In the year 1953, May 29 Late Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenjing Norgay Sherpa reached to the peak of Mountain Everest for the first time. Since then more than two thousand six hundred ninety three (2,693) mountaineers have successfully climbed the Mountain Everest from its South face till date. Had we had considered numbers of helpers and assistants helping the mountaineers to reach the peak, there would have been the heap of waste materials above the base camp. However, with the vision to clean the Everest, there are many campaigns going on after 1990 A.D. Late Sir Edmund Hillary had expressed that Mt. Everest needs rest for some time. As the main source of Nepal to earn foreign currency is ...Tourism, it seemed impossible to implement views of Hillary. Therefore Mt. Everest is still busy welcoming the tourists till date. It was impossible for Mt. Everest to remain untouched from global warming and therefore 29th Tourism Day was celebrated with the slogan "Tourism Responding to the challenge of climate change." Nepal Government decided to do creative work assimilating the above stated slogan. With the vision to protect and conserve the "Hilly Tourism" Everest Summiteers Association has decided to celebrate 2011 A.D. with the campaign "Save the Everest". To make the campaign extensive and to implement the 29th Tourism Day slogan practically, the Association has started cooperation with Nepal Government, Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal Mountaineering Association, Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal, National and International NGO and INGO related to environment and other interested concerned associations.
However, it was decided to celebrate 2011 as campaign to "Save the Everest", the campaign activities had already started from the spring of 2009. The Organizer has targeted to complete the mission by the spring of 2011.
Collect and manage all the garbage sited at the base camp and high camps by the end of spring season of the year 2011.
The estimated cost for the "Save the Everest" mission is US$ 788,951.33.
The comparative details of current situation of garbage above Everest base camp and its condition after the completion of the mission shall be made public.
Maintain good co-ordination and co-operation with the Government of Nepal.
Everest Summiteers' Association believes that the participation of following institutions in collaboration with Government of Nepal is must, to make the Campaign a success.
Following sub committees will be under the "Save the Everest – 2011 campaign" main committee and the "Save the Everest – 2011 campaign" committee will be formed by representation of following individuals and organizations.
As "Save the Everest" campaign is simply a cleaning and public awareness program, the last point the climbers are permitted to climb is up to the South Summit for cleaning purposes and all national and foreigner climbers engaged with this cleaning campaign will not be permitted to climb to the summit of Mt. Everest.
The conservation of Everest is concerned with the future generation too. Garbage like ropes, oxygen cylinders, tents, clothes and dead bodies which are found above Everest Base Camp should be properly collected and managed. The future of mountaineering tourism is secured only if we make long term policies, rules and provide proper implementation to them. Hence it is necessary to make this campaign successful for the protection of Everest.