The first European woman to have climbed Mount Everest three times was a special guest in a Year 8 French class last week. She spoke to students about her mission to clear the rubbish from the world's highest mountain.

Marion Chaygneaud Dupuy, who was born in the Dordogne, joined a Buddhist monastery in India at the age of 18 and studied meditation for four years.

She became a mountain guide in the Himalayas, accompanying nomadic populations in their educational projects on the high steps of Tibet.

Dismayed by the amount of rubbish on Everest after 30 years of expeditions, she started the "Clean Everest" project. The annual operation to clean up the mountain's waste has now become a model that can be replicated on other Himalayan summits.

Marion's lecture on 21st June was punctuated by short meditation sessions and was thoroughly enjoyed by the students.

Here's what they had to say:

• I found it interesting, what rubbish they found so high up – Frederick
• I didn't know there was so much garbage on the mountains. I thought Marion was cool because she helped clean up – Alex
• I was surprised that even though not many people went that high, there was so much trash – Dominic
• I liked the meditation because it was relaxing – Giuseppe
• I liked the video Marion showed us of her project – Ileana
• I enjoyed learning the different routes on Everest – Penelope
• I learnt that every time one or two people die climbing the mountain – Eleonore
• I learnt there are animals that high up in mountains – D'Arcy
• I found the part where she talked about the yaks and how humans help them and they also help us, very interesting – Mira