An Austrian extreme biker is preparing to remove 3.5 metric tons of rubbish from Mount Everest on his way to the peak.

In April, 33-year-old Wolfgang Fasching set off for Tibet from his home in Deutsch-Goritz in the Austrian province of Styria. After flying to Lhasa via Katmandu, the cyclist covered as much of the territory as possible by bike.

Mr Fasching and his international team of 15 aim to remove plastic containers, aluminum cans and empty oxygen bottles. The rubbish collected from Everest base camp, 6,500 metres above sea level, will be transported by yak in 100-litre rubbish sacks to the Nepalese capital, Katmandu.

Mr Fasching's clean-up operation is expected to cost some 500,000 to 600,000 schillings (£22,500 to £27,000) - a sum provided by a variety of sponsors.

Depending on weather conditions, Mr Fasching should reach the Everest Advanced Base Camp coming Friday and will take off for the summit on Monday.