Saving Mount Everest Clean-Up Expedition Team Successfully bring over 8 Tons of garbage from Mount Everest and its Trekking Trails
- Garbage carried down on Yaks and Zopkyos
- The collected garbage piled up
- The program participants
- Program in progress
- Country Director of EcoHimal Nepal and President of Everest Summiteers' Association all Happy with the success
29 May 2011
29 May is celebrated as Everest Day as it was on this day in 1953 that Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa reached the summit of Mt. Everest – becoming the first ones to summit the mountain.
29 May is yet another historical day, as Saving Mount Everest project brought down a total of 8,110 kilos or 8.1 tons of garbage collected from the mountain and its trekking trails. The collected garbage was displayed for verification in Namche Bazaar (gateway to Mt. Everest) amidst an event. Almost all the members of the Saving Mount Everest Clean-Up expedition were present in the event to interact with media, local authorities, local communities and authorities from the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation.
Of the collected garbage – 3,200 kilos or 3.2 tons has been handed over to Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), the local NGO that is responsible to manage waste in the region. SPCC supported the project by providing a waiver of 50% on per kg waste for its management. Remaining waste is being carried to Lukla from where it will be flown to Kathmandu.
Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation of the Government of Nepal praised and congratulated the team on successfully collecting over 8 tons of refuse from the mountain and its trekking trail as planned.
Blog and Pictures by: Neelima Shrestha, PR Consultant - Saving Mount Everest
Team reaches South Col (7,920m) and South Summit (8,750m) – approx. 5 tons Garbage Collected
21 May 2011
As per the latest updates from the Saving Mount Everest Project Clean-up expedition team, the team has collected approximately five tons of garbage abandoned by trekkers and mountaineers on the trekking trail and Mount Everest itself. The team recently collected garbage from the elevation as high as South Col (7,920m) and South Summit (8,750m). The collected garbage includes abandoned oxygen cylinders, old tents and ropes among others. The team is progressively collecting the garbage amidst the harsh weather conditions. According to the weather network, it has been snowing in Everest Base Camp and above and the temperature falls below -30 Degrees Celsius at night. The garbage on the mountain has been covered by snow after the snow fall making the collection difficult. Hence, the expedition team has moved down to base camp for a few days. The team members will climb again in a day or two as the snow starts melting.
Blog by Neelima Shrestha, PR Consultant, Saving Mount Everest Project
Photo Courtesy: Everest Summiteers’ Association Nepal
- Clean-up expedition team members from ESA collecting the abandoned oxygen cylinders and cans
- Abandoned oxygen cylinders collected by the team
BIG BAG and Carlsberg Team
BIG BAG – bags dispatched to Everest Region to bring down Garbage
Big Bag has donated 697 bags for Saving Mount Everest Project of which 500 have been dispatched to the region to bring the collected garbage down.
Carlsberg Team to Help Collect Garbage from Lukla to Syangboche
Carlsberg team of 11 from Denmark, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore will help collect garbage from the trekking trail between Lukla to Syangboche. The team also comprises of media personnel from Malaysia. Carlsberg is one of the supports of the project.
Blog by Neelima Shrestha, PR Consultant, Saving Mount Everest Project
Camp 3 - 7,470m
13 May 2011
Twenty-two climbers along with support staff after acclimatization in Camp 2 – 6,500m above sea level, have now reached Camp 3 – 7,470 meters above sea level to collect refuse from the mountain. The details of the refuse collected will be known as they return to Everest Base Camp, where they will weigh the total collected garbage. The team will climb up to the South Summit 8,750m to collect the rubbish.
Before starting their expedition from the base camp, the Saving Mount Everest Clean-up expedition performed puja in the Everest Base Camp. Puja is performed to invite blessings for a safe and successful expedition. Puja is performed by a lama chanting and praying, burning juniper and incense, unrolling the prayer flags, and throwing the rice and tsampa (barley flour) as offerings.
We also extend our best wishes and pray for the team’s success.
Blog by: Neelima Shrestha, PR Consultant Saving Mount Everest Project
Pictures courtesy: Everest Summiteers Association Nepal
- Puja in Everest Base Camp Before Expedition
25 April 2011
- Tents in Everest Base Camp
- Saving Mount Everest Clean-Up Expedition Team: Photo by Lhakpa Sonam Sherpa
Finally we successfully trekked up to Everest Base Camp 5,360m above sea level. Few members of the Saving Mount Everest Clean-Up Expedition Team including few climbers and support staff were already in the Base Camp and were setting up the camp. Rest of the team members were on their way up. The Clean-up expedition team will camp in the Base Camp and Camp 1 and Camp 2 for following one and a half months to bring the refuse down from Everest. Everything required was carried up or being carried up to Everest Base Camp from Lukla and Namche Bazaar by the porters. To name a few items - tents, utensils, ropes, food supplies, sleeping bags, big bags to bring the rubbish down. More that 50 porters have been hired to carry the supplies. The expedition team comprise of 22 climbers and around 10 high altitude porters and 8 support staff members.
At night the temperature in the Base Camp dropped down to -20 degrees Celsius – our water in the bottle froze overnight. The wind was strong and harsh especially during the night, which seemed to blow our tents away. The level of oxygen is now even lesser in the Base Camp.
Being up in the altitude of 5,360m above sea level for over a month and going up to 8,700m and bring rubbish down is certainly a very challenging task. It requires a lot of endurance both physical and mental. There’d be no second opinion if I say that the Saving Mount Everest Expedition team are driven and determined and want their mountain clean. Motivation and support from every aspect of the society will help them achieve their goal to bring down the refuse from the Death Zone.
We the support team feel proud to be part of such laudable cause and feel fortunate to be supporting the heroic deed – to clean Mount Everest – the highest point on earth and an incomparable icon of nature’s splendor!
Blog and Pictures by: Neelima Shrestha, PR Consultant, Saving Mount Everest
