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A team of 20 Sherpa mountaineers plans to
remove bodies of climbers who died in Mount Everest's "death
zone," a treacherous stretch that has claimed some 300 lives since
1953, the team leader said Monday.


      The team also aims to remove tons of garbage left behind on the
slopes under a Nepalese government program to clean up the popular
tourist destination.


      The 20 Sherpas plan to begin the expedition May 1 and set up
camp at the South Col, 26,240 feet (8,000 meters) above sea level,
team leader Namgyal said. Just above the South Col is the "death
zone" area known as the toughest stretch for climbers because of
low oxygen levels and rough terrain.

      The team said it plans to remove at least five bodies from a
narrow trail between South Col and the summit, but has not
identified them. In the past bodies have generally been removed
only from lower elevations, because dangerous conditions have made
removing bodies from the "death zone" nearly impossible.


      The team also plans to remove some 6,600 pounds (3,000
kilograms) of garbage from the zone.


      "We will carry empty sacks and fill them with empty oxygen
bottles, food wrappings, old tents and ropes from the area,"
Namgyal said.


      Garbage discarded on the mountain was a major environmental
problem until the Nepalese government imposed strict rules about 15
years ago requiring visitors to return all of their gear and
rubbish or risk losing a deposit.


      It is unclear how much trash is left on the mountain, but
several clean-up expeditions have brought down tons of garbage.


      Namgyal, who like most Sherpa uses only one name, has climbed
the 29,035-foot (8,850-meter) peak - the world's highest - seven
times. One of the expedition's members, Long Dorje, has made the
trip 14 times. All of the team members have visited the summit at
least once.

      Sherpas were mostly yak herders and traders living in the
Himalayas until Nepal opened its borders to tourists in 1950. Their
stamina and knowledge of the mountains makes them expert guides and
porters.

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A team of 20 Sherpa mountaineers plans to
remove bodies of climbers who died in Mount Everest's "death
zone," a treacherous stretch that has claimed some 300 lives since
1953, the team leader said Monday.


Sherpa team plans to clean Everest's death zone

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