Everest Cleanup

The Clean Himalaya Program 2021 was conducted by the Nepal Army shortly before the spring climbing season.

Mt. Everest, standing at 8849 meters, is the highest mountain in the world, and a crown that Nepal proudly wears. Every year, tens of thousands of adventure seekers fly into Kathmandu to attempt to conquer the magnificent peak. While responsible travel and sustainability are the buzzwords for today's climate enthusiasts, there is still a ton of waste left behind on our pristine slopes.

Khukri is happy to announce that we lent our support to one of the biggest mountain cleanliness campaigns - The Clean Himalaya Program 2021 - to be conducted by the Nepal Army shortly before the spring climbing season.

The program is aimed at conserving nature and the environment, and minimizing the effects of climate change by cleaning up six peaks, which includes Mount Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Dhaulagiri, Pumori and Ama Dablam.

The aim is to collect over 70,000 kgs of garbage like tents, food containers, wrappers, and human waste; and at higher altitudes, oxygen cylinders and discarded equipment too. The non-perishable items that are recovered are flown by helicopter back to Kathmandu, where the trash is turned over to a recycling plant. All of this has been concluded on the 5th of June which was on World Environment Day.

In 2019, 14 sherpas were able to dispose off more than 10,386 kg (22,897 pounds) of waste on their own, which remains a benchmark that the world continues to draw inspiration from.

While there is still plenty of work to be done to reverse the damage left behind from decades of neglect, these efforts have begun to pay off. By most accounts, Everest and its neighbors are in a better place now than they were just a few years ago. With ongoing clean-up campaigns set for the next few years, it is possible that we’ve turned the corner on this issue and the world’s highest peak is now returning to its natural state. That is some good news that we can all appreciate and celebrate this year, with Khukri.