In April, the Beijing Games organisers said they planned the longest torch relay in Olympic history - an 137,000km, 130-day route that would cross five continents and reach the summit of the world's tallest mountain.

A Chinese team are believed to have already reached the summit with the torch in May as part of a rehearsal; after all, the organisers wouldn't want any nasty surprises during the actual relay itself, the Everest portion of which promises to be one of the visual highlights of the games.

However, the choice of route has annoyed environmentalists, who say it will damage the fragile eco-system of Everest, already under threat from a climbing boom on its slopes.

This week Beijing started building a highway on the side of Everest to make the passage of the Olympic torch across the mountain just that little bit easier.

At the moment there is a 110km rough path running from Tingri County of Xigaze Prefecture at the foot of the Qomolangma Base Camp at 5,200 metres, but the HK$154 million project would transform the road into a major tourist route, 'a blacktop highway fenced by undulating guard rails'.

Construction is due to take four months.

Qiangba Puncog, chairman of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said that environmental protection was always given priority whenever a big scheme was planned to protect the region's complicated ecological system.

He said Tibet had 2.5 million visitors last year, of which 154,000 came from abroad, and the overall figure was expected to rise to three million this year.

Puncog said the decision to build the road was about making the mountain more accessible to tourists.

'In the past two years, a lot of tourists have gone to Everest base camp, even tourists coming from Europe and America like to go and have a look at Everest. They have said the road is not good and is not safe, so the goal of improving this road is to make it more convenient for tourists,' he said.

He also said that China had not ruled out building a hotel at base camp at some stage. 'I cannot say that there will not be a hotel there in the future, but at the moment we have no plans for this,' said Puncog.

'Because of the high elevation, which is more than 5,000 metres, it is impossible to build any hotels there because for ordinary people it will be extremely difficult for them to spend the night over there,' he said, adding that mountain climbers come with their own tents and do not need hotel accommodation.

As well as looking at development plans for the mountain, international opposition has also focused on the fact that Everest is in Tibet, which China annexed in 1951, saying it has ruled Tibet for centuries and is determined to bring prosperity to the region.

Tibetan activists say that by allowing the torch to run over Everest, the International Olympic Committee endorses Chinese rule in Tibet, hence the decision by four American activists in April to unfurl banners at base camp calling for an independent Tibet.

Beijing deported the Americans and made 'solemn representation' to the US, demanding it ensure American tourists abide by Chinese laws and not engage in any illegal activities.

'The US side ... should prevent similar incidents from happening again,' the Foreign Ministry said at the time.

Students for a Free Tibet said the four protesters, including a Tibetan-American, unfurled a banner reading 'One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 2008' in English, and one in Tibetan and Chinese saying 'Free Tibet'.

The IOC said it would not be drawn into the case.

The theme of the relay, ironically, is Journey of Harmony and the slogan is 'Light the Passion, Share the Dream'.

The torch will be lit at Olympia in Greece on March 26 next year, and 20,000 bearers will carry the flame through 20 international cities along the route.

It will visit 113 cities in China and be delivered to Beijing on March 31, before embarking on a 33-day round-the-world trip starting in Kazakhstan, moving along the ancient Silk Road and ending in Taipei.

The relay will pass through Hong Kong and Macau before coming back to the mainland on May 4. It will enter Tibet after climbing the southern slope of Everest.

Two years ago, Beijing sent a team of climbers to Everest to clear up some of the 615 tons of garbage left on the mountain since 1921.

While a big problem has been how to televise the event, as getting the broadcast equipment up there is not easy.

Mountain of garbage

The amount, in tons, of rubbish that has been left on Everest since 1921 615

A highway is being constructed to the Everest base camp, which will form part of the Olympic torch relay that will pass through 113 cities on the mainland