Japanese climber Ken Noguchi is intent on making a clean sweep. A year after his Noguchi/ Asia Qomolongma Clean up Expedition brought down 1,600 kg of garbage from Tibet, this spring Noguchi's Lhotse South Col Cleaning Expedition 2002 returned to the Nepali capital with over two tons of garbage, including 161 oxygen cylinders, some dating back to 1952. Noguchi, who's also climbed the seven summits, the highest peaks on seven continents, says it was a sense of shame that prodded him to take up the task of cleaning the Himalayan giants. He came back to Everest with a clean-up expedition in 2000, the year after he climbed Everest in 1999, when he realised a large amount of the garbage on the mountain had been left by Japanese, Korean and Asian expeditions. Such clean-up expeditions, suggests Noguchi, should receive partial reimbursement of climbing royalties.