With the numbers of Everest Expedition teams and number of trekkers visiting the base camp growing, their increases the piles of wastes lying here and there in base camps as well as the expedition route of Mount Everest.

At a time when there is need for a team to clean Everest areas, a group of French mountaineers with Nepali Sherpas recently completed “Everest Green” project successfully recovering the five  tons of waste from Mount Everest.

Nepal’s mountaineering community celebrated the first conquest of Mount Everest 64 years ago on 29 May When the first successful Everest climb by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norgay, in 1953.

French association “Montagne et Partage”  organized an ambitious Everest cleaning campaign dubbed “Everest Green”.  Their 40-day mission started on April 13 and ended on May 23 by recovering 5 tons of waste from the Everest between Base Camp (5300m) and the South Col (7906m).

Out of 5 tons, 2 tons were sent to Namche for incineration whereas 3 tons of recyclable waste is being brought to Kathmandu by road for further processing/treatment.  Amongst the waste that the group recovered, majority were aluminum, nylon cords, textiles, scrap waste, batteries, plastic objects etc.  Their project, which costs Euros 150,000.00, is entirely financed by “Montagne et Partage”’s own resources.

In honor of the expedition group and their efforts in helping clean Everest, the Ambassador of France, Yves Carmona hosted a reception at the Residence of France during which the expedition group talked about their project and also presented the Ambassador with a symbolic expedition flag.

Ambassador Carmona  recalled the common relationship between Nepal and France around mountains and highlighted the need to raise environmental awareness amongst the relevant stakeholders as a long-term solution.

 About “Montagne et Partage”:  Montagne & Partage is a French association which aims to provide all forms of humanitarian aid to the needy people in mountain areas, in the fields of education, health, the environment, and economic development.  For them, the mountain represents one of the finest schools of life; that of humility and sharing, that of universal brotherhood

Addressing the program Gérard Clermidy, President of “Montagne et Partage” said every year over 800,000 tourists visit Nepal and 1500 people reach base camp each season. Out of them, 400 reach the summit. “And all will leave the mark behind on the top of the world.”

 “We found long ropes on the path to top left for years.  Minteral water bottles, metals. Our efforts is to decontaminate the everest,” said French mountaineer Gérard Clermidy.

Along with this, these climbers leave a lot of wastes degradable and non-degradable including plastic, cane, foods and others annually, ropes, cylinder and other equipments there.