1.   Rotting guavas and fruit flies that hover around them are also prevalent on the ridge route.

2.   But the popular Hornli ridge route is surmountable by fit climbers with intermediate skills.

3.   Nearly all of the land along the ridge route is owned and administered by the National Park Service.

4.   A day earlier, two Japanese members of the Osaka Alpine Club expedition climbed the peak using the west ridge route.

5.   Five other Americans and six Nepalese Sherpa guides on the Everest Environmental Expedition also reached the top of Mount Everest using the southeast ridge route.

6.   Five other Americans and six Nepalese Sherpa guides on the Everest Environmental Expedition used the popular southeast ridge route for their summit ascent.

7.   The six-member team used the southeast ridge route to climb the mountain.

8.   The team had taken the northeast ridge route.

9.   Three Austrians and one German mountain guide from another Austrian expedition reached the peak of Mt. Amadablam over the weekend using the north ridge route.