Everest: Apa Sherpa aims to scatter Hillary's ashes at the summit. Photo: Sotti CC-BY-SA-3.0

A Sherpa today began a journey to scatter the ashes of Everest mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary on the mountain he climbed 57 years ago.

Sir Edmund and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first men to stand on the highest point on earth in 1953. The New Zealand mountaineer died two years ago, aged 88. Now, another record-breaking summiteer, 49-year-old Apa Sherpa, aims to carry some of Sir Edmund’s ashes up the 8,848m (29,029ft) peak.

The mountaineer holds the record for the most climbs to Everest’s summit – 19 so far – and plans to join 29 other mountaineers in a venture both to scatter the ashes and mount a major clean-up of the area, which has an increasing amount of debris and rubbish from the many expeditions up the mountain.

Sir Edmund Hillary. Photo: Graeme Mulholland

Some of Sir Edmund’s ashes were scattered at sea; the rest will be spread on the summit if Apa’s bid is successful.

The 49-year-old Sherpa first climbed the world’s highest peak in 1990 and has successfully summited a further 18 times. The USA-based mountaineer flew to Lukla today from the Nepalese capital Kathmandu.

Apa is due to make the summit attempt next month. As well as scattering Hillary’s ashes, the Eco Everest Expedition 2010 aims to promote Nepalese tourism by carrying a symbolic flag to the summit.