During the spring of 2000, the Inventa Everest 2000 Environmental Expedition traveled to Mt . Everest, Nepal to undertake a major environmental project, and to put a team of climbers on top of the highest mountain in the world . The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the Environmental Program of the expedition, and of the results of the several projects undertaken by the team during the trip .

The 2000 Environmental Expedition was a continuation of previous environmental efforts conducted on Mt viagra soft. Everest in 1995 and 1998 wellbutrin sr. This report begins with an overview of these efforts and then describes this year’s Environmental Program and its results. Finally, the report concludes with a discussion of plans for future work in Nepal. While this is not an extensive report on all projects, we hope that these sections provide sufficient information for those interested in continuing this type of work in the Everest Region, and welcome any inquiries for more detailed information (Email Jamie Ross at: everest2000@canada.com).

We would like to acknowledge that these efforts would not have been possible without the generous support of our many sponsors. Please see the expedition web site for a complete listing of contributors.

2.0 BACKGROUND

Environmental expeditions to Nepal, and to Mt. Everest in particular, are not new. In fact, cleanup projects have been taking place on or around the mountain since at least 1989 when a team of Sherpas organized major cleanup projects for the base camps of four of the most climbed peaks in the region (Mt. Everest, Cho Oyu, Mera Peak and Imja Tse or Island Peak). This project was initiated to address a lack of environmental responsibility demonstrated by the majority of expeditions in Nepal until this time. It was not uncommon for expeditions to leave significant amounts of their trash at their respective base camps (sometimes buried under rocks, sometimes left in the open) upon leaving the mountains. With the growth in mountaineering traffic on Himalayan peaks in the 1980’s and 1990’s the result was a trash problem of growing proportions. Further, in places where base camps are located on a glacier, such as Mt. Everest, trash that is buried one year is often exposed in later years as the glaciers continually move down-valley.

Even with such cleanup projects, it soon became clear that such an approach to mountaineering was not sustainable as base camps were becoming filthy, and in fact, unhealthy due to poor management of trash and human waste. As a result, an “environmental deposit” system was initiated by the Government of Nepal and administered by the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC). This system requires that each team pay a fee of US$4000 that is only refunded once the team demonstrates it has removed all of the materials brought in. In addition, inspectors from the SPCC visit every base camp at the end of each season to ensure that teams no longer leave trash behind. This, combined with a general increase in awareness of environmental issues, has led to a gradual change in behavior among a growing number of expeditions. As a result, Mt. Everest Base Camp is now remarkably clean when compared to how it was 10-15 years ago. Unfortunately, the same is not true of other camps on the mountain.

The cleanup of waste on Mt. Everest has been facilitated by several environmental expeditions in the past decade. Many of the earlier environmental expeditions originally focused on the removal of oxygen bottles from the mountain. While aesthetically unpleasant, these bottles are relatively innocuous compared to other items such as batteries and gas canisters. For this reason, our expeditions in 1995 and 1998 focused on these other items as well as oxygen bottles.

1995 – Americans on Sagarmatha
In 1995, the Americans on Sagarmatha expedition, led by Bob Hoffman, succeeded in removing all of it’s waste from the mountain, as well as some of that left behind by other expeditions. This included hundreds of spent batteries that were excavated from previous year’s camps, over 100 fuel canisters, 135 oxygen bottles from the South Col, and a total of 1400 pounds of trash.

1998 – Everest Environmental Expedition ‘98
In 1998, the team again returned under the leadership of Bob Hoffman and succeeded in removing an even greater amount of trash from the mountain. Including it’s own waste, the team collected, sorted and removed over 325 kg of burnable trash, 200 kg of biodegradable waste, 100 kg of recyclable material (tin, cans, plastic), 157 oxygen bottles, 216 gas canisters and 520 batteries.

During both years trash was transported down-valley from base camp by porters and yaks. Biodegradable trash was composted in Gorak Shep. All burnable trash was transported to Namche Bazar to be incinerated. All recyclable material was taken to Kathmandu to be processed. The remaining material (gas canisters, batteries and oxygen bottles) was then exported from Nepal to the United States where it could be dealt with at the proper facilities.

