In a first of its kind effort, Nepal’s tourism department is teaming up with mountaineering groups to begin cleaning Mt. Everest of tons of trash and bodies.
A crew has already brought down more than three tons of trash left behind by those attempting to climb the world’s highest mountain, according to USA Today. They plan to clear the mountain of a total of 11 tons of garbage during a 45-day initiative that began in mid-April.
Dandu Raj Ghimire Nepal’s tourism director said there are also plans to recover bodies of climbers who died during the journey to the top. Four bodies have already been found at the base camp, according to the Himalayan Times.
About 500 foreign climbers and 1,000 support staff are expected to make the arduous trek to the higher camps on Everest this year. In the process, some of those who attempt the journey invariably leave behind trash.
“Our goal is to extract as much waste as possible from Everest so as to restore glory to the mountain. Everest is not just the crown of the world, but our pride,” Ghimire told reporters this week.
Approximately 30 tons of trash still remain on the mountain. Tika Ram Gurung, secretary of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, said, “Everything on Everest, other than rock and snow, will be brought back.”
