I am the place with only three colors- blue of sky, white of snow, black of rock. I am the place where the temperature is often very cold. is uncomfortably thin... I am the place where life, ALL Life, is very fragile. I am the mountain so high that no bird can fly over me although many have tried. To the Tibetans, I am Chomolungma goddess mother of the earth. To the Nepalese I am Sagarmatha goddess mother of the sky. And to the rest of the world, I am Mt. Everest. 9 American mountaineers depart the United States bound for the Kingdom of Nepal to join the Inventa Everest 2000 Environmental Expedition. They will team up with the largest contingent of Sherpas ever assembled for a clean-up operation. Their goal is to unburden Mt. Everest of over 40 years of expedition garbage and to summit the world's highest peak. Here the Westerners meet their Eastern guides and make their final preparations. Bob Hoffman, a former airline manager, is the expedition leader and mastermind behind the half-million dollar clean-up operation. Apa Sherpa is responsible for managing all Sherpas on the expedition and overseeing the climbing logistics. Pemba Nurbu will help coordinate a team of 22 clean-up Sherpas. Professional mountain guide Jim Williams, along with Apa, will lead the 9 member climbing team... Each member has paid their way for a chance to summit Everest.