3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS - 2000

Soon after the 1998 expedition, plans began to form for a return trip with a more concentrated environmental effort. In particular, we hoped to assemble a team devoted solely to the Environmental Program. By separating the expedition into two teams: the Climbing Team and the Environmental Team, the environmental projects could be tackled without the confounding pressures of climbing the highest mountain in the world. This separation was also necessary for logistical reasons, because the facilities and equipment of the two teams were completely independent, and it ensured that all funds raised for the Environmental Program were directed only to this program. The different projects undertaken by the expedition as a whole, and by the Environmental Team are outlined below, with results provided where appropriate.

3.1 Packing material and clothing
In an effort to reduce the total amount of waste being brought into Nepal by the team, every effort was made to minimize the amount of packing material used. Excess packaging was removed from all equipment and food purchased in the United States prior to packing.

Further, rather than use disposable packing material such as styrofoam and bubble-wrap to protect equipment during transport, the team used men’s, women’s and children’s clothing. Prior to the expedition, a clothing drive carried out in collaboration with local schools in California generated over 320 kg of donated items. These were distributed to Sherpa members of our team and their families once everything was unpacked. A significant amount of technical outerwear was also donated to the members of our Sherpa climbing and cleanup teams by Marmot.

3.2 Equipment Donations

Dental Equipment
In Namche Bazar, there is a locally-operated dental clinic. Mingma Sherpa, who completed her studies as a dental technician in Canada, runs the clinic and has worked in conjunction with many foreign dentists to establish a program to promote proper dental hygiene among children and adults in the Everest Region, and to provide dental care at minimal cost to local people.
In previous years, the Team has made donations of medical equipment and medicines to the clinic. This year, through generous donations from sponsors, the Team was able to donate dental supplies including over 1000 toothbrushes. These supplies will be handed out by the clinic to local families and schools in an ongoing effort to promote proper dental hygiene.

Water Filter
A water filter used by the team at base camp was donated to the Panorama Lodge in Namche Bazaar. This filter, which uses a three stage filtering process (charcoal, ceramic and ultra-violet), proved very effective at Base Camp (tests for fecal coliform were negative when contaminated water was passed through the filter). This system will allow the lodge owners to ensure that drinking water is safe both for themselves and for trekkers and climbers who stay there.

Scientific Equipment
Once water quality testing (described below) was complete at the end of the expedition, all remaining equipment was donated to The Pyramid, an Italian scientific research facility operated in Lobuche. This included items such as chargeable 12-volt batteries, water sampling equipment, media for growing fecal coliform cultures and petri dishes in which they could be grown. Further, over $200 worth of bacteria was donated to the SPCC to help in the breakdown of human waste in toilets in high-traffic areas.

3.3 Human Waste Management
In recent years, human waste management has become a growing concern in the Everest Region due to the increasing number of visitors who enter the Park each year. The majority of these visitors (more than 20,000 annually) are hikers or trekkers who make the journey to Everest Base Camp and back in 2-3 weeks. At present, there are limited permanent facilities to manage the waste generated by these visitors (many of which are not maintained), so most trekking groups use pit latrines.

No scientific studies have been carried out to determine the impact of such practices, however, it is very possible that the continued growth of the tourism industry and the use of the same locations for toilets year after year could result in contamination of these sites in popular village stops in the Everest Region.

Climbers also contribute to the problem, most noticeably at Base Camp (see “Water Quality Testing” below) where hundreds of people stay for at least two months during each climbing season (spring and fall, although the spring is generally much busier). While teams are required to contain their waste and transport it to Gorak Shep where it is buried to decompose, in many cases, these facilities are not properly managed, nor are they always used by team members.

This year, the Team worked with American Innotek, a California-based company, to develop a convenient and effective system for expeditions and trekking groups to manage human waste. The system employs an outhouse tent with a bucket to collect waste. The waste is treated after each use with a powder developed by American Innotek. This product processes waste in two steps. First, it causes all liquid wastes to “gel” into a solid, thereby preventing contamination through leaching once the waste is buried. Second, the powder contains a biological agent (bacillus subtilus) that accelerates the natural process of solid waste decomposition.

