It was the fifth trip by Ken Noguchi, who began his campaign in 2000.

Noguchi, who was aided by two other Japanese mountaineers and 12 Sherpa guides, says Everest is cleaner than before because of rising awareness about the impact of leaving rubbish on the mountain.

“During this year's cleanup expedition, I found that the amount of waste left on the mountain has been drastically decreased,'' Noguchi told reporters Monday.

See full story