How was the experience of plogging in the Himalayas?

Kilian:

"Last autumn in the Khumbu Icefall we were shocked by the quantity of trash on and under the ice. Together with Andrzej Bargiel and some polish friends we did some plogga in the icefall to take some waste but there was still a lot to do. First in cleaning and then the most important, to not leaving anything anymore. The Khumbu Icefall and the mountains surrounding are giving water to the Khumbu Valley and its inhabitants, so its pollution affects the quality of that water"

Andrzej:

"Picking up the the litter while I’m training in the mountains is normal practice for me as long as there will be rubbish in the mountains. Decades of commercial mountain tours have made Mount Everest the worlds highest dump. Fluorescent tents, used climbing equipment, empty gas cylinders, are scattered along a well-trodden trail leading to the top of the Holy Mother Peak. We are all responsible for this and it is was very important for me to draw public attention to issues resulting from climate change and environmental pollution, effects of which have not spared even the highest mountains in the world: the Himalayas"

What do you do with your waste?

Kilian:

"Normally when you are in a dirty place it is natural to want to take out the waste, you do it in your house and also to the places you go. When you pass through the same mountain or glacier often, it is normal to collect as many as you can and go down witha little every day. I think (and I hope) that it is a common practice among mountaineers"

Andrzej:

"Unfortunately there is no specific procedures except the rule that you are supposed to take as much kilograms down as you took up. Also we remove all personal waste after the expeditions, take it off the mountains and make sure it is properly disposed of"

*Credit photo: Philipp Reiter

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