Travelling to the "Roof of the World" - Qomolangma, gets quite popular in the summer months. But non-traditional ways of getting there are adding a new element to the legendary.

"Low carbon travel" is now a buzz word for those wishing to try their hand at the tallest mountain in the world.

A group of bicycle enthusiasts from Shanghai, Chengdu, have chosen to cycle through State Highway 318 to Mount Everest.

Large groups of tourists routinely camp at the Qomolangma base camp overnight to witness the morning scene at the world's tallest mountain.

In stark contrast with the gorgeous scene in Tibet, random plastic bottle and trash are strewn all along Statel Highway 109.

Cycler said, "I saw a lot of people on my way here, mostly tourists by their own cars. They throw away empty bottles when they finished the water. Alongside the highway, there are lots and lots of plastic bags and bottles. But for us, we use re-usable water bottles instead that we can put in our bags."

Phuntsok Dhundup is a villager from the town of Tashi Zong located at the foot of Mount Everest. He has been helping pick up trash at the mountain for over five years.

Phuntsok and his colleague collect waste alongside riverbanks everyday.

Picking up garbage on a 8000-meter-tall mountain is not an easy job. For ordinary people, energy runs out quickly at these elevations because of a lack of oxygen. But for these environmental protectionists, one can cover great sections of the mountain collecting more than 20 bags of waste.

Zhang Yongze, Director of Tibet Environmental Protection Bureau, said,"We hope no matter who you are, tourists or local residents, anyone who's here in Tibet, to love and protect our environment, together making efforts to build a safe shelter of the ecosystem here."

Strengthening environmental protection in the region is significant for "maintaining stability, ethnic unity and building up of a well-off society. "