Kathmandu (PTI): After conquering Mt Everest for record 18 times, summiter Apa Sherpa has announced to embark on yet another expedition to scale the 8,848-metre peak, the highest in the world.

Mr. Apa on Friday announced that he will conquer the Everest for the 19th time. He will fly to Lukla, the gateway to the highest peak on Monday under the banner of Eco Everest Expedition 2009.

The 43-member expedition include 17 foreigners and is aimed at spreading the message of world peace and to alarm the world about the devastating effects of climate change, according to a press release.

Mr. Apa will carry with him sacred Bumpas, a Buddhist vessel which includes 400 different kinds of precious ingredients such as holy relics, texts, medicinal plants and valuable substances of five elements, to be installed atop Everest, which is believed to clear all negative elements and promote world peace.

Apart from that he will also carry a banner from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) with the message "Stop Climate Change, Let the Himalayas Live".

Dawa Steven Sherpa, 25, is the team leader of the expedition sponsored by the U.S.-based WWF and the Asian Trekking.

"Climate change is human created problem and the whole world should unite to tackle this issue," said WWF's managing director for Eastern Himalayan region Jon Miceler.

The Rinpoche of Tengboche handed over the sacred vessel "Bumpas" to world renowned summiter Apa amidst a function here on yesterday saying "the world is going through a very challenging period environmentally, economically and politically, thus the installation of the sacred Bumpa will restore the power of the sacred Himalayas and save the world from all the miseries and promote peace in the world."

The 49-year-old Mr. Apa, born in Solukhumbu district in eastern Nepal, where lies the world's highest peak, for the first time reached atop the summit in 1990. He set a world record by breaking his own record when he scaled the Everest for the 18th time in May 2008. Now, Mr. Apa is all set to start his journey towards the Everest on Monday.

When asked whether it will be his last attempt to the Everest, he says "I do not know."

"This time my mission is to carry spiritual message of peace and harmony in the world and scientific message of warning the international community against the danger of climate change and global warming," he said.