Soldiers to remove Mnt Everest trash

Most climbers who try don't succeed in summiting the 29,035-foot-high Mount Everest, the world's tallest peak, but they do leave their trash -- thousands of pounds of it.

That's why an experienced climbing group from the Indian army plans to trek up the 8,850-meter mountain to pick up at least 4,000 kilograms (more than 8,000 pounds) of waste from the high-altitude camps, according to India Today.

The mountain is part of the Himalaya mountain range on the border between Nepal and the Tibet region.

The 34-member team planned to depart for Kathmandu yesterday and start the ascent in mid-May. The upcoming trip marks the 50th anniversary of the first Indian team to scale Mount Everest.

"Sadly, Mount Everest is now ... called the world's highest junkyard," Maj Ranveer Singh Jamval, the team leader, told India Today.

More than 200 climbers have died attempting to climb the peak, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Among the cleanup efforts is the Eco Everest Expedition, an annual trip launched in 2008 that is all about climbing "in an eco-sensitive manner," bringing old refuse, in addition to that generated during the trip, down for disposal, according to the Asian Trekking website.