This system was used at Base Camp, as well as at Camp II on the mountain where human waste contamination is becoming a serious issue. As toilet facilities are usually not set up at Camp II, human waste is often found throughout the camp, creating a health hazard for those who stay there. The use of the toilet system at Camp II allows a team to capture their waste and begin preliminary treatment prior to disposing of it in a crevasse. This year, the team brought in seven extra toilet systems that were distributed to other teams to be used at Base Camp and Camp II.

3.4 Cleanup
The cleanup portion of the Environmental Team was comprised of Sherpa climbers who were assisted by the Climbing Team. The plan for the cleanup was to focus on three locations on the mountain: 1) Base Camp, 2) Camp II and 3) Camp IV (South Col). These camps are where the majority of the trash on the mountain can be found. As outlined below, each camp presents unique challenges in terms of locating and collecting trash that has been left in previous years.

Base Camp
It was quite common in the past for expeditions to leave their garbage behind at Base Camp at the end of an expedition. While it used to be common to find these old trash dumps, Base Camp is currently relatively free of recoverable trash. This year no major trash repositories were found, although odd pieces of garbage were still collected throughout the camp. This indicates that much of the trash has been removed, although it is likely that there are still several piles that remain buried under the loose rock, which sits upon the glacier, and underlies the entire camp. This material can only be recovered if it is eventually exposed as the glacier continues to move down-valley.

To ensure that our camp remained clean and the trash we generated was properly managed, we established garbage and “recycle” bins throughout base camp. Several baskets at each of the camp’s three kitchens and at the main dining tent allowed us to separate trash when it was being disposed of rather than sorting it afterwards. Waste was separated into: burnable trash (paper, cardboard, etc), recyclable materials (tin and glass), re-exportable materials (gas canisters, batteries and oxygen bottles), and organic waste (food). These baskets were emptied on a regular basis into large bags, which were then labeled and stored for transport down-valley. Much of this material was transported to Namche Bazar during the expedition in an effort to reduce the size of the loads at the end of the season when all of the other team equipment is carried down. A running total of recovered trash was kept at the SPCC office, thus simplifying administrative duties at the end of the expedition.

As illustrated in the section below on water quality, improper human waste management led to the contamination of drinking supplies at Base Camp. A quick search around Camp to determine the cause of this contamination revealed several piles of exposed waste. This waste was physically collected, treated and disposed of in an effort to protect water supplies in and around Base Camp.

Camp II
Camp II is also known as advanced base camp because climbers spend a significant amount of time there during the climb. Most teams have permanent cooking and eating facilities (as well as cooks) at Camp II for the duration of the climbing season. As a result, large amounts of general trash are produced, and left behind. This includes items such as gas canisters, batteries, food waste and food packaging (tins, plastic, glass, etc.). The camp is also littered with climbing equipment left behind in previous years (such as rope, fragments of tent fabric and tent poles).

This year, it was one of the team’s goals to remove as much of the recoverable trash from Camp II as possible. In normal years this would have been a reasonable proposition, however, the spring 2000 climbing season was one of unsettled weather and almost daily snowfall. As a result, the trash at Camp II, which is usually exposed as the snow melts during the spring season, remained completely buried. The only way to find and collect the trash was to physically dig it out of the snow, a difficult task at 6,400 m. Realizing that a comprehensive cleanup at Camp II would be impossible, the cleanup team collected what trash it could (270 kg), and then turned it’s focus to Camp IV where snow accumulation isn’t as big of a problem due to constant high winds.

The types of trash found at Camp II varied from a partially eaten leg of goat, to tent poles to old books. The majority of the material recovered was burnable trash (paper, cardboard, etc.). Tin cans also made up a significant portion of the trash collected, while miscellaneous metal (i.e., metal that was not recyclable such as tent poles, old stoves, crampons, etc.) was the third most common type of material found (see Fig. 1 below). Once this material was returned to Base Camp, it was sorted, weighed, and then packaged for transport down-valley.

