Leave No Trace in Nepal

My friend Emily recently visited Kathmandu, Nepal and the Khumbu Valley at the base of Mt. Everest as part of an expedition for The North Face. Herself, along with TNF athletes Matt Segal and Cedar Wright went to the Khumbu Climbing School to educate Sherpas in technical mountain skills.

The KCS was founded by the climbing legend, Conrad Anker and his wife Jennifer Lowe-Anker following the death of the renowned mountaineer, Alex Lowe, with the goal of increasing the safety margin of Nepali climbers and high altitude workers by encouraging responsible climbing practices in a supportive and community based program.

About a week into her trip, I received a Facebook message from Emily saying that students watch a Leave No Trace video during their training. In addition, every time they pack up after a day of climbing, all the students and Sherpas run around yelling, "LEAVE NO TRACE, LEAVE NO TRACE", while picking up their trash and belongings. I thought this was cool. You can view Emily's blog here: http://emilyaharrington.wordpress.com/2011/02/06/nepal/ to read more about this amazing effort to give the Nepali people more resources and knowledge while guiding and working at high altitudes.