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KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) -- A Sherpa from Nepal who holds the world's record for scaling Mount Everest says the planet's highest peak is littered with trash and warns that its glaciers are melting because of global warming.
Apa, who like most Sherpas goes by only one name, scaled the peak last week. The purpose of the expedition -- and Apa's record 19th summit -- was to draw attention to the impact that global warming is having on the majestic site.
Glaciers are melting at an alarming rate, creating lakes whose walls could burst and flood villages below. Melting ice and snow also make the routes for mountaineers less stable.
Apa, who moved his family to Draper, Utah in 2006, says Everest must be protected.
Last week he placed a banner on the Everest summit that read, "Stop Climate Change -- Let the Himalayas live" to urge action against global warming.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