Fig. 1 - Composition of trash collected at Camp II by weight (total = 270 kg)¨

Camp IV
Although climbers generally only spend 2-3 nights at Camp IV (7900 m), an enormous amount of equipment is required simply to sustain them. Tents, sleeping pads, stoves and pots are just a few of the things that are found at this camp. However, the most common type of trash found at Camp IV is oxygen bottles. These materials are often left at Camp IV because the harsh environment makes surviving at this altitude for any length of time extremely difficult and the extra effort for waste removal is often not considered or feasible.

This year, our Sherpa cleanup team, as well as Sherpa climbers from other teams, spent a great deal of time ferrying loads of oxygen bottles from Camp IV to Camp II, and then to Base Camp. Due to the range in weight of oxygen bottles, a single load could vary from 3-7 bottles. Upon arrival at Base Camp, the bottles were drained, counted and weighed. They were also inspected to determine their date of manufacture, which ranged from 1941 (a British-made bottle possibly used by Sir Edmund Hillary’s team on their historic first ascent of the mountain in 1953) to 1999. In total, 632 bottles were removed. At an average weight of approximately 5 kg, this amounts to a total of approximately 3160 kg of bottles transported from 7900 m to Base Camp, and eventually to the United States.

Such a successful cleanup of Camp IV would not have been possible without our 23-person Sherpa cleanup team, and the help of Sherpa climbers from other teams. Each climber who brought bottles to Base Camp was remunerated based on the weight of the bottles. This was done to encourage the collection of all types of bottles, rather than only the newer, lighter bottles. We would like to extend our thanks to the following teams that contributed to this effort (in some cases, the exact expedition name is not known):

• Nepalese Women’s Millenium Everest Expedition
• Himalayan Guides Everest/Lhotse 2000 Expedition
• Alpine Ascents International 2000 Everest Expedition
• Canadian Team Everest 2000 Expedition
• Arun International Everest Expedition
• Adventure Consultants 2000 Everest Expedition
• Spanish Everest 2000 Expedition
• Mexican Everest 2000 Expedition
• 2000 Korean Seven Summits Expedition
• OTT Everest 2000 Expedition
• Mountain Madness Sagarmatha Expedition
• International Mountain Guides Everest 2000 Expedition

Towards the end of the season, our team was one of the last to leave the mountain. Upon returning to Camp IV from our summit attempt, Camp IV was found to be littered with a great deal of trash from various expeditions. Unlike in recent years, some teams left a great deal of equipment (tents, sleeping pads, stoves, pots, oxygen bottles, etc.) at the end of this year’s season. It is thought that this was partly the result of a lengthy season (due to bad weather), which resulted in teams rushing off the mountain once they finally made a bid for the summit. Regardless of the reason, it was apparent that no effort was made by some teams to remove as much of their equipment from Camp IV as safely possible.

Cleanup Summary

The following table (Table 1) provides a summary of the different types of trash removed from the mountain. Garbage types are listed by weight, and by camp.

Table 1 – Composition of collected trash by weight and by camp.

Garbage Type	Camp	Total Weight (kg)
Burnable	II	172
TIn	II	41
Glass	II	2
Misc. Metal	II	25.5
Gas Canisters	II	20.5
Batteries	II	9.5
Oxygen Bottles	IV	~ 3160

3.5 Water Quality
Due to concerns over water quality in the Everest Region, team member Roger Drake, a volunteer from the US National Park Service, undertook a significant water testing project. One hundred and eleven (111) water samples, taken from base camp streams, community systems, treated drinking water, and backcountry drainage areas were tested for concentrations of fecal coliform. In addition to identifying and documenting current public health problems, this project also aimed at establishing some baseline data for the Sagarmatha National Park. Fecal coliform, which include the various types of Eschericia coli (E. coli), do not normally cause illness, but indicate the presence of fecal waste from mammals. Results showed 32% of the samples included coliform, somewhat better than most Westerners would probably expect.

Early in the expedition team members became suspicious of the quality of their drinking water as many fell ill to digestive ailments. Coliform testing revealed that the water source was significantly contaminated, but the treated drinking water consistently tested clean. By reinforcing to the cooks the necessity to wash food and hands in treated water, the expedition had confidence in the management of this health issue. Investigation of the drainage area of the glacial stream we were using as a water source showed that not everyone was using their team’s toilets at camps above ours, thus explaining why this source was contaminated. Various other streams and lakes in and around Base Camp were also tested and some were found to be positive for coliform. However, all streams above Base Camp were consistently negative. This indicates that contamination was derived from Base Camp activities.

