Everest 2006: Han Wang Yong has started the clean up expedition on Mt Everest 

Progress Update as of May 6th: A team of international mountaineers led by famous South Korean mountaineer Han, Wang Yong is in a noble mission of cleaning Mt Everest (South Col) southern slopes of the world's tallest peak.

The team comprises of 8 foreign mountaineers including Mr Han and four other South Koreans, two French- Yann Delevaux and Julien Raguenuau, one Austrian Piccolruaz Christian, and nine Nepali climbing Sherpas.

The mountaineers' team along with a group of medical officials of Sanbon Medical Hospital, Seoul arrived Kathmandu on April 22, when the whole country was passing through a very tense and difficult moment. Despite political upheavals in Nepal, the mountaineering and medical team reached Lukla on April 23 and proceeded to Namche Bazaar- the gateway of Mt Everest-- on April 24.

The medical team from Sanbon Medical Hospital along with Han's Clean Everest Team organized a medical camp at Namche Bazaar on April 25 and 26. More than 500 patients with different ailment of dental, skin, eye, gastritis and high altitude sickness were treated at free of cost during two day medical camp.

The medical team returned from Namchhe, while the Clean Everest Expedition continued its mission towards the Everest Base Camp on April 27. The cleaning team arrived Lobuche on April 29 and organized a daylong cleaning of this tiny Himalayan village. The team collected about 300 kg of garbage. (See photo).

The next day (April 30) the team reached EBC and set up its camp. The EBC these days looks like a small and coulourful village with more than 20 expedition teams from various countries around the globe. Among them, a four-member Philippine expedition team is eyeing to set a record of climbing the world's tallest peak for the first time in their history. These Philippine mountainers are trained in South Korea and trying to be the first Philippine national to scale the Everest.

The Clean Everest Expedition team organized a traditional Lama puja at EBC on May 3rd before setting its foot to camp 1 on May 4. The special puja ceremony was accompanied by other expedition team including members of two other Korean expedition and exchanged greetings among other.

The Clean Everest Expedition team is set to begin cleaning from EBC to Camp 1 on May 4th and subsequently to camp 2, 3 and leading up to Camp 4 (South Col) by the end of the third week of this month. However, extreme weather and frequent snowfall are sure to affect expedition activities.

Background: Mr. Han Wang Yong who has summited all 14 8000 meter Summits continues his clean up expeditions, this year focusing on Mt Everest South Side (Nepal). Unlike many of his expeditions since completing the 14 8000 meter peaks, the team plans to attempt the Summit of Everest on this clean up expedition. They have also announced plans to apparently bring bodies down from Everest. This could be very controversial. It is unclear at this point if Mr. Han Wang Yong has discussed these plans with the families...

For his exclusive report to EverestNews.com that broke the news to the western world of his completion of the 14 8000 meter peaks, see here.

Some details of his earlier K2 clean expedition is below...

The Details regarding Hans K2 Clean up Expedition 2004 are as follows:

K2 the second highest mountain in the world and as such attracts many mountaineers every year from all over the world. K2 is also considered by mountaineers to the most challenging and difficult mountain to scale, statistical data reveals that the number of descend death on K2 is the highest at 13.4%. For mount, Everest it is 3.4%.

The combination of danger and fatigue makes mountaineers leave behind their ropes and other climbing equipments and the same reason tempts subsequent climbers to use the discarded equipments there by increasing the risk of fatal accidents. Since the first successful ascent of Mount K2 in 1954 this is the first time that an effort is being made by Mr. Han to clean the mountain of every kind of waste.

The Himalaya often called 3rd pole, where only highly prepared top notch climbers can reach that God – resided territory, even Himalaya, however, is not free from the human caused pollution anymore, more then 400- summit seeking expedition Teams every year from all over the word find the Himalaya and Karakorum, many of them leave their expedition related trashes including empty oxygen bottles, fixed ropes, empty tin food cans, tents etc- behind and on the mountains, some of the environmental NGOS including the mountains and glaciers protection organizations in Pakistan have put their sincere efforts to clean up and protect the natural setting around the base camp of K2 in 2000. 

The 2004 Korean K2 clean up expedition Team led by Mr. Han Wang- Young, the world’s top climber who has summated all 14-8000m peaks in the world, plays a leading role and takes responsibility to bring down those trashes, left in high altitude.

Mr. Han has got Summit of K2 in the year 2000, and now once again he came back to the great mountain. The international – based expedition Team consisting 5- Korean professional climbers including Han himself, 2 of Nepali Sherpa’s and 10 Pakistani high altitude porters will collect long – left climbing gears and trashes. Proceeding up to camp 3 7500m. the mountains and glaciers protection organizations (MGPO) dispatched their staff with Korean team working closely throughout the whole span of campaign. The expedition team will climb down with their trashes back to base camp on July 31 for the K2 summit golden Jubilee celebration. On the way to K2 base camp, the expedition Team have also served their extra efforts as well, providing medical services by their team Doctor, Mr. Moon, for Pakistani porters in different camping sites on the way to K2 base camp and resident of Ashkoli to return the favor from Mountains, simply showing their respect and appreciation towards the mountains. Nothing such a single event can contribute to the clean up and protection eventually, the expedition Team focus on this campaign to awaken the public and most importantly the climbers including Pakistani porters for the environmentally low impact activity practiced.

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