Clean Mountains
Dieptescherpte & Human | 18min
Postproduction Script

00’34 VO: My name is Jangmu Sherpa. And this is my brother Mingma Sherpa. My brother has climbed many mountains. It doesn't matter to him whether they are big or small mountains, he knows no fear.

Our village is close to Tibet. You can walk to Tibet from here. Today is my brother's last day at home before he leaves on an expedition tomorrow. And this is my mother, Rinzin Doma Sherpa. Since the death of my father, my brother Mingma has been our guardian. My brother always keeps us updated on what he's going to do. He sends us pictures of his expeditions on his phone, and we love seeing them. My brother is now on his way to the K2 mountain. No one has ever reached the top of K2 in winter. If he and his team succeed, they will make Nepal proud.

All climbing gear, tents and cooking equipment are carried up by the porters. The porters' job is very hard. My brother pays them a good wage and gives them new clothes. They have no other way of making money. That is why they have to work as porters.

Our family consists of our mother and six children. Two boys and four girls. My two younger sisters and me are climbing Sherpas as well. Our earnings from mountain tourism pay for my niece's and nephew's school fees.

My father Dorjee started working in the mountains as a porter. But soon he became a climbing Sherpa on foreign expeditions. In this way he earned his livelihood and provided for us. But after an accident in which he lost his fingertips he couldn't go high up the mountains anymore and had to stay in Base Camp. My mother is always anxious when her children are high up in the mountains. Until Mingma is back safely, she worries and often prays to the gods.

04’19 Mingma: Ice cold. You can see. It's getting frozen.

04’27 VO: K2 is one of the highest mountains in the world, at 8611 metres high. K2 has never been conquered in winter. Not even by Nepalese. Mingma's team consists entirely of Nepalese climbers.

04’47 Mingma: This is Camp 3. The weather is getting better. Beyond 6000 metres it gets tough. So here we are at an altitude of 7134 metres. Hard job, but we've reached Camp 4. I think this is one of the hardest climbs we have ever done. It is so difficult to find the way.

05’26 VO: I was very scared and wondered if they could do it but they made it to the top. Thank you. The whole Sherpa community is delirious with joy that the Nepali team succeeded. After summiting K2 in winter, my brother has become famous, he's like a movie star. The news of the first winter ascent of K2 has spread around the world.

A lockdown has been imposed in Nepal. We have to stay inside. Most Sherpas live from mountain tourism. This is why they stay in the capital, Kathmandu. The schools are also better here, so there are few Sherpas left in the villages. But because of coronavirus, tourists have stopped coming here. Because the situation is so dramatic, we decide to leave the city. We go back to our villages.

Our village in Rolwaling Valley is situated at a height of around 4000 metres. We are used to seeing groups of tourists in this valley. But now that everything is so different, it feels weird. And we are bored. After my father lost his fingertips, he couldn't work anymore. He started drinking more and more alcohol. And because of the alcohol, he died way too young.

The Rolwaling Valley is a sacred place. That is what we believe. Sometimes we think the gods are angry because tourists leave so much garbage. And that is the reason why our gods sent the virus, to punish us. Tourists and their escorts come in groups and leave lots of garbage behind. That is why we organize cleaning campaigns with fellow villagers, to collect garbage.

My brother Mingma has been asked to climb Mount Everest this spring with some Chinese clients. I felt that my two sisters and I should join this expedition. The plan is, on the way back down from the top to collect garbage that has been left there and take it with us. Now is the time, when there are so few foreign climbers.

Before leaving for the climb, we ask a blessing from our other brother, who is a monk. We've hung a picture of our father on the wall. My mother knows the risks of climbing and is concerned. But the fact that our brother will look after his three sisters will give her confidence and lessen her worries.

Today, my sisters and I along with our brother, will climb to the top of Mount Everest. We're among the first ones to do so this year. At this altitude it feels uncomfortable due to the lack of oxygen. Just a few more steps and we'll be at the top.

11’29 Jangmu: Thank you! Thank you so much!

11’33 VO: We're at an altitude of 8849 metres now. We're standing on top of Mount Everest! The whole group has made it to the top. The Chinese are very happy. But now comes the most treacherous part: the descent. Just below the summit is a place called South Col. It's a place where climbers can rest before tackling the last stretch to the top. There's a lot of rubbish to be cleared here on South Col. Some climbers die during their climb. Or they return from the top and leave their rubbish behind. Those are two possible reasons for this mess here. Tents, oxygen bottles and plastic. If we don't clean up, the garbage will stay here.

But when a fierce wind rises, we have to stop our cleaning operation and head down the mountain. It's a Sherpa's duty to do whatever it takes to get clients down safely. The Sherpa is responsible. On the way down we come across a dead person, which is frightening. With this wind it's impossible to carry a corpse down the mountain. You'd be risking your own life. One day my father had to help a foreign client descend, in harsh conditions. The man was ill and had to get treatment. So my father helped him down the mountain. The man hadn't attached his crampons properly, so my dad had to assist him. In order to do this my father had to take off his gloves. During that brief, freezing moment, my father's fingers froze. My father lost his fingertips, but did manage to save his client's life.

We've made it to Camp 2, at an altitude of 6500 metres. While the Chinese rest in their tent we continue our search for trash. Then we continue further down through the icefall with our backpacks fully loaded. We are scared. There is a constant risk of these ice blocks collapsing, so we have to move quickly. In this icefall many Sherpas have died while guiding their clients. Now we're back at Base Camp. Our plan has been successful, our mission has been accomplished. A year ago we could not have imagined this. Looking for garbage at such a great height and bringing it down with us.

The mountains are the abode of the gods. Keeping the mountains clean brings more prosperity and well-being. It would be wonderful if we could bring down all the trash from the mountains.