattern. They did not. Big difference..!
We all would
Cannibalism is when people kill each other to eat their meat, in this case they have enough body to eat, so not a need for cannibalism.
I want to ask Nando and Roberto how does the human meat 🍖 taste like?
Pancho Hernandez no te parece que hay cosas más importantes? Por ejemplo, cómo se hace para cruzar los andes sin equipamiento y después de estae 2 meses pasándola muy pero muy mal?
There is an interview in Spanish where Jaime Bayly asks Carlitos this. He responds it really had no taste, in part because it was so frozen...
You are a sick puppy, PHernandez.
everyone knows it tastes like chicken
I saw an english interview with Canessa who was asked the same question, and he replied that it was tasted the same as raw chicken or cow meat...but before that he said that they had convinced themselves that they were eating chicken meat so.. maybe that was the information his mind was giving and not the actual truth...
Amazing amazing amazing Thank you