As numerous samples were collected at Base Camp over the duration of the expedition, it was possible to observe changes in fecal coliform counts with time. The highest values were observed toward the end of the climbing season, and are thought to be related to the release of accumulated human and animal waste into streams during increased surface meltwater flow, as average daily temperatures increased. After an initial spike in coliform counts at this time, values eventually decreased to zero, possibly demonstrating a “flushing” effect.

Feedback from Sherpas and Westerners familiar with the Khumbu showed a great interest in water quality in the villages elsewhere in the Everest Region, so several sample-gathering trips were made below Base Camp. The results of these tests revealed a number of interesting, although not unexpected, trends. In almost all cases where water was sampled directly from a spring, no contamination was detected. However, in instances where spring water or diverted river water was channeled overland for any significant distance (for example, in Pheriche and Dingboche), low to moderate levels of contamination were sometimes observed. As this water was often channeled through agricultural lands or along village streets, it is likely that the primary source of contamination was animal waste deposited directly into the water or on the ground over which it flowed.

Streams of moderate size in the vicinities of Chukhung, Pheriche, Dingboche, and Duglah were positive in only one of fourteen tests. Three negative tests from the main stream at Duglah (which drains the Khumbu Glacier) indicated that little or no fecal contamination had spread downstream from base camp itself at the time of sampling.

In an effort to disseminate this information to as many people as possible, test results were discussed with local residents, local officials, and visitors at every opportunity. Reasoning that the “Sherpa Grapevine” was the primary means of passing news around the valley, we gave a presentation to about 20 of our group’s Sherpas summarizing our results. A formal report of our results will be made to the SPCC and to the Sagarmatha National Park.

The test results paint a rather encouraging picture of overall water quality in the Khumbu during the spring trekking season. They also provide a series of baseline data that may be used as part of longer-term, higher resolution water quality studies in the future. It would be helpful to carry out more consistent testing over a period of a year to observe changes in contaminant loading and flushing patterns as seasons change (for more details, please send an email to everest2000@canada.com).

3.6 Snow Chemistry
As part of an ongoing study of snow chemistry in the mountains of Asia, we collected several snow samples at various elevations on Mt. Everest. The purpose of these studies is to identify chemical signals in the water of the snow pack that are related to regional atmospheric circulation patterns. Snow chemistry provides a way to trace a snowfall event to its place of origin (for example, certain signals will indicate if the precipitation originated over the Indian sub-continent, or perhaps the Tibetan Plateau).

Snow samples were collected at Base Camp, Camp I and Camp II for Dr. Cameron Wake of the Climate Change Research Center at the University of New Hampshire. They are currently being examined for chemical composition, and this information will be used to contribute to the growing understanding of regional climatic patterns in this part of the world.

4.0 Concluding Remarks and Future Work

The primary goals of this expedition were to undertake a large-scale, comprehensive cleanup of Mt. Everest, while at the same time carrying out scientific research to help improve our understanding of this unique environment. We also aimed to increase awareness of environmental issues in and around the Everest Region and to demonstrate the ease with which expeditions can reduce their environmental impacts.

Unfortunately, the expedition was not able to accomplish all of its goals related to the cleanup due to poor weather conditions that lasted for the duration of the climb. It is for this reason, that a "final sweep” is being organized to finish the job during the spring season of 2001. The team feels obligated to finish this project, which it started several years ago, and wants to make one final attempt at removing all recoverable trash from the mountain. With the success of this year’s cleanup at Camp IV, it is felt that this is a feasible proposition.

Using a similar team structure and many of the same Western and Sherpa team members, an expedition under the leadership of Bob Hoffman will return to Mt. Everest in the Spring of 2001. As plans for this project are finalized, they will be posted to the expedition website (www.everestcleanup.com). Please stay tuned to this site for updates about our plans for next year and about the documentary and CD magazine for this year’s expedition, which are expected to be released this fall.