Though in other areas of Tibet automobiles long ago replaced yaks, for the increasing numbers of mountaineers coming to prove themselves on Mount Everest, yaks are the most efficient means of transportation.

Zhaxizong township in Tingri county, located within the state-level nature reserve at Mount Everest, covers 30 administrative villages, according to Targyai, the township head.

"Almost every household here raises a couple of yaks in their backyard, so a special firm was set up in 1999 in which a certain number of yaks from different house-holds participate to carry out transportation services when needed," said Targyai.

As autumn is a prime season for mountaineering activities, plenty of people from all over the world swarm to Mount Everest for mountaineering, tourism and expeditions.

Participating households in the same village usually take turns transporting goods and materials for arriving mountain climbers, thus guaranteeing every household can benefit. So far there are 1,600 yaks registered with the transportation company.

Ngagwang Lhunzhub, 42, a farmer from Quzong Village of Zhaxizong township, joined the township yak transport company with his five yaks. Late last month, together with nine fellow villagers, he drove 35 heads of yak, from the headquarters at the foot of Mount Everest to the camp 6,500 meters above the sea level, to carry trash out.

Early in September, Ngagwang Lhunzhub and his fellow villagers also loaded up their yaks to carry cargo for a foreign mountaineering team to the same camp.

( eastday.com October 14, 2002)